A Marconi school’s plan to purchase a neighboring community center facing financial peril has spawned conflicting reactions.
Economic woes for their providing agency could jeopardize intergenerational meals like this one between Kareem Koger left, and Jennie Onorato in 2005 at the Samuel S. Fels South Philadelphia Community Center.
Though content with solitude, Ronalta Conn has enjoyed bonding with fellow seniors at the Samuel S. Fels South Philadelphia Community Center, 2407 S. Broad St., for nine years. One of more than 1,000 members of its Marconi Older Adults Center, she has contributed to its theater group for five years, yet mounting debt will likely drop the curtain on her performances and all other activities at the 43,000-square-foot site.
Overseer Caring People Alliance has placed Fels up for sale, with the Philadelphia Performing Arts Charter School, 2600 S. Broad St., emerging as a leading candidate to make its second purchase from the Center City-based company.
Conn, of the 2300 block of South Mildred Street, has gathered six pages of signatures for her petition to keep Fels serving friends, teenagers and young children and employing consummate workers. Her pen has proven concern for the affected parties, but her contemporaries have won her heart and roused her activist streak.
“They feel as if they are being thrown out in the trash,” Conn said Tuesday of the elders.
Deeming Fels a social savior, she is fighting for their space but could be battling bootlessly, as Caring People’s board is reviewing a PPACS agreement of sale, its President and CEO Arlene F. Bell said. If they strike an accord, PPACS’s founder and CEO Angela Corosanite will use the space to educate 350 kindergarteners through fifth-graders, who will complement the 600 pupils at her 11-year-old location.
Through the Philadelphia Authority for Industrial Development, Caring People sold its Wynnet Building to PPACS for $2 million in Sept. 2004, according to property records. The school has often interacted with Fels, with many students participating in its Boys & Girls Clubs of America and intergenerational programs.
The School District of Philadelphia last year approved PPACS’ plan to add more real estate, so Corosanite began to ponder territory, with her Lower Moyamensing neighbor seeming a fine fit as an extension of her Marconi spot.
“Caring People had been planning to market [Fels] to somebody,” Corosanite said. “Our hope is to acquire the property.”
Bell revealed prolonged economic doldrums and dwindling funds necessitated contact with Corosanite, who made an offer soon after the outreach.
“The recession and the funding cuts have really hurt us,” Bell said via e-mail, citing the inability of this year’s state budget to expand her Pre-K Counts program and slashes to child care subsidies as troubling aspects when considering Fels’ future. “In the past, when one door closes, another has opened. But this environment is different.”
Caring People, with six locations, including Child Care Information Services South/Center City, 1500 S. Columbus Boulevard, nearly needed to cease operations a few years ago due to state budget dilemmas. Bell said all staff members took sizeable temporary pay cuts, with a few layoffs proving that anyone’s prospects could be unsteady. Circulating rumors among local employees on their standing within the company prompted a Jan. 9 meeting at Fels.
“The Fels Center has been laboring under a huge debt since the day the doors opened,” Bell said, detailing that the early ’90s decision to construct the building received approval though the team behind it lacked the funds to pay for the construction.
Filling a community need, its programs do not generate enough revenue to cover the lease. Insufficient status has forced Caring People to subsidize Fels through other programs’ returns. Unable to sustain more loss, Bell, who in response to an inquiry on a decision date timeline noted only that she and her colleagues are still reviewing the agreement of sale, elected to intensify talks with Corosanite.
“We don’t want to sell the building,” Bell said. “We have invested a huge amount of money in this community over the years, and we have provided the community with very high quality services. And we lose a lot of money every year keeping those services going. We simply aren’t in a financial position to continue to lose that money.”
The cold morning winds made any form of shelter desirable, and seniors and children offered a peak at the fancies of different eras as they relied on Fels’ rooms for camaraderie and education last month. Its early learning center busied itself with assisting about 64 children ages 1 to 5. The older set sampled a plethora of options, as Conn’s compadres chose from athletics, swimming and water aerobics, a healthy moves exercise class and The Quarter Pounders & Healthy Weight Management group. Four days removed from Bell’s declaration that the sale process had burgeoned, the employees and participants seemed subdued.
Other than director Tony Diodati, the workers appeared reluctant to comment.
“We have a strong afterschool program,” Diodati said, noting that PPACS, Abraham S. Jenks Academic Plus, 2501 S. 13th St., and St. Richard, 1826 Pollock St., are represented through the Boys and Girls Club.
Numerous artistic, athletic and technological activities delight the youths and adolescents, with programming addressing civic growth. A snack keeps brains going post-classroom time, with the full-day summer slate providing three meals.
Employees of the Samuel S. Fels South Philadelphia Community Center, 2407 S. Broad St., received official word Monday from the Caring People Alliance board to start sprucing up their résumés as the 43,000-square-foot facility is in the process of being sold to the Philadelphia Performing Arts Charter School, 2600 S. Broad St.
“I’ve not been coming for long, but my heart is already here,” Estelle Goldstein said April 28 at the Jacob and Esther Stiffel Senior Center, 604 Porter St.
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1. Anonymous said... on Feb 2, 2012 at 11:35AM
“This center must be saved! I hope something can be done.”
2. Anonymous said... on Feb 2, 2012 at 01:07PM
“The "team" that was mention should be held responsible for the finances and figure out how to save this much needed center!! I'm glad this article cleared up all the rumors!! Get it together CPA!”
3. Anonymous said... on Feb 2, 2012 at 03:39PM
“When will society gain compassion for senior citizens. They need activities to inspire and encourage them to keep on living, Everyday they wake up is a blessing and they look forward to a task they enjoy doing is a life saver for many. Not to mention how the children look forward to meeting with them to share their little stories and gain some wisdom from their mentor. God Bless the seniors that want to give something back to the community. Shame on the status quoa for adding more stress and disappointment to a population that is becoming seeminly invisable.”
4. Samuel S Fels CC Friend said... on Feb 2, 2012 at 06:24PM
“As a former CPA employee, I am so saddened to hear that Fels WILL BE sold. I think the CPA Board needs to take pay cuts from their salaries so the center could continue to assist our youth and seniors. Tony Diodati is a wonderful and caring man! Tony has been a staple in South Philly since the old Boys Club! This is not his fault, this problem belongs to the old Crime Prevention Association Board who knew this building was going to put CPA in debt for the tune of over $2 million. They should have renovated the old Winnet Center and this would not be happening today! Sadly I wouldn't bother signing petitions because it sounds to me that Arlene Bell and her Board have already made the decision to sell out the kids and seniors at Fels so the CPA Board could keep their bloated salaries!!!! So so very sad.....MANY dedicated employees out of work while the "Central Office" is counting the dollars they will PROFIT from this sale :-”
5. Anonymous said... on Feb 2, 2012 at 06:48PM
“#4 - You hit the nail right on the head. Arlene Bell will continue to rake in her obsene, bloated salary. And I wouldn't be surprised if she gets a "bonus" after the sale goes through.....like she really needs it. In light of what is happening she should be forced to resign immediately.”
6. philly femail said... on Feb 3, 2012 at 04:59AM
“I worked at Fels Center, retired from CPA in 2009. The staff at Fels truly fit the description of Caring People. More than that they are a family, they stick together in the hard times, they loved the children and the seniors. It is with great sadness I read all this is coming to an end. I know there are very skilled people there and I believe they will find another opportunity. Tony, maybe you finally get to retire. Steve, you are a rare gem in the workplace. The senior staff gave new life to those able to get to the center. The teachers, the volunteers, the kitchen staff, the office staff, the building engineers, the social workers all together make me proud that I was part of this community center. Thank you and I pray for all of you”
7. Carole said... on Feb 3, 2012 at 07:15AM
“I was one of the lucky ones who had the opportunity to work at Fels. I met with parents when they registered their children for day care, after school and summer camp. Yep, I was the one who constantly asked for papers to be signed but my parents, beint the best ones around always brougth them in on time. I love each child I meet and enjoy seeing the seniors. We have a great staff who cares about the children and the seniors and all those in between who come to this center. Yes, It is a sad situation, it will be a great loss if and when the building closes. Fels is a treasure and I was lucky to be part of the staff. #6 you are right, Steve is a GEM who is always there when you need him. Tony, I thank you for the opportunity to work here and become part of the group. I will miss each and everyone of the people I work with but most of all I will miss the children and the seniors. Good luck to all and God bless!”
8. Maria Robinson said... on Feb 3, 2012 at 01:33PM
“I am very upset to hear of the decision to sell Fel Center. My mom loved Fels. It was her second home. My mom, Mary Tabasco had a stroke at the Fel Center on Sept., 21, 2011 and died on Sept., 30, 2011. I feel as though the Fel Center helps keep my moms memories alive .I am devestated by the decision to sell. Where will the seniors go now? Life long friendships were made at the Fel Center. We need to come together as a community to prevent this from happening. I will be one of the first people to sign the petition.”
9. Anonymous said... on Feb 7, 2012 at 03:57PM
“This is a sad story and a harsh reality that is coming in June. An anchor that helped keep the South Philadelphia community together for so many years is now lost, and over the next few months it will be tough to watch such a lingering death that was once a beacon and a haven for the youth and seniors that live in this community. My emotions are mixed. In the many years since the construction - where was the effort by CPA management to inform and engage the community as to the realities of financing and carrying the center? Where was the Board - when they are obligated in a fiduciary role - ensuring that they were informed and engaged in the realities of what was happening on the horizon? What could have and should have been done to ensure this day never happened? All too late. The issues that led to this happened years ago - and frankly those in charge shirked their responsibilities all these years. Unfortunately as we have seen with other non profits - this happens to often!”
10. Anonymous said... on Feb 8, 2012 at 09:18AM
“#4 - the Board, I would assume, is a volunteer board and as such do not get paid. As for your other comments - no argument.
#9 - True - but this is only one of many decaying layers to what may - or more accurate - may not be happening at CPA. They recently were in the news for their West Philadelphia Center - releasing a child to the wrong parent. Thus putting that day care program in jeopardy. I also believe there are other management issues that exist, or have existed over the past several years that would require a bit of digging, but may lead to additional questions of mis-management. I question where the Board has been all this time and why they are allowing this to occur. Are they not hinged with some of this responsibility? Are they not accountable?”
11. Joseph T Apple said... on Apr 14, 2012 at 08:23AM
“I use to be an employee at the old Wynett and Fels CC. I loved working with the staff, children and the seniors. My heart breaks seeing the CPA Board selling this South Philly treasure because of their financial mismanagement!! I personally thank all of the parents, children, seniors and most importantly, my fellow co-workers and friends I met through the years!! We were truly a family, all of us!! ... I still remember all of the good times I had there many years ago. I am so grateful to Tony Diodati, and Vince Litrenta for giving me the opportunity to work at Wynett and Fels. I also thank Steve Cotilus and "Tense" Brignola for all of the laughs we had during the after school program and summer camps....I pray for all of the current staff, children and seniors at Fels that they find another place to call home!! Thank you for the opportunity to serve the South Philly community for 7 wonderful years.”