Block captains are an important part of city life, working to keep their blocks clean and safe. However, some block captains rely on kids to help with those responsibilities. Junior block captains work alongside their older counterparts, learning how to look after their communities. Many kids who grow up as junior block captains become block captains as adults. I started as a junior block captain myself before becoming a block captain in Kensington.

7-year-old Jordan Legacki is a junior block captain in Point Breeze. Together with his mom Sarah, they care for their block by hosting family-friendly ‘happy hours’, helping new neighbors move in, and watching packages among other helpful activities. Resolve Philly (RP) sat down with Sarah (S) and Jordan (J), who took time out of his busy schedule as a second-grader to tell us more about the job.

(RP) Is there anything that made you want to become a junior block captain?

(J) When people are not at their houses, we take their packages until they, when they come back to their house, we give it to them.

(RP) Do you like being a junior block captain?

(J) Yeah, I love being a junior block captain.

(RP) Is there a particular reason why?

(J) Because we do all this fun stuff, like we invite people over to my house. And on a Halloween party, like everyone who came to my block party, we gave them Halloween stuff.

(RP) Tell us about the cleanups, Jordan.

(J) Okay, so when we do cleanups, we try to get as many people as we can to help.

(RP) And what do you do for the cleanups?

(J) When we do the cleanups, sometimes it’s like weeds or stuff, and me and my mom try to get them out. We pull them out, and if they’re really hard to get out, then we, um, what’s that stuff that we do?

(S) Vinegar.

(J) Vinegar, to loosen it up so we can pull them out.

(RP) How does being a block captain make you feel?

(J) Happy and excited.

(RP) What are you most excited about as a junior block captain?

(J) Um, when I’m excited is when we do the Halloween thing, sometimes we play games like ‘red light, green light’, and sometimes we race.

(RP) Do you help look after the other kids on your block since you’re a junior block captain?

(J) Mm-hmm. And my friend from school, Mason, came to my block party. He wore a Sonic costume. Um, what costume was I wearing?

(S) The Hulk.

(J) The Hulk. And me and Mason were racing, and I beat him a couple times.

(S) When I sometimes get tired, and I say, oh, I’m just so tired, and I don’t feel like going out, you know, to see what’s going on, what do you tell me?

(J) It is a big responsibility, and don’t quit.

(RP) What do you love about your block?

(J) I have a lot of neighbors and friends.

(RP) Do you work with other neighborhood community groups?

(J) Young Chances Foundation.

(RP) What else do you like to do for fun?

(J) I like to draw sometimes.

(RP) Do you like school?

(J) I love school.

(RP) What’s your favorite thing about school?

(J) Recess, gym, arts, and tech.

(RP) What’s your favorite part about being a junior block captain and helping out with all these things?

(J) Um, helping people that are homeless. That’s my favorite thing.