As 2024 comes to a close, we are reflecting on a year that challenged us deeply, and also revealed the resilience and heart of the Resolve Philly team. Our moments of uncertainty and sadness went alongside those of gratitude, hope, and pride in what we’ve accomplished together.
Our staff has chosen to share moments that stood out to them personally—moments that brought joy, fulfillment, and a sense of purpose. These reflections remind us that, even in tough times, our work continues to matter, strengthening connections and amplifying the voices of Philadelphians.
We hope these highlights leave you with the same sense of pride and hope they bring to us. Here’s to the power of community, perseverance, and looking forward to the opportunities ahead in 2025.
Equally Informed Philly
Contributed by Danielle Smith, Editorial Director of Community News
In 2024, I was most proud that we launched the Equal Info Elections Text Line, which connected over 100 subscribers to relevant news and information during election season in Philly.
This was our first time launching a text line specifically focused on elections, and we received a lot of feedback about how helpful it was for navigating questions about language accessibility, free transportation to the polls, candidate information, and other voting-related topics. The new text line coordinated nicely with our final newsletter of the year, Poll Perspectives, which focused on the barriers to voting expressed by various marginalized communities.
The engagement rates on the elections text line were really high, reaching as high as 50% for certain messages. Now, we have data and information, coupled with the benefit of experience, to help us (hopefully) launch more topical text lines for Equally Informed Philly in the future.
Documenters
Contributed by Lily Medosch, Documenters Senior Program Manager
On a windy day in October, nine of our Philly Documenters gathered at City Hall to witness a City Council meeting together. For some, this was their first time at City Hall.
Packed with organizers anticipating the introduction of legislation for the 76ers arena, we pivoted and headed to Resolve’s offices to watch the meeting over lunch. Documenters shared that they felt more connected to others in the program, learned more about the differences between attending a public meeting in person versus watching on a live stream, and newer Documenters felt more prepared to take on their first assignments.
This program wouldn’t have been possible without the hard work and energy of Documenters, who show up at public meetings each week in an effort to record and share information.
Germantown Info Hub
Contributed by Rasheed Z. Ajamu, Editor & Reporter
The Germantown Info Hub had a robust and exciting year of reporting and engagement in the neighborhood. Of course, we enjoyed hosting our signature recurring events, such as Germantown Quizzo and the Community of Joy Festival.
But, this year, we’d have to say the thing we are most proud of is our Germantown Coverage Sprints.
These sprints are our way of discovering, block by block and section by section, the unique visions and untold stories shaping Germantown’s future. Each quarter of the year, we cover a different area of the neighborhood, which has its own distinctions and activities throughout the year. This year, we focused on Chew & Chelten, the 6200-6300 blocks of Germantown Avenue, Fernhill, and Baynton Hill.
During this time, we met many different neighbors who are making significant strides, like Rev. Michelle Anne Simmons, who opened the nation’s first-ever museum dedicated to formerly incarcerated people and their accolades on the Chew & Chelten corridor, and even the late Deborah Gary, who, in her final days, worked to preserve Philadelphia’s Black assets through her work with SPPAAA.
Each story illustrates how Germantown is constantly changing through all the nuances. More importantly, it displays how neighbors are at the forefront of these culture-shifting experiences, working to ensure a better future for Germantown.
Our Germantown Coverage Sprints will look slightly different in the new year, taking a more thematic approach. But we appreciate our neighbors for allowing us the opportunity to launch this series and helping us to learn and grow with it. Here’s to 2025–and beyond!
Our Kids
Contributed by Steve Volk, Investigative Editor
This year featured several victories. Among them was proposed statewide legislation, inspired by Our Kids stories, to conserve social security benefits for youth in foster care.
Additionally, a long investigative series for the Inquirer and a statewide investigative story on the practice of taking social security benefits from youth in foster care for Spotlight are on their way, to be published in early 2025. The Our Kids Vision Hub continued its essential work, with Hub members collaborating on a “training video” that puts forward what this group with lived experience believes that system professionals and the public should know about foster care.
Finally, webinars for professional journalists and child welfare professionals were created to promote greater system transparency and regular coverage of foster care issues.
Philadelphia Journalism Collaborative
Contributed by Eugene Sonn, Senior Director of Collaborations
The Philadelphia Journalism Collaborative spread its wings this year, covering a wide range of topics grounded in how we tell durable news stories that address the daily concerns of Philadelphians.
Our new approach, which isn’t tied to one topic or theme, can better respond to residents’ concerns. From community gardens to AI to unique angles on the Sixers arena to the city schools getting shortchanged by tax breaks, we managed to cover both stories that resonated with the various communities our partner newsrooms serve.
This was a significant departure for us and wasn’t a sure thing, but the partner newsrooms dug in and did a fantastic job.