BWEA Breakfast Bingo “A Call to Serve”

BWEA Philadelphia Chapter's Political Awareness Committee is hosting a Breakfast Bingo event which includes speakers, games. prizes, and a lot of FUN and information. Our speakers will include several candidates for Office of Mayor in Philadelphia! Each game will include powerful information on relevant issues, an opportunity to support High School Scholarships, and engaging fun with gifts and prizes.

First elected in 2015 with the highest number of primary votes cast, former Councilmember Derek S. Green, Esquire chaired the Finance and Disabilities Committees and was the Vice Chair of the Aging and Law & Government Committees. He was the Chair of the Philadelphia Gas Commission, President of the Democratic Municipal Officials, and President of the PA Municipal League. Further, he served on the DNC and National League of Cities Executive Committees and Philadelphia Cultural Fund Board. Additionally, he serves on the Boards of the City Trusts and Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Seated in 2016, Former Philadelphia City Councilmember Helen Gym is a long-time community organizer who leads a human rights agenda rooted in housing, education, and racial and economic justice through municipal policy. She created one of the most successful anti-eviction programs in the country that reduced evictions by two thirds in what was once the 4th highest evicting city in the nation. Her work includes passing a Right to Counsel law which guarantees legal representation to low-income renters, and establishing a tenant legal defense fund, local rent vouchers, and a mandatory pre-filing eviction diversion program. 

 A former public school teacher and parent organizer, Councilmember Gym helped end a 17 year state takeover of the Philadelphia public schools; and restored nurses, counselors, social workers, clean water and instrumental music to every public school. She led the charge for a $500 million school modernization campaign, including bringing air conditioning to more than two dozen schools, ending lead in drinking water, and remediating lead, asbestos and mold. She’s been at the forefront of labor rights, establishing a permanent City Department of Labor and winning groundbreaking policies like a Fair Workweek law that guarantees stable schedules for hourly workers and a first in the nation right to return law protecting the jobs of thousands of hospitality workers. Additionally, she established a legal defense fund for immigrants facing deportation and led statewide reform of residential placement facilities for at-risk youth.

Former  Councilmember Gym is the national co-Chair of Local Progress, a network of 1,300 municipal elected officials, where she leads efforts around immigrant rights and economic justice. She is the first Asian American woman to serve on her City Council body and the first Asian American Democrat elected to citywide office in 50 years.

Rebecca Rhynhart is a bold, independent leader who’s been fighting to move Philadelphia forward, because she believes that our people deserve a government as great as they are.

Rebecca is running for mayor because Philadelphia is at critical moment. We’re facing challenges unlike any we’ve ever seen before. Like so many, Rebecca is fed up with politics as usual in Philadelphia, but she knows we can turn our city around with bold leadership, practical problem solving, and fresh ideas. She’ll take on the status quo to stand up for what’s right – even if others are silent. Because change can’t wait.

Rebecca made history by becoming the first woman elected to serve as city controller. As city controller, she served as the people’s watchdog, shining a light on the corruption, waste, and misuse of taxpayer dollars that hold us back, and pushing to invest in what’s needed to make our city work. She made the controller’s office a voice for the people. Rebecca knows bringing about change and greater equality throughout our city starts with transparency and tackling hard truths. She believes that we need to understand the problems in order to fix them.

As the independently elected city controller, Rebecca showed that she is Philadelphia’s most prominent reformer, refusing to back down from the toughest fights to help every neighborhood and every Philadelphian. She pushed the mayor and his administration to implement solutions to our city’s challenges -- but was all too often met with apathy and indifference. As mayor, she’ll take the action our city needs – putting these solutions in place and leading operations to actually fix our city’s problems.

Rebecca will fight to strengthen all of Philadelphia’s neighborhoods — because everyone deserves a fair shot to get ahead. That means tackling gun violence, and making our city safer, cleaning up our streets, making trash pick-up on-time, and cracking down on illegal dumping, urgently fixing our public schools to give all of our children the real chance to reach their potential, ensuring greater equity in city services across Philadelphia and providing economic opportunities so that our city government truly works for every neighborhood.

Before being elected controller, Rebecca spent nearly a decade working with two different mayors. She held the key financial roles of City Treasurer and Budget Director. Rebecca understands how the city of Philadelphia government works and doesn’t work better than anyone, making her ready on day one as mayor to give Philadelphians the bold and fearless leadership they deserve.

Rebecca is a proud public-school parent. She fights for Philadelphia so her daughter and all of Philadelphia’s children can live and thrive in a vibrant world class city.

Rebecca has a Master of Public Administration from Columbia University and a Bachelor of Arts from Middlebury College.

Born to a single teenage mom and raised by her grandparents, Cherelle Parker achieved her dreams because of the unconditional love of her family, the support of her community, and a belief in the power of education.

Cherelle went to Philadelphia public schools her whole life, then was the first person in her family to go to college, earning her bachelor’s degree from Lincoln University where she pledged Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and earned her master’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania.

First as a teacher, then as a State Representative in Harrisburg chairing the Philadelphia Delegation, where she saved Philadelphia schools from financial catastrophe, and as a Philadelphia City Councilmember and Council Majority Leader, Cherelle has spent her life giving back to the city that gave her so much. She is passionate about making Philadelphia a safer, greener city that ensures access to economic opportunity for all.

Ensuring Safer, Stronger Neighborhoods:

Since her time in City Council, Cherelle has been fighting to implement a comprehensive community policing and safety plan focused on protecting our families and reducing gun violence across Philadelphia. Her plan includes hiring more beat and bike police in every neighborhood, rehiring retired police to fill administrative positions to get more cops on the street, and addressing poverty and quality of life issues that lead to a sense of lawlessness in our city.

Expanding Economic Opportunities for All:

Cherelle’s mission to bridge the gap between the “haves” and the “have-nots” continues to be her driving force for change. As Mayor, she will focus on strengthening small businesses, improving schools so we have a strong workforce, and attracting businesses that create good-paying jobs and opportunities for every Philadelphian to thrive.

Making City Government Work for Us Again:

From streets and pothole repair to trash collection to our broken 311 system, Cherelle will focus on making sure that every city service is delivered efficiently and effectively.

Host or Publisher Veirdre Jackson