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Honoring and recognizing Claudia Sherrod for her dedication to improving her neighborhood, Point Breeze, on the occasion of her retirement as executive director of South Philadelphia H.O.M.E.S., Inc.
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WHEREAS, Claudia Sherrod was raised in South Philadelphia, where she learned the value of community involvement while working to organize block clean ups and neighborhood events; and
WHEREAS, She met her husband Roy upon his graduation from Bok Vocational Technical High School and the couple married on September 12, 1959. In their more than 50 years together, the couple has added four children and nine grandchildren to their happy family; and
WHEREAS, After raising her four children, Ms. Sherrod took a job as a community liaison with the Philadelphia Gas Works, building upon her passion for neighborhood involvement and activism; and
WHEREAS, Prior to her retirement from PGW, Claudia Sherrod earned a Bachelors in Business Administration from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business, where she specialized in Accounting; and
WHEREAS, Around the same time, Claudia Sherrod joined South Philadelphia H.O.M.E.S. (Housing Opportunity Means Everybody Shares). The Organization was founded by neighbors who were concerned about the quality of life in South Philadelphia and who united to address housing and economic disparities in their neighborhood; and
WHEREAS, Having redeveloped dozens of properties for sale to community members in the 1970s and 1980s, South Philadelphia H.O.M.E.S. began to expand the scope of its services under Ms. Sherrod’s leadership during the 1990s. Today, the Organization offers financial literacy and homeownership training; resume-writing and job-readiness workshops; and after-school programs. As a testament to the success of the organization under Ms. Sherrod’s leadership, South Philadelphia H.O.M.E.S. was able to expand its operation in a new, larger office on Point Breeze Avenue beginning in 2005; and
WHEREAS, In addition to her tenure at South Philadelphia H.O.M.E.S., Ms. Sherrod served as President of the Point Breeze Community Development Coalition, and on the boards of Alcorn Elementary School, Vare Middle School, and Audenreid High School. Ms. Sherrod was also a founding member of South Philadelphia Health Action, which has grown into Greater Philadelphia Health Action; and
WHEREAS, Describing her work with South Philadelphia H.O.M.E.S., Ms. Sherrod has said that “we hope to make the community understand that they have someone who cares about them”, and her work over the past four decades has made that mission a reality. The Community that Claudia Sherrod has worked to empower and uplift will stand as a testament to her dedication to Point Breeze and to the City of Philadelphia as a whole; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, THAT THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, Hereby honors and recognizes Claudia Sherrod for her dedication to improving her neighborhood, Point Breeze, on the occasion of her retirement as Executive Director of South Philadelphia H.O.M.E.S., Inc.
FURTHER RESOLVED, That an Engrossed copy of this resolution be presented to Claudia Sherrod as evidence of the sincere appreciation and gratitude of this legislative body.
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