For the last few months our #WeDecide campaign has been taking flight! We’ve been putting our feet to the pavement all Summer long to bring out the voice of Philadelphia residents around the Right to Breathe. From surveying at all kinds of  community centers, churches, and functions to phone banking and maintaining a connection with all the folks we talked to, Philly Thrive has been getting the work done.

After all that hard work, sometimes you deserve a reward as well! That’s exactly why we got together last Sunday, September 24 for a celebratory barbeque. Music and laughter filled the air at Stinger Square park in South Philadelphia as old and new Thrivers mingled, enjoyed good food, and talked about both what we’ve accomplished and what’s soon to come. We were excited to have many new faces attend to share the fun and engage with our work!

 A few individuals were recognized with certificates for their leadership development over the summer, and we shared stories about particular occasions when their strength as leaders shone through. It was heartwarming to hear folks expressing gratitude for each other’s growth, hard work, and dedication.

Hurricanes, fires, our world. I am feeling the pains of our earth. We all need to do something. If not, destruction will happen.
Hurricanes in the East Coast and fires in the West Coast. Our God is not happy right now. And our change in the climate is stuck in the middle. Instead of fighting each other about race let's gather together to save our planet.

Philly Thrive is a grassroots organization of Philadelphians taking action for clean air, climate justice, and the right to breathe. We’re defending our communities and our future against the largest fossil fuel refinery on the East Coast. We oppose Philadelphia becoming a toxic fossil fuel “energy hub” - we need a transition to an economy that serves people and planet. We envision a just transition to climate jobs, clean energy, and healthy communities. Read below to learn about our internship opportunities. 

With the Democratic Primary on Tuesday May 16, District Attorney Candidate Larry Krasner reached out to Philly Thrive to win the support of our membership. Krasner has been the only candidate to speak about the importance of prosecuting lawbreaking polluters.

Even though Thrive will not be endorsing a candidate this election, we recognize the material difference a progressive D.A. could make for our communities and the political climate under which we organize. For that reason, we canvassed for Kranser to invite residents who live near the refinery to a meet-and-greet with the candidate. The meeting was rained out, unfortunately, but Krasner did respond via email to the questions Thrive had prepared for the candidate...

In the week before the Christmas holiday, Zalaka T.-B. and I walked through Wilson Park distributing the first-ever issue of the Philly Thrive Review. The print newsletter (now available as a PDF!) contains background information for Thrive and an update of the events Thrive hosted and participated in over the past six months. The newsletter distribution was an effort to spread awareness of Thrive in Wilson Park and surrounding neighborhoods, and to celebrate our recent accomplishments.

Click here to view the Winter 16/17 issue of the Philly Thrive Review!

In the past year, Philly Thrive has striven for environmental success.  Everyone had worked together in live actions, demonstrations and meetings against the oil refinery and at the Philadelphia Regional Port Authority.

On Tuesday, October 26, Philly Thrive held its monthly Movement Assembly. About 25 people came to hear about what action circles had been up to in the past month.

Philly Thrive is hiring a part-time Fundraising Coordinator to help raise our campaign to the next level.

JOB POSTING: Fundraising Coordinator
Applications Due: Nov 11, 2016     Start Date: January 9, 2017

Philly Thrive is an emerging community organization committed to building a multi-racial, cross-class movement for environmental justice across Philadelphia. Our Right to Breathe campaign is shifting public support against toxic fossil fuel projects in the city, focused on the largest oil refinery on the east coast located in South Philly. We build power through neighborhood organizing and creative direct actions to achieve our three goals: health and safety over profit, no fossil fuel expansion, and a green economy for all.

Job Description:
The fundraising coordinator will be a part-time position (25 hrs/wk) responsible for expanding Philly Thrive’s fundraising team and overseeing our overall fundraising strategy.

On Saturday, September 17, over 400 Philadelphians gathered at City Hall in a show of solidarity with the Standing Rock Sioux tribe of North Dakota.  The protesters, holding signs echoing Standing Rock’s rallying cry of “You Can’t Drink Oil” and “Water is Life,” snaked through Center City in an epic display of grassroots mobilization.

The Standing Rock Sioux has captured the world’s attention in its display against corporate environmental injustices. As Transfer Energy Partner’s Dakota Access pipeline threatens to unearth the tribe’s sacred lands and pollute the Missouri River, over six thousand members of supporting tribes have gathered in North Dakota to protest the pipeline’s construction. It is the largest gathering of Native Americans in over one hundred and sixty years and calls attention to the silent expansion of fossil fuel infrastructure in the backyards of the disenfranchised.

Zalaka Thompson and Irene Quinn are two members of Philly Thrive who chose to participate in the Standing Rock Solidarity March and a parallel action at a Center City TD Bank location. Both women and their families have faced the negative effects of Philadelphia Energy Solutions’ oil and gas refinery in South Philadelphia. They both took important roles in the action on Saturday, showing at once that Philadelphians stand for the struggle of the Standing Rock tribe and that they deserve the Right to Breathe in their own homes and communities.