Unless you work in a pharmacy or hospital, volunteer opportunities to help roll out the vaccine in Philly might not seem super apparent. BUT they exist and I’m trying to list them as I go.

• Philadelphia Medical Reserve Corps – This group includes local volunteers to assist with public health emergencies as well as day-to-day tasks like health screenings and community education. They’ve existed long before the pandemic, but could use help from anyone with medical background OR not! If you register through THIS SITE select COVID Support and there is an option for COVID mass vaccination
• Multilingual COVID19 Vaccine Champion – Imagine a census worker but in your own community, helping educate your neighbors about the vaccine. A Vaccine Champion is a trusted messenger trained to deliver accurate information about the vaccine to their peers. The COVID-19 Vaccine Champion training will be a 90-minute multilingual session that covers a variety of topics related to the COVID-19 vaccine. 
• Black Doctors COVID19 Consortium – I’m BLOWN away by the grind of BDCC. They’ve done 24 hour vax-a-thons, serving the hardest hit communities in Philly. They could REALLY use your help.
• MANNA – they’ve been feeding those with chronic illnesses for decades now, and they could really use your help these days.
• Everybody Eats: A group of Philly chefs host this traveling food drive that lands in different neighborhoods to give out free meals and essentials. Follow Everybody Eats on social media to see where the next one will take place and sign up to volunteer.
• Jewish Relief Agency: This organization uses volunteers to distribute pantry staples and fresh produce to 6,000 low-income people in the region. The food is kosher, but clients do not need to be Jewish to receive assistance. Sign up to volunteer.
• Philabundance: Philly’s hunger relief powerhouse distributes more than 24 million pounds of food a year to those in need with the help of a robust volunteer program. Get involved.
• Sunday Breakfast Rescue Mission: This century-old organization serves those experiencing homelessness in Philadelphia by providing three meals a day to anyone in need. Get involved.

Happy to add more when I see them, but wanted to throw some opportunities out there to kick things off!

Look. I’m no beer expert. I haven’t completed a single day of Cicerone training, I’ve never bar-tended or -backed (only patronized).

They say you never forget your first…. Philly Beer Week

1. The Craft Beer-Venture, 12pm Saturday May 30th – Starting at Varga Bar, this (FREE TO REGISTER) event is a fun-run through the city sponsored by Saucony Creek and Southern Tier Brewing with over 10 bars participating around the city. And loads of prizes. And it’s a Saturday morning.

   Basically: Does anyone wanna do this with me?

2. Southern Tier Bridge 5k, 6:30pm, Monday, June 1st – Starting in Old City’s own Irish Pol, this event features a 5k across the Ben Franklin Bridge followed by some pretty incredible offerings from Southern Tier. Run 5k > get discounts on beer. Everyone is happy.
3. Detox / Retox at City Tap House Logan 10:30 am-1pm, Saturday May 30th. $20 for a yoga class AND your first beer afterwards. Nama….stay all day after?

For the Dudes and Dames who Dig Drag

1. BBQ – Brews, Broads, and Queens, 9pm May 30th
   

   The Goddess Isis does NOT want you to miss BBQ!

   Smokin’ Betty’s brings one of the ABSOLUTE COOLEST events of the entire year. Ladies in the brewing community, their awesome beers, and the drag queens that really tie the whole experience together. Suggested $10 donation at the door!

2. German Beer Sparkle Party and Drag Cabaret at Alla Spina, June 2nd, 8pm. Hosted by Martha Graham Cracker, this is guaranteed to be a dazzling evening full of German brews, food specials, and Miss Martha Graham Cracker rocking the mic. $15 in advance, $20 at the door – Get LGBT Pride Month started right!
3. (Yup there are 3 drag events to choose from) Leading Ladies Drag Night with Left Hand Brewing at Tap Room on 19th, Thursday June 4th, 7pm Their Left Hand rep Ryan Vaughan will be in full drag, as the staff of Tap Room! So pull up a seat, and get ready for a show!

For the Hungry Hop Hunter

1. Pigs in Space at Percy Street BBQ, June 4th, 5pm-10pm. Y’all. Smoky pork treats (pulled pork, sausage, pig fritters. Oskar Blues brews. Theme attire suggested (i.e. get INTERGALACTIC with your accoutrements).
   A mechanical bull PIG to ride!
   Pigs in Space. I don’t think I’ve ever been so excited.  Is that weird?
2. Dogfish Head and Wells & Young at Local 44, June 1st, noon. I know, this is a Monday event at noon, so it might be hard to pull off. BUT think about this: The opportunity to bump elbows with Jim Robertson (Wells) AND Sam Calagione (Dogfish Head).
   

   Just show your boss this picture. I think (s)he’ll get it.

   More Most importantly, enjoy Twice Fried Chicken from the folks at Resurrection Ale House. It’s worth the long lunch alone.

3. First Friday Beer & Ice Cream at Little Baby’s! 6pm, Friday June 5th – Try the collaboration Pepper Lavender Ice Cream paired with Liason Saison from Saint Benjamin Brewing, this event is a great excuse to scoot up to Kensington/Port Richmond. Stop by Pizza Brain while you’re up there. Because what goes better with beer (and ice cream) than pizza (and more beer? Yep.)

For the Ladies 

• Sadie Hawkins Dance with Allagash & New Holland at Varga Bar 10pm, June 2nd – Invite your favorite fellow or lady out for a night on the town and take your Tuesday night to the next level by taking advantage of the swanky suggested attire. PLUS Dr. Joel from New Holland and Suzy from Allagash will keep you dancing all night long. You might even nab a corsage (and then take a picture of it in the bathroom. That’s a cool thing to do.)
  

  Way better than high school prom

1.  The 5 O’clock Shave with Kimpton Hotels, 2-5pm May 31. Hit up this boutique hotel for $20 straight razor shaves from The Duke Barber Co. and exclusive brews from Barren Hill Brewery and tasty bites from Square 1682. Or if that’s not your style….
2. Beers & Beards: The Great British Beard-off at The Dandelion 4pm, June 2nd. Because Wells and Young + Philly Beard Society Beard Contest = Joyful Jordy. Happy Hour pricing and prizes for the best bearded bros.

Get Cultured

1. Future Sensations and Beer Garden at The Oval – All week. I bet this lighting exhibit will be EVEN cooler with a few beers in your belly.
   Just saying.
2. A Rabbi, a Priest and a Minister walk in to a bar again and again. Fergie’s Pub 4pm, Sunday May 31. Check out three men of faith who run beer clubs through their churches and use beer to reach their congregations. Special guest God!

This is just a smattering of the ZILLIONS of options for #PBW2015, and if you’re curious the other top events I’d recommend visiting, I’ve made this outrageously optimistic, physically-impossible-to-visit-all spreadsheet of Philly Beer Week Top Events.

So feel free to check it out, let me know if you’d like to join in any of the fun, and… if you’ve got a good beard and need a cheerleader on June 2nd, you lemme know.

See you Monday, June 8th. I’ll be the one sleeping the day away.

(Heads up: This post contains an affiliate link, which means I make a few dollars if you sign up for ClassPass using this link [You’ll also be able to skip the waitlist!] I received no compensation for writing this post, however, and all opinions are my own.)

Ok, phew, had to get that out there. Because the thing is: I LOVED my complimentary month (and some change) of ClassPass (in case you missed THAT whole announcement or initial feelings). And I’m really impressed with the progress I made in my classes I attended. Unfortunately for me, my time with CP fell during the holidays and two longer weekend trips, which resulted in me attending about 16 classes over the course of my 43ish days. This WOULD have cost about $150 on ClassPass (pro-rating my half month, and basing it on the former prices).

Pretty happy ClassPass-Kid, over here

I think I visited something like 8 studios (two for spinning, two for yoga, two for barre, one for rowing, and one for cross-training) which is definitely not even close to scratching the surface of the options. And this worked for me. I went 110% in every class, I enjoyed all but two, and I fell in love with a few. That said, as of right now, I’m going to hold off on renewing my ClassPass. Partially this is because of my personal circumstances, which are currently a little helter skelter at work with a fair amount of “off-schedule” hours coming up, partially because I’m commuting to-and-from Wilmington every now and then which can really cut into my after-work and before-work workouts, but mostly because, despite their recent drop of prices from $99 to $79 per month in Philly, the cheapskate within is not sure the increase of $35 from my standard gym membership is worth it (however, that recent drop in prices may have me checking back in come March!!)

The PROS of ClassPass

• Diversity of classes. Y’ALL, there’s a ROWING class!! There’s yoga, hot yoga, power yoga, Lithe Method, spinning (total FlyWheel convert over here), cross-training (weights! Cardio! Yoga! OH MY!) bootcamps, and things I have never heard of (and still haven’t tried yet…) No need to get in a rut when you’ve got all these options!
  

  Sick form on that stroke, eh?

• TECHNOLOGY! I love the App, the website is super easy to use, and some of the studios (COUGH FLYWHEEL COUGH) even give you the bonus tech of THEIR sites. Below is a report of my 4 FlyWheel classes. Pretty amazing way to track progress and how you perform day to day!
  

  Clearly Monday, January 26 I became an ANIMAL

• The Studios Themselves: ClassPass has done an amazing job of getting the TOP fitness studios in Philadelphia signed up. If I’d taken 16 classes individually, I likely would’ve spent at least $300. And then been kicked out of my apartment for inability to pay rent. These are the finest, cleanest, most-updated studios in the area. And I loved being a part of them all, in some capacity.

The CONS of ClassPass

• The diversity is spread PRETTY far…. Here are all the classes offered in “Philadelphia Metro Area”:Not too shabby, right? Except, as a woman without a car (and no real interest in trying to get one just to work out), THESE are the studios I can/would go to:And even some of those in the Northeast are pushing it…. It’s still more than my current gym offers, but far less than it appears in that first map.
• The cost Whoah. As I was writing this up, CP dropped down to $79… and suddenly seems less out of reach and more… manageable.
• ClassPass classes only: Lots of studios should mean the feeling of an endless SMORGASBORD of classes, right? Except… not always. Many of the studios I’ve visited before only have “ClassPass” Spots in the early morning, or during the middle of the day…. For someone without a very flexible schedule, this can be an issue. I tend to prefer to workout before work or IMMEDIATELY after…. but sometimes classes were only offered to certain studios at 11am or 7:30pm. Not my cuppa tea (whether it’s because I’m working, or already considering bed…)
• No-Show Fee: You cancel a class within 24 hours of the time it starts? $20 fee. YES this made me feel very accountable. BUT come on, life happens. $20 is a steep price to pay if you get caught in traffic, or if plans suddenly change.

All in all, if you’re already spending money for a gym membership and you don’t feel like you’re getting a ton out of it, ClassPass could be just what the doctor ordered!

PLUS if you wanna skip the waitlist and join ClassPass ASAP, click this image to use my affiliate link.

This is a guest post.

We can all agree on one thing (except those poor souls with gluten issues): Beer is a beautiful thing, and there’s nothing better than cracking one open at the end of a long day… except, of course, having said beautiful beer in hand as you sit down to a delicious meal, and enjoying the way flavors of the beer and the food complement each other. But pairing beer and food isn’t always easy, or even something that most of us know about, and while sometimes you may think that some pairings are “good enough”, there can always be better pairings that more trained tongues can distinguish. Always something to learn…

Lucky for everyone (except, again, the gluten-challenged), an app called Beer Match gives us all that we could possibly need. That’s right, just like it can now get you rides home or show you where the nearest public bathroom is, your phone can help you take taste to a whole new level and enjoy your beer in never-before-seen ways.

It doesn’t really come as a surprise, as we continue to use our phones in innovative ways every day. AlchemyBet, the proud owners of Pocket Fruity, have said that we now use our phones everywhere from in church to at school and at work, and we’ve all seen those brilliant souls who walk into the streets, eyes glazed over at their phones, nearly colliding with oncoming traffic (this is a real thing, I just watched the other day!). Luckily, with Beer Match, your phone isn’t just a distraction; it’s a powerful tool that helps you get the most out of your meal and the brew you choose to drink it with!

The way it works is you select a food from the list of over 500 foods already on the app, and the app then generates a list of beers – kinds of beer, not brands – that go well with your selection.

If you find yourself on the other end of the line, beer in hand and wondering “goodness, what should I eat with this auspicious ale?!”, you can use the app to find food that match the beer you have at home too. Major bonus: the fact that you don’t even need an internet connection to use it. Once you’ve downloaded it, all information is stored locally on your phone so you can look up great beer and food pairings no matter what pub, restaurant, or microbrewery you’re in. Even if it’s a secret sneaky restaurant underground… or you decide to have dinner in your basement.

Whatever floats your boat.

The app costs $0.99 on the iTunes App Store, and its developers have also made mobile apps for other pairings such as wine-and-food and wine-and-cheese. Really, an app for every palate and pairing.

When I was down in NOLA in November, I crossed paths with a buddy from my fraternity. He’s living in New Orleans now, and asked me how I was liking Philly after 7 years in sunny North Carolina. When I responded, gushing about how much I love Philadelphia, he shook his head, professing general distaste for the city I love. I scoffed in his general direction, turning back to the bar to get something ridiculous like a hot buttered rum because, “When in N’awlins…” (But seriously. why isn’t every bar offering this drink the second temperatures drop?)

I tell you this story to lead into this post. This post is nothing more than a love letter (not a Love Note, as someone already has that covered) to Philadelphia. This is not to say that my previous homes (Wilmington, DE; Chapel Hill, NC; Durham, NC) weren’t all wonderful in their own rights. And, in some way, I’ll always love them for the person they made me. But I spent the last two years of my 7 in NC trying to get back to Philly. And the way I feel about this city can easily be described as romantic. Truly, it’s a relationship you can only have with a city that is oft hated, mocked, and seemingly never celebrated for more than sloppy meat sandwiches. The love you defend to the death, despite complaining all year about the cold, the dirt, the smell, the Rittenhouse rats, and the PPA.

So click on this Youtube version of a Mariah Carey-oke (BAHAHA get it?!) version of All I Want for Christmas, and sing along with my new, much more romantic lyrics.

This one’s for you, Philly.

I don’t want a lot for Christmas
There’s not much I really need
Tastykakes, could take or leave them
Prefer my steaks grilled, hold the cheese

Head to Monk’s to have a beer
Thank goodness that I live here
My wishes all came true…
Philly, all I want for Christmas is you!

I don’t want a lot for Christmas
Really, not much that I need
Maybe just a lil’ Budino
Spicy cukes – Han Dynasty

I don’t need to hear those carols
Sang throughout Rittenhouse Square
I’ll give up the lights on Locust Walk
Honestly, don’t even care!

I just want my postal code
to start with one nine one ZERO
Wishes all came true….
Philly, all I want for Christmas is you!
Youuuuu, Philly.

I won’t ask for much this Christmas
Definitely won’t ask for snow
Trudging out to get some groceries
Fighting crowds at Trader Joe’s

If I were to make a list I’d
Send it straight to RTM
Stock up on some “OK” Produce
Meats and Sausages from Martin.

‘Cause I just want to spend the night
Staring at those PECO lights
Wishes all came true…
Philly all I want for Christmas is YOU!

Oh, all the kids are watching
The Macy’s Christmas Show
As folks slip at Rothman
Butts are sore, ya know…

And though our skin is stinging
Still hear those sleigh bills ringing
Philly, bitter as we may all seem
Won’t you please spend this Christmas with me??

Oh, I don’t want a lot for Christmas
This is all I’m asking for
I just want to have my city
Right outside my tiny door

Oh, I just want you for my own
(Though I don’t mind sharing, don’t ya know?)
Wishes all came true
Philly, all I want for Christmas is you
You, Philly.