As someone who writes a lot about place, and eating together and small businesses and being in community, I'm really exhausted of all the recent political events that put our most vulnerable in danger. And yet, I also know we need to keep fighting.

But, when you are constantly in a phase of fight-or-flight, when your brain believes you are in danger, you will be less active in your community and less present with your friends and family. You will dissociate and become exhausted. When you need to work as much as you can to provide basic needs, like a meal to get through the day, you won't be able to vocalize your needs or take part in protests, rallies or even small good deeds.

A big part of The Platia is to harness the ethos I saw in small Greek villages in the Zagori, to build community around shared needs and figure them out together, putting resources back into the community. And I guess I do a lot of that, leading Narcan trainings and de-escalation discussions, volunteer opportunities and providing local stores with Plan B and sharps containers, as well as keeping tabs on when the government is lying to us about our basic needs. But always feel that we need more people involved. My voice can't be the loudest, we need to do this together.

So for this May Day, May 1, 2026, I am giving one grant to an hourly worker in Philadelphia who is taking the day off to be in their community.

This is a one-time $500 grant, one free community safety course, and a Platia "prize pack" of public health items to share with your community, like Plan B, Narcan, misinformation tips, coffee or tea to share with a neighbor and hygiene items to give to others.

Here are some bullet points to help you easily walk through this.

• You must be an hourly worker in Philadelphia who is missing pay to take a day off to be in community this May Day.
• You should be using that time to be part of some community effort, and that can be anything from protesting to planting flowers in a neighborhood garden to babysitting a neighbors child.
• You don't have to be a Platia reader (that would be nice!) but as part of the grant you must come to a de-escalation training this year where you will learn how to best lead conversations and stay safe at group events.
• You must fill out this entry form. I PROMISE YOU I will be deleting it all information the grant is given. Sorry, I hate a form too but this was fastest to accomplish this.

The application period is Wednesday, April 29 through Sunday May 3 at midnight, and I will contact the winner on Monday, May 4.

I hope this inspired you to be out, meeting people, seeing your city this weekend.