Saunders Park Shapes Up!

The small park behind Penn Presbyterian Medical Center was always a great asset to the community, so one year ago some ambitious organizations resolved to make it even better. Now, after a considerable amount of effort and energy, this spring will be a little sunnier for residents of Saunders Park.

The restoration began with a partnership that brought several organizations — Philadelphia Green, the University of Pennsylvania Health System, the People’s Emergency Center CDC, Saunders Park Neighbors, and UC Green — to the table to imagine new ways to transform the park into something spectacular. “Our partners were really willing to invest in the neighborhood and make the park a launching point for the community,” reflects Paul Bonfanti, parks project manager for Philadelphia Green.

The generous funders, Bank of America and the William Penn Foundation, helped equip the park with some much-needed items. Café-style seating, a garden area, and even handy “doggie stations” enhance the beauty of the park. “We also installed a large planting urn to recreate what the park looked like years ago,” says John Ungar of the People’s Emergency Center CDC.

The Saunders Park residents were elated by the improvements, as were the folks at Penn Presbyterian. “We hope our employees, patients, and visitors will see the park as a haven where they can sit and relax during what may be a very difficult time,” says Gary Ginsberg, assistant executive director of hospital facilities. “In addition, we saw this as an opportunity to embrace our community and help stabilize the neighborhood. Everyone benefits.”

All this hard work culminated in a tree lighting and ribbon cutting ceremony on December 21. The Commandos Drum Corps added spirited music to the occasion. Elected officials, hospital staff, funders, and the press gathered with residents to celebrate the milestone. “You could see how happy the community members were just by looking at their faces,” says Takkeem Morgan, PHS parks project coordinator. “The whole evening was a testament to hard work and the value of partnerships.