Philly Rising: Difference Makers from KYW Newsradio

A question about road safety in his own neighborhood led this Philadelphia father, realtor and youth basketball coach on a quest to decode the "confusing and overwhelming" inner workings of the city. The result is the public resource Instagram "Local Politics First," which lends some transparency to Philadelphia politics and helps citizens understand its complexities.

 Eight-year-old Gideon Ansah, who goes by the stage name “Star Jr.,” braved the cold for several hours, bringing beats to the ballot box at a West Philly polling location.   KYW Newsradio's Antionette Lee shares his story on Philly Rising

Addie Auth and her mom Bernadette know a thing or two about overcoming the odds. At age 4, Addie was diagnosed with T cell lymphoblastic leukemia.

During the pandemic, Maureen Carreno of Delaware County became known as "Souper Mummum," sharing her soup recipes on Facebook and doing weekly soup drive-bys. The deliveries have ended, but the giving hasn’t. Carreno has been using her passion and talent for cooking to help families fleeing abuse at the Domestic Abuse Project of Delaware County. KYW Newsradio's Antionette Lee shares more on Philly...

At a gift shop called Something Different by Eric, the goal isn’t making a profit; it’s creating a community.

YEAH Philly (Youth Empowerment Advancement Hangout) is one organization out in front of the fight against gun violence in Philadelphia. Executive Director Kendra Van De Water says YEAH Philly takes aim at the root causes of the issue from several directions at once, including food giveaways, employment assistance, conflict resolution programs and more.

Crystal Jackson is the founder of the Perfectly Flawless Foundation, a Philadelphia nonprofit that clothes people in transition. Jackson began her journey in community service by opening up her own clothing boutique in Germantown. But she says she always knew she wanted to parlay her business into a way to lift up her community.

Abdellah Abdul Qawi is tackling food insecurity in Philadelphia and Camden as director of Muslims Serve, an organization that prepares and serves free meals to those in need. KYW Newsradio's Sabrina Boyd-Surka reports.

For decades, nonprofit Esperanza has been dedicated to uplifting Philadelphia’s diverse Latinx communities. And now is a time when that kind of lifting up is needed, with Hispanic Heritage Month running through Oct. 15, and Puerto Rico, once again, rebuilding after a devastating hurricane.

When Antionette Campbell started her career in forensic science — and even earlier, while studying chemistry at Temple — she didn’t find many people like her in the field. So she did something about it. KYW Newsradio's Sabrina Boyd-Surka reports.

September is National Recovery Month. Darnell Hinton is on a mission all year long to help people in every stage of recovery from addiction. He runs a nonprofit called Teach One Feed One .

Philadelphia Family Pride focuses on building a community for LGBTQ+ parents and kids of all ages. It also offers support in challenging times, particularly during the recent overturning of Roe v. Wade. The nonprofit has received calls every day since the ruling. KYW Newsradio's Antionette Lee shares more on Philly Rising.

The Father’s Day Rally Committee has prioritized supporting and celebrating Black fatherhood in Philadelphia for decades. KYW Newsradio's Antionette Lee describes the organization's mission and actions, and what they're doing for Father's Day.

Bird-watching has become a popular hobby during the pandemic. The activity requires little gear, and since it’s outdoors, it’s COVID-safe. That’s part of what led Elise Greenberg to start a group called Philly Queer Birders a year ago. KYW Newsradio's Antionette Lee shares more on Philly Rising.

Vincent Garrett didn't have a father, growing up. His experiences as a young man drove him to create his nonprofit, Mentor Leaders Produce Mentor Leaders, to do what he can to give young men today what he did not have then.

Sister Ann Provost, a pillar of her North Philadelphia community, is retiring as executive director of Mercy Neighborhood Ministries after 30 years of service to her neighbors. But what will she do now? "Well, we don't really ever actually retire. So I will be doing something. I just haven't found what it's going to be just yet."

Joel Wilson is hacking the diversity issues in STEM fields by creating a pipeline to success. His nonprofit, TechCore2, teaches coding, robotics and other programs to students from kindergarten all the way through high school. KYW Newsradio's Antionette Lee has more.

As a Delaware County District Judge, W. Keith Williams II can sometimes meet young people in the wrong place – inside the courtroom. "It's been my experience that, unfortunately, sometimes kids just don't have proper direction," he says. Through his volunteer work and the organization Men on Mission, he’s trying to prevent those encounters. KYW Newsradio's Antionette Lee has more.

Shane Darby experienced homelessness during her first pregnancy and didn’t have a lot of support. Now, she’s building that support system for others. She founded Black Mothers in Power to address the Black maternal mortality crisis in Delaware. KYW Newsradio's Antionette Lee has more.

Born to activist and organizer parents, it’s no surprise that Adjoa B. Asamoah's path has led her to become a political strategist and a champion of the CROWN Act, which legally bans race-based hair discrimination.

Leo Abelo Perry is only 9 years old, but he's already made his big break. The Doylestown native stars in the new Disney remake of "Cheaper by the Dozen," and uses his platform to make change in the world.

Nairobi Colon is a nonbinary art teacher at KIPP Whittier Middle School in Camden. One day, Colon realized they were tired of being called "miss," so they asked students to refer to them simply as "Teacher Robi," with pronouns they/them. The kids immediately embraced the name. KYW Newsradio's Antionette Lee has more.

Nearly 3 decades ago, Carol Wong noticed a need in the Chinatown community. That's when she founded the Chinatown Learning Center.

West Philly native Lorene Cary goes by a number of titles — she's a bestselling author, a playwright, a mother, and a senior lecturer at University of Pennsylvania. Not just during Women's History Month in March, but nearly 365 days out of the year, she uses her craft to preserve stories, especially Black legacies, for future generations.

Delana Wardlaw and Elana McDonald are two of a kind: They’re identical twin sisters who are both physicians in Philadelphia. Growing up in Strawberry Mansion, their community inspired them to help build access to quality, equitable health care and education for underserved Black and brown communities. KYW Newsradio's Antionette Lee shares their story on Philly Rising.