Staff

Raymond Garcia

This summer, Raymond Garcia (pictured with his wife Michelle and son Isaiah) founder and Director of The Philadelphia Project will join with the ministry of Mt Airy Presbyterian Church to launch a new ministry outreach in the greater Mt Airy area. The Philadelphia Project will serve as a host organization for Youth Groups looking to serve God by serving others on week long mission trips.

Kylie Hardin

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 Assistant 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.
Kylie has been on several short-term missions trips both internationally and domestically. Her experiences abroad include trips to South Africa, Nicaragua, and Campeche Mexico. Some of the trips in the U.S. include serving in Atlanta, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia.
As the Assistant 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."

Michelle Garcia

Michelle Garcia, wife of Raymond and mother of Isaiah, is the volunteer 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.
Michelle grew up locally (Upper Darby) and is a graduate of Eastern University. Currently a Realtor for Century21, she takes great pleasure in helping families experience the joys of becoming homeowners. While she loves her job, and thoroughly enjoys the opportunity to serve with The Philadelphia Project, it is ever increasingly clear, that her greatest joy is being mom.