«Do your volunteer work as you do your paid job. Treat the people with the same respect.» Karriem Sweets
Philadelphia, PA – The PMBC (Philadelphia More Beautiful Committee) network engages over 6,500 block captains annually, fostering civic pride, public safety, and neighborhood empowerment among participants and community leaders. One of them is Karriem Sweets, a 31-year-old Afro-American young block captain of the 25th District and 43 ward for almost five years.
Sweets used to go to block captains’ meetings with his great-grandmother at a very young age, and he was the only kid in the room. He saw how his great grandma hosted meetings with her neighbors at their home, where they shared ideas and how to develop a plan to get them done. Growing up, seeing that inspired him to serve and volunteer as a young block captain. «Being a young block captain is a way to fulfill my purpose to prevent youth and young adults from struggle and poverty; I want to be able to support the next generation by offering leadership workshops, and inviting them to come out to the meetings to learn about what is going on and work together to find solutions,» he said.
Sweets credits URTheKey, a non-profit organization where he serves as vice president, for playing a significant role in his journey. They have collaborated on safety and prevention workshops, and Sweets admires Ms. Gail Pryor, the organization’s president, for her tireless contributions over the years.
However, Sweets believes block captains deserve more than just appreciation. «Block captains should be paid, have a job description, a handbook, and a prevention team. Cleaning and giving resources are not enough for our community. We are working on making that project a reality. We have hundreds of block captains who agree with our initiative.»
Sweets encourages youth, young adults, block captains, and the entire community to join him at Esperanza for a crucial workshop on cybersecurity prevention on May 24th. Staying safe online and acquiring essential skills for navigating the digital world is more important than ever. Ivana Gonzalez will lead the workshop, offering her expertise in the field. Those interested in connecting with Karriem Sweets can reach him directly at sweetkarriem@gmail.com.
