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Recognizing, celebrating, and expressing gratitude to Charlene Samuels for her leadership and unwavering dedication to improving the lives of her neighbors in Logan, and her years of tireless and selfless service to the City of Philadelphia and its constituents, on the occasion of Women’s History Month.
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WHEREAS, Charlene Samuels, lovingly known as Mrs. Charlene to her colleagues, is the epitome of community leader and advocate. As President of the Logan Civic Association, she works passionately to make sure Logan’s voice is heard, fights for her communities’ fair share, and rallies against blight and injustice. Charlene spearheads Let’s Love Logan Day, bringing more than 400 neighbors together in the name of community and joy. She served as program coordinator for Equal Partners In Change (EPIC) from 2003 to 2015, managing outreach programs and facilitating Logan community meetings; and
WHEREAS, Charlene would do anything, and has done everything for her community. She volunteers and raises funds for schools, provides career readiness programming, organizes library issues, and brings purpose and prayer to all her efforts. Charlene serves as constituent services representative for Minority Leader Kendra Brooks and previously served in the same role for Councilmember Helen Gym. She was one of that Office’s first hires and gained a reputation as a peerless worker who was always in the office first; and
WHEREAS, Charlene’s workplace devotion is at the root of why colleagues describe her as the person who is best at her job in all of Philadelphia government. That devotion was grown outside of work: Charlene is a loving partner and caring mother of two daughters, Danielle and Samantha, who took their mother’s love of sharing light and applied it to their careers, becoming educators. Her mother, Agnes Gerald, and her mother-in-law, Marie Cooper, inspired Charlene to lead a life of spirituality and love. Charlene and her husband, Jeffrey Samuels, have shared a life committed to providing for their family and those around them; and
WHEREAS, Charlene’s quality and character has been celebrated in every space she has touched. In 2004, EPIC recognized Charlene with its “Raising the Bar” award for her work in Logan, and then again recognized her work with another award for Let’s Love Logan. In 2007, she received a commendation from Youth United for Change, and the Governor’s Award from Ed Rendell recognizing her Citizen Volunteer Services in support of community crime prevention. Bringing Everybody Together recognized her dedication in 2015. The North Central Community Council presented its Community Champion Award to Charlene, and she was declared a Hero of the Community in 2022 by Northwest Division Chaplains of the Philadelphia Police; and
WHEREAS, Anyone who knows Charlene can quickly tell you that the core of her devotion is her faith, which she brings into every room she enters. From singing gospel in a meeting to pointing to the better angels of our nature, Charlene wears her faith proudly. She is in her church choir, preaches and leads bible study, and is as comfortable and spontaneous with her gospels as she is with her jokes. City Hall is graced by the sound of her songs, her laughter, and her unparalleled guidance for constituents; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, THAT THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, Hereby recognizes, celebrates, and expresses gratitude to Charlene Samuels for her leadership and unwavering dedication to improving the lives of her neighbors in Logan, and her years of tireless and selfless service to the City of Philadelphia and its constituents, on the occasion of Women’s History Month.
FURTHER RESOLVED, That an Engrossed copy of this Resolution be presented to Charlene Samuels as an expression of the gratitude and admiration of the Council of the City of Philadelphia.
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