Welcoming New Staff Member, Erick!

Please join us in welcoming our new Community Resource Coordinator, Erick Marfil! Erick has extensive experience working with community-based organizations, including through his previous role as a Shop Coordinator and Program Manager at Community Bike Works. He is also a part-time case manager at Pinebrook Family Answers. Erick enjoys social work and being able to have an impact on the lives of others, and he sees his empathy as his gift to the world.

Erick is also the President and founder of The Valley League, the premiere pro-am basketball league in Pennsylvania. He is a proud father of three boys, loves to play basketball, and enjoys graphic design and spending time with his children.

In his role at RCI, Erick engages with our community members, facilitates activities, and assists with coordinating resources. Welcome to the team, Erick!

Summer updates

We’ve been busy! Check out some of our recent activities.

• We grew and released butterflies! We also made themed art projects, all focused on the beautiful transformation from caterpillar to butterfly.

• We celebrated our volunteers.

• We created a mural together.

• We planted flowers.

• We played bingo.

• We knitted and crocheted.

…and we have even more planned for the rest of the summer! Save the date for some of our upcoming events:

7/18 – Hawaiian luau and craft.

7/20 – Philosophy circle.

7/31 – July birthday celebration.

8/1/2024 – Walking trip to concerts at the Community Music School. Meet on RCI’s porch at 3 PM.

8/2/2024 – Party in the Park at Franklin Park. The event starts at 3 PM. (Rain date 8/9).

Thank you, Penn Community Bank!

We’re grateful to our friends at Penn Community Bank, who spent the day with us volunteering. The group visited the future home of RCI Village West to tidy the garden beds and spruce up the outdoor space. They also deep cleaned our Community Building Center, refreshing the Center for when our community members return.

Volunteers also presented us with a gift of $10,000. We deeply appreciate their impact and care for our community, as well as their generosity. Thank you, Penn Community Bank!

Allentown Health Bureau Visits RCI

RCI community members participate in Allentown’s Community Health Needs Assessment.

In November, RCI hosted visitors from the Allentown Health Bureau as part of the City’s Community Health Needs Assessment, which is a tool to evaluate gaps in health care and related services in Allentown. Twenty-five people from RCI participated, discussing resources that would improve health and quality of life. “If we could get a shower when we need it. If we could have a place to stay, that would build up our self-esteem. And when our self-esteem is up, everything else goes up, too,” shared one of our community members.

Our unsheltered neighbors have an especially difficult time in the winter, when the temperatures drop and daylight dwindles. While many of us begin preparing for holiday gatherings with family and friends, people experiencing homelessness or housing instability face social isolation, which directly impacts their health and well-being. One community member said, “When you feel so empty. When you feel neglected by society, that’s when you turn to drugs. That’s when you turn to alcohol.”

Visitors from the Allentown Health Bureau visit RCI in our Service Hub.

Thank you to the Allentown Health Bureau for visiting RCI and providing our community members with the opportunity to have their voices heard!