Rev. Leon H. Sullivan Community Impact Center Gains Ground with New Funding for Sustainability and Historic Rehabilitation

The Rev. Leon H. Sullivan Community Impact Center, an initiative led by Called to Serve CDC and the Sullivan CDC has announced significant additional funding aimed at sustainability, climate resilience, and historic rehabilitation.

The William Penn Foundation, renowned for its dedication to fostering vibrant communities, has granted $110,000 to the project.

This new funding will allow CTS to retain sustainability experts to provide specialized energy modeling and green building accreditation services to ensure the project will be climate resilient and sustainable in the long term.  “Called to Serve identified the need for this work while participating in a program designed to help WPF-funded organizations improve the resilience and long-term sustainability of their capital improvement projects

“This grant reflects our commitment to ensuring that the public and community spaces that we support are contributing to community climate resilience,” said Cara Ferrentino, Senior Program Advisor at the William Penn Foundation. “The team behind the Rev. Leon H. Sullivan Community Impact Center are leaders in recognizing the importance of embedding climate resiliency and operational and environmental sustainability into their plans-- for the benefit of the neighborhood in the long term.”  

Moreover, the project has received $150,000 in Pennsylvania Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credits. These funds will support the delicate and respectful transformation of the Zion Baptist Church Annex, a cherished part of North Philadelphia's architectural heritage. The tax credit funding will ensure that the renovation process preserves the historical integrity of the Annex while adapting it into a modern, functional space for community use.

"This combination of sustainability and historic preservation speaks to the soul of the Rev. Leon H. Sullivan Community Impact Center. We are not only preserving a piece of our history but doing so in a way that considers the future of our planet," said Rev. Michael Major, Sr., co-project leader, founder, and board president of Called to Serve.

The Rev. Leon H. Sullivan Community Impact Center, named after the notable civil rights leader, will continue his legacy of advocacy for human rights and economic justice. Its various initiatives, from youth career programs to health services, will significantly impact the North Philadelphia community. The project is on track to begin construction later this year with the ongoing support of donor partners and community stakeholders.