Summer time fun!

Summer is always bubbling with activity and fun around here. It’s a time to create good memories and get outside. This year we had several memorable events for our community members.

In June we hosted our first-ever Rummy Tournament at the Community Center. We had 12 people sign up, all competing for bragging rights and a Walmart gift. We weren’t sure which people were more excited about, bragging rights or the Walmart gift card. The games were tense and there was a lot of smack talk heard around the table. After the group stage, only 3 were left and the battle was on. It was a hard fought game, but in the end only one left with the title of “Rummy Champion”, and that was Gus. He was beaming with pride.

Also in June, we hosted our Annual RCI Village BBQ Picnic in West Park. Over the past year, we added 4 new households to the housing program so this picnic was packed. We ate BBQ chicken, mac’n’cheese, coleslaw, potato salad and lots of yummy desserts. It was a good time for the new residents to get to know others in the housing program. We even found out that two residents were friends from long ago and had a nice reunion. We never know how our community will come together, but it’s nice to know our circles are always smaller than we think. To top off the evening, we got to enjoy some good Blues music!

And lastly, we had our Annual Day in the Park on July 8. The event started first as a way to celebrate the Olympics, but everyone enjoyed it so much that we decided to turn it into a yearly event. Our Zumba volunteers provided gift cards to purchase food and supplies and Johnny’s Bagels donated pastries for desserts. There were hamburgers, hot dogs, salad, coleslaw, and pretzels from Philly Pretzel Factory. For games this year we had Can Jam, Mini Golf putt-putt, Hula Hoops, Noodle Javelin, and Soda Chug from a baby bottle. It was great weather and everyone enjoyed themselves!

Learning to save lives with Narcan

The use of opioids in drugs has increased greatly in the past several years. According to an article in the Morning Call, in 2021, there were 700 opioid related deaths in the Lehigh Valley for the year. In the state of Pennsylvania there were over 4,500 opioid related deaths. It’s tragic to see community and family members die from overdose as a result of their addictions or even first time use. To combat the opioid epidemic across the country, first responders are using Naxalone, or as it’s commonly referred to, Narcan. Narcan is a nasal spray that reverses the effects of opioids and returns normal breathing.

With overdose being so much more common now, we want our staff and volunteers trained in how to administer Narcan so that we can save the lives of our community members. The Lehigh Valley Health Network and The Health Care Trust of Anne Constance and Carl Robert Anderson awarded a grant to the Valley Health Partners Street Medicine team and RCI to provide more health care access to the unsheltered community in Allentown. As a result of this partnership, RCI has hosted the Street Medicine team for Narcan training on two separate occasions. In June, we held a refresher course and individuals who participated in the training received a certificate and a free package of Narcan. These trainings have immediate and real world applications for us at the Community Center, as we have had to administer Narcan to our own community members on occasion. Their training allowed to know how to handle the situation and use Narcan while the first responders were in route to the center.

Thanks Street Medicine team for all you do!

We love our Wawa!

It’s a well-known fact that Pennsylvanians love their Wawa. Whether it’s a hot coffee and donut for breakfast or a hoagie for lunch, Wawa has great food. We appreciate the generosity of Wawa store #8078 on Cedar Crest Blvd in Allentown, who for many years has been donating breakfast sandwiches, hot dogs, and donuts to our Community Center. Fiorenza's Food For Friends connected us with them and the partnership has been great. We depend on Wawa’s kindness to feed our community members and it always keeps them satisfied.

A big thank you from all of us here at Ripple Community Inc!

Staff Transitions

Over the past year, our organization has continued to grow and develop. As a staff team, we are implementing some changes in the RCI Village Housing Program that will allow us to best support our community going forward.

We are pleased to announce that, as of May 1st, Blake Henry has stepped into the role Housing Director. In this role, Blake will oversee our RCI Village housing program and take a lead role in expanding that program in the coming years. Blake will be able to serve in this role full-time and ensure that we acquire more affordable housing during this expansion period.

“I’m excited to build off the foundation that has been laid for affordable long term housing in our community. It’s a joy to see our residents building social networks that benefit their well-being”

— Blake Henry

At the same time, Danilo Sanchez is stepping into the role of Interfaith Community Chaplain. This role will allow Danilo to connect one-on-one with our residents and community members while also dedicating more time to intercultural and DEI work in our broader community. We are thankful for the 4 years that Danilo served in this role and the solid foundation that was built during that time. "

“I’m grateful to continue working for RCI and serving our community members in this new role. It’s sacred space to walk with people in times of joy and pain”

— Danilo Sanchez

This is happy news for everyone here at RCI, and we are grateful to Danilo and Blake for their continued care for our community! Please join us in congratulating them on their new positions.