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Also naming the 900 block of South 17th Street "Geraldine Graves Way," to honor the life and legacy of Geraldine Graves.
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WHEREAS, Geraldine Graves was born on May 11, 1954, and passed away January 26, 2021; and
WHEREAS, Mrs. Graves was a lifelong public servant, spending 34 years working for the Internal Revenue Service in Philadelphia; and
WHEREAS, Mrs. Graves was a faithful member of the Gospel Temple Church in the Point Breeze neighborhood of South Philadelphia; and
WHEREAS, Mrs. Graves was deeply engaged in her community, and she put tremendous energy particularly into the Edwin M. Stanton School; and
WHEREAS, First, she was only a supporter, and then she developed into a fierce advocate when Staton was threatened with closure in 2012; and
WHEREAS, Mrs. Graves refused to give up and met weekly for months with other supporters. She would strategize, plan and provide solid foundation for all who gathered to plan to save the Stanton school; and
WHEREAS, Thanks in large part to her conviction, the Philadelphia School District decided not to close Stanton, and Mrs. Graves kept the quality public school open and thriving. She was able to provide for the children in the community the ability to have a safe place to learn and grow. This was particularly impactful because of the 2013 closure of the Walter G. Smith School, which also served the Point Breeze community; and
WHEREAS, Following her retirement from the IRS, Mrs. Graves became a school crossing guard at 17th and Christian street, for the exact school she saved; and
WHEREAS, She would guide hundreds of students to safety from one side to the other each day with a warm smile and kind words. For over twelve years, Geraldine was the heart and soul of the Stanton School community; and
WHEREAS, In her free time, Mrs. Graves would continue serving the public through numerous volunteer endeavors, including with Unity in the Community, Friends of Stanton, and Don't Shoot I Want a Future; and...
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