Our Work
Real fights, real wins, starting where it matters.
We pick fights we can actually win. We're here to change what life on these blocks feels like, not just to make a statement.
Phase 1: The Blocks We Live On
Blight, trash, and the conditions people walk past every day.
Our first campaign is about the state of our own neighborhoods: boarded-up properties that have sat empty for years, trash that never gets picked up, and streets the city seems to forget. City figures point to roughly 21,700 vacant lots and buildings across Philadelphia, and every one of them sits on somebody's block.
We picked this because the community picked it. In interviews with members at our March summit, it came up over and over, and so did a clear plan: start where we can see real results, build a name for ourselves, and then take on the bigger fights with a track record behind us.
How members are involved:
- Block-level walks to map the worst conditions
- Direct meetings with city officials and the people responsible
- Public actions when officials don't respond
- Cleanups and visible improvements alongside the political pressure
Phase 2: Housing and the Cost of Living
One job should be enough.
Once we've built the reputation, we go after what's pushing people out of their own neighborhoods: rent that climbs every year, homes getting bought up and flipped, and a cost of living that keeps moving while wages don't. A single adult in Philadelphia needs about $23 an hour just to cover the basics. Pennsylvania's minimum wage is still $7.25.
This is what nearly every member we interviewed brought up first. It's the fight we're building toward.
We'll name the specific campaigns when they're ready, not before.
What's Next: Education
Schools, supplies, and the systems our kids grow up in.
Education came up in our community interviews as often as housing. Parents talked about school-supply costs as a real, monthly strain. Families talked about whether their kids' schools have what they need.
We haven't committed to a specific education campaign yet, but it's on the list. When it's time, you'll hear about it here first.
How we win
Member-led campaigns.
Every action is shaped by the people most affected by it.
Organizing know-how.
The people in this work have run door-knocking and turnout operations at serious scale, and that experience goes into every campaign.
Real relationships with city council.
We build enough visible weight that the people in office want to work with us, instead of asking them for permission.
The long view.
No shortcuts. We move at the pace community trust actually takes.