Hawthorne Empowerment Coalition

Hawthorne Park

About

What we do for our community

The Hawthorne Empowerment Coalition (HEC) is a nonprofit community organization with the mission of improving the quality of life for all residents of the Hawthorne Neighborhood of South Philadelphia.

Hawthorne, Philadelphia

Hawthorne is a neighborhood of approximately 3500 residents comprising the area bounded by Washington Avenue and South Streets on the north and south, and by Eleventh and Broad Streets on the East and West.

Recent and Current Activities

The creation of Hawthorne Park, a community park at 12th and Catharine Streets (constructed in collaboration with the Philadelphia Horticultural Society and City of Philadelphia); planting street trees; frequent Town Hall meetings with officers of the Third Police District to address street crime issues; and computer training classes for both adults and school-age children.

Our History

Established in 1999, HEC is a vital voice for neighborhood residents on issues affecting their lives, including crime prevention and control, zoning and code enforcement issues resulting from the neighborhood’s rapid development, maintaining open spaces, neighborhood greening and beautification, and educational activities for neighborhood youth.

Join us!

All residents of Hawthorne are eligible to join HEC. We hold Virtual Zoom Meetings on the second Tuesday of every month 6:30 p.m. Our meetings are open, and all residents and friends of Hawthorne are encouraged to attend.

Bylaws

To serve ongoing neighborhood needs, HEC maintains standing Committees that include Zoning, By-Laws, Finance, and Parking. You can find our current bylaws here as a PDF.

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