Councilmember Jamie Gauthier

We lost 7 Philadelphians to gun violence yesterday. Providing public safety should be a fundamental priority for all levels of government. What is it going to take for us to treat this crisis with the urgency it deserves?

Looking forward to tonight's conversation on the importance of supporting the arts in Philadelphia and beyond. See the full lineup of Digital Rally for Arts and Culture events at http://SavePhillyArts.com.

Today's Black-owned small business spotlight: Booker's Restaurant and Bar, a beloved West Philly restaurant! Website: bookersrestaurantandbar.com Instagram: @bookers.westphilly Twitter: @bookers_philly

Tomorrow is the deadline to apply for City of Philadelphia Government's restaurant and gym relief program. Eligible businesses can receive up to $15,000.

This morning I was proud to stand in solidarity with teachers at Lea and Penn Alexander. Everyone wants to get back to in-person learningbut we need to do it safely. We need a plan that has the trust of our school communities.

It's the School District of Philadelphia's responsibility to deliver a school re-opening plan that's supported by families and staff. At this stage, it is clear this threshold has not been met. Thus, the District should delay any school re-opening at this time. My statement with Councilmember Helen Gym, Councilmember Kendra Brooks, Rep. Rick Krajewski, and Rep. Chris Rabb

Tomorrow is the deadline to apply for a mail-in ballot. Hours for satellite election offices will be extended. *Anyone who is in line by 5 PM will be able to receive their ballot.* There are 17 election offices around the city. Find one near you https://billypenn.com//philadelphia-early-voting-satellit/

Looking forward to my IG Live conversation with Quinta Brunson tomorrow night! We'll be talking about the gun violence epidemic here in Philly and cities around the country - and what we can do to keep our neighborhoods safe. Tune in tomorrow on Instagram at 8:30 ET/5:30 PT!

The deadline to apply for a mail-in ballot is on Tuesday, which means we have 2 days left for early voting! Through October 27, you can request a mail-in ballot, fill it out, and submit itall in one visit to a satellite election office. We have a site in West Philly at Alain Locke School (46th and Haverford). Hours are 11:30-6:30 tomorrow and Tuesdaydon’t chance it on long lines on Election Day if you don’t have to!!... You can go to any of the 17 satellite offices around the city. Click the link below for all the details.

Had a great time with Councilmember Kendra Brooks at Philly Thrive’s Right to Thrive parade and campaign launch this afternoon! The objective of this campaign is to provide Grays Ferry residents with a clean and safe neighborhood, to secure investments in the community, and to give residents a say in the direction of the PES site. When we talk about environmental justice, we are talking about racial justice, too. Grays Ferry and communities of color across the country are disproportionately burdened by the harmful impacts of pollution. And meanwhile, far too often, Black communities have been left out of the environmental movement. But I am so impressed by the advocacy and organizing that Philly Thrive has been doing around this issue. I look forward to working in partnership with them in the months and years to come!

Had the pleasure of visiting with neighbors at the Florence Avenue Community Garden. This beautiful garden started out as a set of vacant lots that brought unwanted activity and blight to this block, but Ms. Sandra, the longtime block captain, set out to turn things around. People told her she'd never be able to make a change here, but one-by-one, she organized neighbors, and four years later they have a space that provides not only nourishment but connection for the community, too. As the saying goes, never doubt what a small group of committed people can achieve. A big bonus of our meeting was that one of the gardeners, Kianu, makes delicious vegan ice cream called Vannah Banana -- get it at Atiya Ola's Spirit First Foods!

Earlier today Senator Anthony K. Williams, Rep. Joanna McClinton and I held a community resource fair in West Philly! There was document shredding, COVID testing and flu shots, and tabling from local nonprofits and healthcare orgs. Thanks to everyone who came out!

Hip Hop Fundamentals hosts free outdoor classes for youth on Saturday mornings in Malcolm X Park! Email [email protected] for more information.

Pennsylvania just announced its highest one-day total of positive cases TO DATE. We may be tired of COVID-19, but COVID-19 isn't tired of us. Wear a mask, practice social distancing, and wash your hands regularly. This is how we get the virus under control.

Incredibly excited to share that Philly native Quinta Brunson and I will be hosting an Instagram Live conversation this coming Tuesday @ 8:30 PM! We'll talk about the gun violence epidemic here in Philly and in cities around the country--and how we can work together to keep our communities safe. Hope you'll join us!

"The task in front of City Council: follow the science, extend the moratorium, protect Philadelphians, and continue to push for more assistance...The ability for people to safely stay at home is an issue the entire city should unite around."

At today's Council meeting, I discussed yesterday's Housing Committee meeting and everything that's on the line as we consider amendments to the Emergency Housing Protection Act, and an extension of Philly's eviction moratorium in particular. The stakes are unfathomably high. The action that we take or don’t take in the next couple weeks with regard to these bills has real, immediate repercussions for thousands of people's lives.

Time is running out to protect Philadelphia's most vulnerable residents from eviction and increased risk of contracting COVID-19. My statement regarding the outcome of today's Housing Committee meeting

Join the offices of Councilmember Gauthier, Rep. Joanna McClinton, and Senator Anthony Hardy Williams for a resource fair this weekend! Take advantage of free document shredding, COVID-19 testing, voter information, and much more. Call our office at (215) 686-0460 with any questions.