There have been some exciting changes over the past few months at TPP.  Raymond Garcia (pictured with his wife Michelle and eldest son Isaiah) founder and now Executive Director of The Philadelphia Project will continue to join with the ministry of Mt Airy Presbyterian Church and The Philadelphia Project to host Youth Groups and college students looking to serve God by serving others on week long mission trips.

Several of Ray’s sermons are available through the Mt. Airy Presbyterian Church site:

A Leader Who Can Pass It On

Eyes to See and Eyes to Hear

God’s Providence in Strange Places

Going Fishing

Kylie Hardin, a graduate from Gordon College in 2009, is a native to Upper Darby located only fifteen minutes outside of Philadelphia. She received a bachelor of science in Recreation and Leisure Studies, minored in Psychology and is now the Director of The Philadelphia
Project. Kylie played division III lacrosse at Gordon for four years, and recently ended her first year of coaching the varsity girls’ lacrosse team at Friends’ Central School, her alma mater. Kylie taught liturgical dance at her home church in Havertown for six years and took formal classes for 13. She participated at the varsity level on the soccer, co-ed wrestling and lacrosse teams at Friends’ Central, and coached a junior varsity co-ed wrestling team in Wenham, MA.

Some of the trips in the U.S. include serving in Atlanta, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia.

As the Director of The Philadelphia Project, Kylie will be working in the fall and spring on fundraising for the Project, will help plan out the fall and spring retreats, and will design, develop and implement the programming for the summer 2011 work groups. She
will continue to build a strong relationship between The Philadelphia Project and Mt. Airy Pres., and will continue to be involved in the various ministries taking place in the church.

“When Jesus was teaching His disciples about serving others, He was not just explaining the concept of service, but how to go out into the community and serve. Service and selflessness were not suggestions to His faithful followers, but rather commands. I, like the disciples have
been called to be a servant by going out and serving others. The Philadelphia Project is one of the many opportunities that I have been offered, and am going to be offered in the future to do just that. I am excited to see where God will lead the Project and am excited about the people we will be interacting with in the local community.”

coordinator for The Philadelphia Project. Her desire in serving at The Project is to help meet the goals of the ministry, empowering students and volunteers to have the opportunity to serve others in Philadelphia. Her main responsibility as the volunteer coordinator is managing the 150 volunteers that are required in order for The Project to successfully run for 7 weeks per summer. One of the incentives to serving as the volunteer coordinator is getting to see the joy that people experience when they have the chance to serve others.

Our Previous Summer Staff:

Liz Walsh

Liz Walsh will be entering her senior year at Millersville University this coming fall. She is a secondary Education and English Major. Some day she plans to teach in Philadelphia. Although she resides in Lancaster County during the school year, Liz grew up in Havertown, a suburb about 15 minutes from Philadelphia; she graduated Haverford High School in 2008. Because of how close she grew up to Philadelphia, she is a huge Philadelphia Phillies “phan.” Liz loves to serve others, and most often, you can find her fulfilling her Resident Assistant duties by helping out the 30 freshmen girls in her wing within the residence hall at school. While at Millersville, Liz is involved in a branch of Love 146, an anti-human trafficking organization. She has gone on several missions trips with the idea of serving others constantly in her mind, including trips to Philadelphia, the Bowery Mission in New York City, Mexico, and Burkina Faso in Africa. She strives to have the heart of a servant, and show the love of Christ to the world through her actions; she believes you should serve others like you are serving a king. Galatians 5:13-14 says, “You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Liz is constantly reminded of God’s grace in her life, and loves to share it with others through love. She is very excited to serve with the Philadelphia Project this summer!

Scott Smith

Scott Smith, a senior at Grove City College,  was born and raised in New Castle, PA as the youngest of four siblings.  His desire to work for the summer at the Philadelphia Project comes from a heart to learn from others who have gone before him in serving urban communities.    Scott has a heart for inner city youth and helping build bridges between cross-cultural believers.   He is excited to serve the Lord wherever he finds himself in the future.  Currently at Grove City College Scott is finishing up at B.A. in Religion and Biblical Studies and is looking forward to graduating in December of 2011.   On campus Scott is involved in the Alpha Omega Housing Group, IM Sports, and Young Life.

Jenna Smyth

Jenna Smyth is studying Media Communication/Public Relations at Taylor University – class of 2012. She was born and raised in West Chester, PA. and attended Delaware County Christian School (K-12) and Goshen Baptist Church. In high school she was an active member on sports teams, student senate, theater, and choir, and had a passion for art. Jenna loves spending time with youth; she was a volunteer at Goshen Baptist’s middle school youth group and also helped coach DC’s middle school girls’ soccer team her senior year. Her high energy and sense of humor play into her newest role as a radio DJ for Taylor’s radio station. A lover of all things Philly (especially the Phillies), Jenna is excited to spend the summer in the city ministering to its residents as well as the middle and high schoolers that attend the Philadelphia Project.

Rachel Thompson

Rachel Thompson, a rising senior at Furman University in Greenville, SC, is a Classics and Sociology double major.  She grew up in Arlington, VA and attended church at Washington Community Fellowship on Capitol Hill in DC for most of her life.  Rachel loves reading the Bible in Greek, wearing flip-flops and spending time outside.  She is excited to work at the Philadelphia Project, and can’t wait to see what God has in store this summer!

Edward Limmer

Edward Limmer a student at Tufts University (class of 2014), where he studies international relations, focusing on the subfield of global health, and rows crew. He grew up in Jenkintown, a small suburb just north of Philadelphia, and attended Jenkintown High School, where he ran cross country and track. Ed currently plans to attend medical school after college, and is constantly attentive to the ways God reveals that he can use his blessings to bless others. He sees serving others as an essential way to glorify God, and believes in the power of strong and supportive relationships grounded in faith.