Ethiopian Community Association Awards Ryan Spak with Neighborhood Champion Award

On Saturday, October 8th, Ryan Spak (pictured right, next to Councilwoman Gauthier) was presented with a Neighborhood Champion Award from the Ethiopian Community Association of Greater Philadelphia during their grand "re-opening" event. Ryan received the award in appreciation for his efforts to help preserve the Ethiopian Community Association's headquarters when the building at 44th and Chestnut was in danger of closing due to structural damage in 2021. 

Through his role as the manager of our Project Rehab, Ryan assisted the neighborhood group with connecting to local banks, contractors, City agencies, and funders, and also promoted their GoFundMe page to help them raise money locally. His efforts contributed to the preservation of the building that has been owned by the Association since 1999. Recently, Ryan also guided the group through the process to acquire an additional $15,000 of reimbursement funds from the Commerce Department. 

Congratulations to Ryan! Read more about his work in the community from this March 2022 piece in The Inquirer.