BLOCK PARTY!!!!!!1!
September 28, 2013
Author: Phil
We’re getting bigger…AGAIN!
September 8, 2013
We just agreed to take over the second floor south in our home at 710 S. 5th street, which will mean a 50% INCREASE in retail sales space come November! Yep, there’s a mirror image (size-wise, it’s got its own cool and different layout) of our current second floor on the other side of the wall which will soon be ours to fill with even more amazing stuff. 50% MORE! We can’t believe it either.
Washington West Project’s $20K Renovation
September 8, 2013
PHOTOS: Washington West Project’s $20K RenovationThe new floor plan creates more space for employees and guests, and a whole new loft area for local youth groups. Posted by Josh Middleton on 8/28/2013 at 11:32AM | No Comments
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Center City HIV-testing hub Washington West Project is back in business after undergoing a two-week renovation. The updates come courtesy of a $20K grant provided by Philly AIDS Thrift in Queen Village.
“We have a great community space in the middle of the Gayborhood,” says Prevention Services Director Eric Paulukonis, ”but we didn’t have enough space to accommodate everyone who was coming through the door.” He projects that the new, more-open layout will make the flow of operations smoother, which will in turn help increase the Center’s testing capacity. “More people will be able to get tested and fewer will be walking out because of long lines.”
He walked me through some of the updates (you can click on the images to make them larger):
On the first floor, walls were opened up to create a reception area for guests and a more-organized workspace for employees. There were hardwood floors installed and fresh paint applied throughout. But perhaps most exciting, is that the large area in the back has been split into two private testing rooms (pictured, below.)
The second and third levels didn’t see much change, but the spaces will benefit from the extra testing room on the first floor. This means there will be fewer crowds and less double-booking of the rooms on these levels, which are used to accommodate groups like TRUE Care Clinic, Sisterly LOVE and the T.R.I.P Project.
Another exciting addition is the neat loft area on the fourth floor, which will be used as a space for youth groups like Street Smarts and A1PHA Project. GO! Girls, a local “giving circle” that pulls its resources to help female-supportive Philly orgs, freshened up the space with a new coat of paint. Funding from Philly AIDS Thrift provided new carpet and a window overlooking 12th Street. Paulukonis says there will be new furniture and a large flat-screen TV coming soon.
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Getting to know you…
September 7, 2013
Getting to know you, getting to know all about you!
Name: Shawn, it’s Shawn spelt the right way.
Doesn’t it suck that there’s like three different ways to spell it?
Yeah, it does. I wish it were spelled like Shaun Cassidy…
Do you shop, donate or volunteer?
I am staff…but I do all those things.
How long have you been coming to Philly AIDS Thrift?
I’ve been coming here…approximately…a little over two years.
What’s your favorite thing you bought here?
I want to say my taxidermy frog.
So it’s not that globe lamp you
tried to take from me?
No, that’s the second coolest thing, but not as cool as the taxidermy frog.
What keeps you coming back to our store?
The way it makes me feel involved in the community I live in. I get great satisfaction in meeting and knowing the neighborhood and the customers and the people we get to help. I feel very lucky in that.
What’s the #1 top played song on your iPod?
Cool Kids Keep by American Analogue Set.
What are you OCD about?
Being on time. I’m two hours early to the airport every time. I’m obsessive about being on time, it drives my girlfriend crazy.
If you were a Mexican wrestler, what would your stage name be?
The Magnificent Milquetoast.
Make sure you spell that right. It’s with a Q.
Have you ever won a contest?
I beat everyone at longest keg
stand at a party once. I promptly puked afterwards.
Did you win anything?
More beer. The respect of my peers.
You have a pretty cool beard, how long have you been growing it?
Since the fifth of December. I’m trying to go for a whole year but I don’t know if I’ll make it. It really itches.
As a follow-up question, what is growing in your beard?
Probably an almagonation of hot dog bits, baby barf and hahaha I suspect bits of pasta. Definitely pop tarts. Those are the last few things I’ve washed out of it, anyway.
New Freedom Theater Casts Donations for Philly AIDS Thrift
August 31, 2013
Recently, teens participating in a six-week summer program at New Freedom Theater, chose Philly AIDS Thrift to collect and donate over ten bags of clothes ranging from toddler-wear – to sport, casual and dress adult clothing. In addition, the students collected and gave Philly’s AIDS Thrift $50.00. Here, Jaleel
McCoy (center) and Amir Randall (right) present Philly AIDS Thrift’s Big John with their HUGE donation.