Alumni Lynn Alpert and Molly Lester Profiled by PlanPhilly

From PlanPhilly.com:

A growing network of young people is challenging the perception that historic preservation is an old activist’s game.

Incorporating new communication and promotional tactics, as well as their professional training, the Young Friends of the Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia are becoming a strong voice and an effective force in protecting the city’s historic resources.

Their social media fingerprints can be found on the successful effort to preserve the Fairmount Park Welcome Center during LOVE Park’s planned renovation. Their sweat equity and professional skills have assisted in window restoration of Victorian homes on Viola Street in Parkside. And their “hearts” have kept the focus on renovation of the Hale Building, an architectural wonder at Juniper and Chestnut Streets.

They have become an energetic complement to the work of the Preservation Alliance, and they are attracting a lot of attention and appreciation for the value of Philadelphia’s historic fabric.

“This is a group interested in expanding the boundaries of what preservation means,” Patrick Grossi, advocacy director at the Preservation Alliance, said. “And while many young friends groups are typically about social events as a way to drive membership, this group is very interested in and driven by advocacy. They’re a logical extension of our efforts, and they bring their own arguments to the table.”

Read the full article on PlanPhilly.com