At the Activities Fair in Philadelphia (thank you for hosting @joinphilly & @phillyethics !), we met people from all walks of life: different backgrounds, different priorities, yet with the itch to get involved in fuller, community-based life.
We were thrilled to meet you all & we learned it was some of your first times hearing how the city budget actually gets decided.
We broke down the numbers, walked through the bar graphs, and saw those real-time reactions:
“Wait… that’s where my taxes go?”
That moment when information clicks into understanding is where participation begins.
We were proud to join Committee of Seventy and connect the dots between how city government works and how you can shape it.
If you stopped by, thank you for being in conversation with us.
If you didn’t, no worries~! There’s still time to get involved:
→ Take 5 minutes to share your priorities: ( peoplesbudgetoffice.org/survey )
→ Join us at an upcoming event:
( peoplesbudgetoffice.org/events-1)
→ Want to speak directly to City Hall? Sign up to give public testimony (link coming soon—DM us "TESTIFY" or join our newsletter to be first notified)
This is your city: Let's be loud to learn the process and amp our neighbors' voices.
Philadelphia is hungry for connection. And we're here to feed it — literally.
Last weekend we had the honor of debuting the new Second Helpings brand at the Philly Activities Fair, hosted by @joinphilly at @phillyethics , and sharing a table with our pilot partner @bindingagents .
The organizers expected about 1,000 people. 2,300 showed up. More than double. On a Saturday. To find clubs, communities, and ways to connect with each other in real life.
People weren't scrolling or browsing. They were stopping, asking questions, and signing up. We barely sat down all day (despite the photo of me sitting down!!!). We didn't break for lunch. There was a constant stream of people at our table wanting to talk about what it means to actually share dinner with your neighbors — not as a concept, but as a real, regular thing.
I overheard someone walking by say to their friend, "I had no idea Philly had so many clubs and activities!" — and I think that captures exactly what Brian's team at @joinphilly built with this event. A room full of people discovering that the community they've been looking for already exists. They just needed a way to find it.
📸 Photos courtesy of Join Philly
Some of the ways Philly showed up to the Activites Fair. Fun to see all the "connection" stickers people wore and the conversations with strangers (aka future friends) that started because of them.
This is only one floor of the Philly Activities Fair where over 2,000 Philly residents (many new to the city!) spent their Sunday afternoon finding connection and belonging in our amazing city.
What a day at the Philadelphia Activities Fair!
Thank you so much to @joinphilly and @phillyethics for hosting such a wonderful event, and thank you to everyone who came out to say hi and get involved! Thank you to @definitelydo for snapping some pics!
To everyone who is new to TPPD, welcome! I’m looking forward to seeing you again and talking more at an upcoming meeting!
TPPD is a no reading required philosophical bookclub that meets once per month at different breweries throughout Philly. To receive both monthly emails, ticketed event presale, early access to merch drops, and access to our whole archive, please consider becoming a paid subscriber for $2.50/month on our Substack (link in bio)!
#thephillyphildept #joinphilly #phillyethics #philadelphiaactivitiesfair #phillybookclub
come hang out with lmk club tomorrow @joinphilly philadelphia activities fair! lots of ways to build community in the city and we are so excited to be one of them <3
PHILLY! WE ARE ONE DAY AWAY 👟🏓 🎨 from the 2026 Philadelphia Activities Fair taking place @phillyethics 11am-3pm this SUNDAY :D
Club check-in: Who will be featured at the fair tomorrow? Comment down below and give your club a shout out!
