Former pastor publishes books
The Rev. Alexander Masluk, pastor emeritus at St. Martha Catholic Church, has published Izzy the Christmas Owl and its sequel, Izzy and the Lost Boy.
The books were inspired by a tiny pewter owl Masluk placed in a pewter nativity set given to him by his parents.
For copies of the books, email AMasluk@aol.com or go to Father Al’s Fragments on Facebook. ••
Comcast in 2021
Comcast is looking back at its 2021 milestones, including introduction of advanced Wi-Fi technology capable of delivering the fastest speeds.
In addition, Comcast invested $26 million in the last two years to expand its network throughout Greater Philadelphia and New Jersey, directly reaching nearly 4,000 businesses and benefiting thousands more by making the network more accessible and affordable.
Also, Comcast launched streaming services like Disney+ and ESPN+ on X1 and Flex and enhanced its Xfinity Mobile service. That same service was provided to its small business customers with the new Comcast Business Mobile.
In all, there are more than 30 Xfinity stores in the region. Also, Xfinity Rewards gives special perks and discounts to customers.
Comcast RISE supports small businesses owned by “people of color.” In 2021, Comcast provided more than 500 people with free marketing or technology services and awarded 100 small businesses in Philadelphia and Chester with $10,000 investment grants to support them through the pandemic recovery.
This year was the 10th anniversary of Comcast’s Internet Essentials program, the nation’s largest and most comprehensive broadband adoption effort for low-income households, which has connected a cumulative total of 840,000 individuals across the region since 2011. The cost is just $9.95 a month.
Beyond Literacy, The Welcoming Center and SEAMAAC received 1,000 free laptops and a $30,000 donation split among the organizations.
Comcast partnered with Goodwill Industries of Southern New Jersey & Philadelphia to launch a WiFi-connected Lift Zone, donating grants totaling $35,000 and distributing 500 free laptops.
This year, Comcast equipped more than 125 community spaces in the region with WiFi-connected Lift Zones. Lift Zones are part of Project UP, Comcast’s initiative to advance “digital equity.”
Comcast is supporting the federal government’s Emergency Broadband Benefit. This temporary benefit program is designed to help qualified low-income households receive a credit of up to $50 per month toward their internet service until the program’s funding runs out.
Other community investments during 2021 included supporting the Preston & Steve Show’s Camp Out for Hunger benefitting Philabundance; donating $400,000 to Greater Philadelphia food banks to tackle food insecurity; contributing $325,000 to three Philadelphia and New Jersey nonprofits impacted by Hurricane Ida; and working with the City of Philadelphia and other philanthropic partners to provide internet through PHLConnectED — enabling more than 18,000 connections so far. ••
Blood drive at Loudenslager
The American Red Cross will hold a blood drive on Tuesday, Dec. 28, from 1-6, at Cpl. John Loudenslager American Legion Post 366, 7976 Oxford Ave. Sign up by calling 800-RED CROSS or going to www.redcrossblood.org. The sponsor code is ALPOST366. Face masks are required. ••
Christmas Eve services
Redemption Lutheran Church, Bustleton Avenue and Rhawn Street, will offer Christmas Eve services at 3 p.m., 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. All are welcome to celebrate Christ’s birth. There will be special music 10 minutes before each service. For more information, visit www.redemptionphiladelphia.org or call 215-342-2085. Masks will be required to be worn throughout worship. ••
Free meals for kids
The city Department of Parks and Recreation will serve free meals to anyone up to 18 years old on the following dates: Dec. 27-30 and Jan. 3. Participating centers are American Legion, Lower Mayfair, Mayfair, Ramp, Roosevelt, Russo, Torresdale, Vogt, Max Myers, Simpson, Houseman, Jardel, Tarken, Boyle, Fitzpatrick, Fox Chase, Gifford, Palmer, Mitchell and Pelbano. ••
Help avert homelessness
Hospitality, Housing, Hope is a campaign to raise $200,000 by Dec. 31 to help 250 families avert homelessness this winter and the year to come. Philadelphia Interfaith Hospitality Network is asking for donations to boost direct aid and pay program costs government won’t cover. Gifts of $500 or more (up to $3,000) will be doubled by a dollar-for-dollar match, courtesy of two anonymous donors. For more information and to learn how you can help, visit www.philashelter.org. ••
Join the St. Martha lottery
St. Martha Parish is holding its lottery fundraiser. For a $25 donation, choose a 3-digit number and that number has a chance to win throughout 2022. Winning numbers are based on the Pennsylvania Daily Number Lottery (straight), picked at 7 p.m. Daily prize is $25. Each month, there is one $100 bonus day. Calendars are available after each Mass. Make your donation check payable to “St. Martha” and write “Lottery Calendar” on the memo line. Choose a number and two alternates, and drop in the collection basket or mail to St. Martha, 11301 Academy Road, Philadelphia, PA 19154. ••
Shop small businesses
December is National Small Business Month. For more information, visit NationalSmallBusinessMonth.com or AmericanWorkersRadio.com. ••
Christmas drive-through
Dasher’s Lightshow is a Christmas drive-through at Philadelphia Mills, synched to favorite holiday tunes, heard on the radio. The show runs through Jan. 2. One ticket is needed per vehicle, and it must be purchased online, not at the door. For tickets or more information, go to https://dasherslightshow.com/philadelphia/. ••
Indoor flea market opening
A new indoor flea market will be open weekends from January through March at the Roosevelt Mall, 2329 Cottman Ave., next to Rainbow. The grand opening will be on Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 1 and 2, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Indoor spaces are $50. For more information, visit PhilaFleaMarkets.org. ••
Planned Parenthood for Boyle
Planned Parenthood Action Fund has endorsed U.S. Rep. Brendan Boyle.
PPAF is the political arm of Planned Parenthood, and its endorsement goes to candidates who have a record of defending women’s health and fight for the idea that women and their healthcare provider should decide what happens with a woman’s body, not politicians.
Boyle was pro-life, with no exceptions, when he served as a state representative, and supported overturning Roe v. Wade. ••
New leader in pancreatic cancer field
Benjamin A. Young has been appointed program manager at the Marvin & Concetta Greenberg Pancreatic Cancer Institute, where he will work with researchers to coordinate the institute’s basic, clinical and population sciences research programs.
“I’m very excited to work on a team this dynamic and to be afforded an opportunity that will be critical to advancing science for pancreatic cancer at Fox Chase and beyond,” Young said.
Since the pancreatic cancer initiative at Fox Chase Cancer Center is growing, Young’s role will constitute a part of the Greenberg Institute. His primary responsibilities will include ensuring that clinical trials are conducted efficiently, acting as a liaison between basic and clinical researchers, as well as maintaining institute policies and ensuring that they are being adhered to and expanded upon if needed. Before taking on this new role, Young was regulatory affairs lead at Fox Chase’s Office of Clinical Research. Fox Chase is the only cancer center in the Philadelphia region to be designated as both a Clinical and Academic Center of Excellence for Pancreatic Cancer by the National Pancreas Foundation. ••
Fox Chase doc chairing new department
Temple University Health System announced that Fox Chase Cancer Center’s Department of Radiation Oncology is being integrated within TUHS and that Dr. Eric M. Horwitz has been appointed chairman of the health system-wide Department of Radiation Oncology, Lewis Katz School of Medicine.
Horwitz joined Fox Chase in 1997 and has led a clinical and research program that has grown exponentially in size and patient volumes. He will continue that leadership across TUHS in his newly expanded role.
Dr. Curtis Miyamoto has been appointed to the new role of chairman, System Integration Committee, TUHS Oncology Service Line. Fox Chase chief operating officer Joel Helmke will co-chair the committee, which will launch in the spring and include a combination of constituents from all campuses and mission areas in oncology. ••
Nurse anesthetists join union
Twenty-seven certified registered nurse anesthetists at Jeanes Hospital and Fox Chase Cancer Center voted to form a union. They join the more than 9,000 frontline healthcare professionals across the state represented by the Pennsylvania Association of Staff Nurses and Allied Professionals, including 315 nurses at Temple North/Jeanes Hospital. ••
History meeting on Jan. 5
Friends of Northeast Philadelphia History will hold a Zoom meeting on Jan. 5 at 7 p.m. The topic is Frankford Creek: The Sad History of an Urban Watershed, by Adam Levine.
Join the meeting at
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84793446135?pwd=cjVvVXVFZkZXTFFPMk0rN3VTeFZTUT09.
The meeting ID is 847 9344 6135. The passcode is 716057. ••
Blood drive in Tacony
Star of Hope Baptist Church, 7212 Keystone St., will host a blood drive on Saturday, Jan. 8, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The blood will be earmarked for people in the black community with sickle cell anemia. Participants will receive a $20 Amazon gift card.
To schedule an appointment, call 800-RED CROSS or visit RedCrossBlood.org and enter the code Starofhope. ••
Job fair on Jan. 12
The Bucks County New Year Job Fair will take place on Jan. 12, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., in the Barnes & Noble Court at Neshaminy Mall. Hosted by RecruitmentQueen, a Bucks County-based digital job board, the career fair features a wide array of positions in various industries, including healthcare, customer service, banking and manufacturing.
In all, several hundred jobs will be available at the job fair. The following employers have signed up to exhibit so far: Pickering Manor, The First National Bank & Trust Co. of Newtown, Dow Jones, Brian’s House Inc., Traffic Plan, American Heritage Credit Union, Holy Redeemer Health System and Double H Plastics.
Founder Jennifer Schultz recommends that job seekers bring several copies of their resume for face-to-face interactions with hiring managers and recruiters. Professional attire is recommended. To learn more, visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/bucks-county-new-year-job-fair-tickets-212063496627. Employers interested in participating can contact Schultz at 267-981-5976 or jennifer@recruitmentqueen.com. ••
Train show on Jan. 16
The Train Collectors Association Atlantic Division will hold its Polar Bear Train Show and Sale on Sunday, Jan. 16, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Penns Landing Caterers (Sheet Metal Workers Union Hall), 1301 S. Columbus Blvd. There will be 140 tables with a variety of vintage toy trains and repair parts for sale, test track, operating toy train layouts, kids activities and door prizes for adults and children. Admission is $5 per attendee or per family of two adults and all children 12 and under. Food is available on premises, and there is plenty of free parking. For more information, visit www.ADTCA.com or call Bob at 610-872-3309. ••
North alums awarding grants
The Northeast Catholic Alumni Association awards tuition grants to the sons, daughters, grandsons and granddaughters of its members. The checks are awarded to students who meet criteria, and the monies are sent to the Catholic school that they are choosing to attend. Aid is sent to Catholic elementary and high schools and universities in the Philadelphia, Camden and Trenton dioceses. Grants are given to 32 students annually for their four years in high school or college and three years in elementary school. Students can apply for a grant if their father or grandfather attended Northeast Catholic and is a dues-paying member of the alumni association. Applications are accepted until Jan. 31, 2022. Call 215-543-1051 or email necathalum@aol.com. ••
Thrift shop closed for a week
The Classroom Thrift Shop, 4301 Tyson Avs., sponsored by the women of Temple Menorah Keneseth Chai, will be closed from Dec. 25 to Jan. 1. ••
A healthy new year
The Sisterhood of Congregations of Shaare Shamayim will be hosting a virtual general meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 11, at 1 p.m. on Zoom. The theme is New Year’s Resolutions: Building a Health Plate for You, presented by Kara Stromberg, clinical manager of nutrition and food services at Temple University Hospital – Jeanes Campus & Fox Chase Cancer Center. There is no charge. Call the synagogue at 215-677-1600 to provide your email address so you can receive the meeting link. ••
Upcoming bus trip
The Marlyn Chakov Fein Chapter, Fox Chase Cancer Center is running a bus trip to New York City on Saturday, May 14, 2022 to see the Broadway production of The Music Man. The cost is $345, which includes orchestra seating and round-trip motor coach. Bus leaves from 604 Township Line Road, Cheltenham. Call Harriet at 215-969-8366 for tickets. The event supports cancer research and compassionate patient care. ••
Upcoming cruise
The Bristol Cultural and Historical Foundation is sponsoring a cruise to Charleston and Bermuda, June 2-12, 2022, on the Celebrity Summit, sailing from Cape Liberty, in North Jersey. Rates range from $1,577 to $2,387 per person, double occupancy.
Call 215-788-9408 for information and reservations. ••
