Ashima gandhi biography
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As a Lancaster Avenue Community Engagement Specialist, I would like an opportunity to be more involved with the city and community to help small and new businesses find their footing and to help restore neighborhoods to increase the standard living of our residents. What was most notable about our August Second Friday was the amount of diversity in our participants.
In order to enhance to economy and livability, it’s important to preserve the communities character and identify necessary approaches. July, we did more than had ever been done before to kick-start and sufficiently advertise the event. I find myself talking about this position in every interview, in every conversation and it’s helped me truly understand how I can work for a community at large.
I started working for Drexel Business Services (DBS) and the office of Community and Government Relations on Lancaster Avenue in hopes to revitalize the corridor. However, the potential was clear and energized us to do much more of everything from vendors to musicians and increase our marketing efforts. Drexel has allowed me to explore my potential – specifically as a leader on campus and beyond with positions like working for DBS or being a Resident Assistant, these five years have prepared me well for my future and I hope to continue doing my part in bringing about positive change in our communities, locally and globally.
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Having a chance to work closely in the planning of this reignited a sense of urgency after just researching the Avenue.The hardest thing to get used to is the speed of revitalization.
As one of the first roads in West Philly and the nation’s first turnpike, Lancaster Avenue was a gateway road that facilitated the movement of supplies across the Schuylkill. In efforts to increase the socio-economic state of the corridor, we must assist the residents to help them reach a higher living standard and provide for a better future for their children.
With Drexel’s resources, I helped create and distribute Lancaster Avenue tote bags, which were very helpful to the West Philly Fresh Food Hub, a fresh grocery truck sponsored by Greensgrow Farm on the avenue. Since then, we’ve found it important to keep the momentum going – increasing ways to promote Second Friday. Some businesses saw a lot of traffic, while others had an underwhelming response.
My future goals also include to partner with The West Philly Food Hub to invite residents and educate them on healthy living with providing proper food access and fresh ingredients as a substitute for fast food restaurants that are much more popular and easily accessible than a grocery store creating a food desert. People came from all over the city to the West Philadelphia neighborhood, which proved our online marketing efforts, really paid off!
Second Friday in July 2012 and August 2012 was a perfect example of both. One of the biggest challenges the Avenue faces is the deteriorating streetscape coupled with uneven sidewalks, vacant storefronts and acts of crime. There are minor accomplishments to feel excited about and then were setbacks to remain optimistic about. Drexel, with the encouragement of President Fry, has been trying to become a more civically engaged university and serve the surrounding community better.