"Once I fought hand to hand
with honor for my home.
Now I live hand to handout,
struggling on my own.
Though apathy's the enemy,
I battle my despair:
the absence here of Liberty
defended over there."

-Hand to Hand
a song about the patriotism
sung by The Veteran,
played by Lourin Plant

words and music by K. Niemela
drawing by S. Teare
animation by G. McGarity-Alegrett

"Freedom's fire burns constantly,
even when it seems obscure.
It's our responsibility
to keep the flame so it endures."

-Suns of Liberty
a song about freedom
sung by the Chorus of Liberty

words and music by K. Niemela
drawing by S. Teare
animation by G. McGarity-Alegrett

"Promises made,
promises broken,
America, will you be
the land of hopes,
both sung and spoken,
that we have yet to see?"

-Promised Land
a song about American ideals
sung by The Farmer &
The Immigrant,
played by Phyllis Chapell &
Julian Coleman

words and music by K. Niemela
drawing by S. Teare
animation by G. McGarity-Alegrett

"Though chaos swirls 'round us
and tries to confound us
by coaxing us into
a motionless trance,
we've nothing to fear
but the fear that has bound us,
so, bravely, we choose
to continue to dance."

-Life Turns on a Dime
a song about life's changeability
sung by FDR,
played by Bill Gross

words & music by K. Niemela
drawing by S. Teare
animation by G. McGarity-Alegrett

"I finally understood
and changed my views:
there really is no 'us and them,'
no differences, especially when
we're all stuck in
a big Pocket of Blues!"

-Pocket of Blues
a song about economic crisis
sung by The Merchant,
played by Khrista White

words & music by K. Niemela
drawing by S. Teare
animation by G. McGarity-Alegrett

"No livelihood, no dream to plan,
unable to survive –
what happened to my homeland,
where everyone could thrive?"

-Foundation of Hope
a song about unemployment
sung by The Builder,
played by Victor Rodriguez

words & music by K. Niemela
drawing by S. Teare
animation by G. McGarity-Alegrett

To be able to make something from nothing is a handy skill to have and an essential ingredient for success in any endeavor.  Soups made from just water and root vegetables were commonplace during the 1930s.  This "upscale" version of a Great Depression soup attained its WPA moniker because employment with the agency allowed for the addition of meat and eggs to recipe.  Enjoy!

Ingredients
6 quarts water
2 cups celery, chopped
2 cups onion, chopped
2 cups potatoes, chopped
2 cups salami or sausage, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 to 3 teaspoons butter
Salt and pepper
2 eggs, whipped

Directions
In a large pot, bring water to a boil. Add all ingredients except eggs and simmer one hour.
Gently blend in whipped eggs and continue boiling for one minute.  Let soup chill for 8 hours or overnight to enhance flavor. Heat and serve

courtesy of Rita Van Amber

What happened this week in 1935?  Jesse Owens set a long jump world record.

"Life turns on a dime.
A life in its prime
meets with sudden decline, loss, and pain,
yet summons the will
to inspire and instill
all the disciplined skill
that we need to fulfill and attain
the hopes we would claim."
- from Life Turns on a Dime,
sung by FDR in Spare A Dime

In 1921, at the age of 39, Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) was stricken with polio and left paralyzed from the waist down.  Before his illness, he had lived a life of privilege.  He had been born into wealth; he had served as assistant secretary of the Navy and had been a candidate for Vice President.  Unwilling to accept that his career in public life was over and believing that he would walk again, FDR searched for ways to alleviate his paralysis.  A friend told him about how the mineral-rich waters of a resort at Warm Springs, Georgia had helped a young man with polio, and FDR immediately traveled there, despite the objections of his family.

Swimming in the waters at Warm Springs, FDR eventually learned to stand on his own by strengthening his atrophied leg and hip muscles.  His success drew national publicity, and other hopeful polio patients traveled to Warm Springs from all over the country.  In 1926, FDR purchased the resort and founded Georgia Warm Springs Foundation, a world-renown polio treatment center, still serving individuals with neuro-muscular disorders today. In 1932, early his first term as President, FDR built a tiny six room cottage at Warm Springs dubbed the "Little White House." He stayed at Warm Springs for at least a month every year (except for 1942 at the beginning of World War II) and died at the cottage in 1945. 

Lore has it that FDR enjoyed the serenity of the woods behind the Little White House (photo by Spare A Dime composer Kimberly Niemela, above), and that his time at Warm Springs, whether overcoming his own obstacles, sharing experiences with other polio patients, or working alone at the cottage, influenced his design and development of New Deal programs.  He wrote, "The country needs and, unless I mistake its temper, the country demands bold, persistent experimentation.  It is common sense to take a method and try it.  If it fails, admit it frankly and try another.  But above all, try something.  The millions who are in want will not stand by silently forever while the things to satisfy their needs are within easy reach.  We need enthusiasm, imagination and the ability to face facts, even unpleasant ones, bravely... Yours is not the task of making your way in the world, but the task of remaking the world which you will find before you.  May every one of us be granted the courage, the faith and the vision to give the best that is in us to that remaking!"

In its eight years of existence, the WPA changed the face of America. Hundreds of thousands of miles of road, innumerable public buildings, bridges, airports, and seaports – the very national infrastructure that we know today – was built by the WPA.  We're used to having accessible open spaces nearby because the WPA created so many public parks and recreational facilities.  The WPA's Federal Project Nmber One, including the Federal Arts Project, Federal Writers Project, Federal Theatre Project, and Federal Music Project fostered a greater appreciation for the arts and humanities through thousands of publicly accessible paintings, writings, plays, and music.  The Federal Writers project, along with the WPA's Historical Records Survey also captured living history, from the stories of migrant workers to the narratives of former slaves, and created interest in the preservation of historical records nationwide.

We live in a politically divisive time; our conversations about wealth, poverty, and the availability of opportunity are not unlike those of the 1930s.  Working for the common good feels like a quite uncommon occurence, and the very words "social justice" and "progressive agenda" strike fear in the hearts of some people.  Perhaps we can argue the politics and economics of the WPA; we can argue about its ultimate place in stimulating a recovery from the Great Depression.  But one thing remains indisputable, both in the historical record and in the stories collected by COSACOSA for the Spare A Dime project:  the WPA built the America we take for granted today.  And even more importantly, the WPA gave the country hope in a time of hopelessness. It offered opportunity – the possibility of a better life where there was none before – to millions of Americans.  It made us work together.

• The Custom House and Appraisers Stores, 200 Chestnut Street: “Custom House and Court Activities” and “Various Port Activities in Philadelphia,” 1938 mural in 31 panels by George Harding (pictured at right)

• The Kingsessing Post Office branch, 52nd Street and Baltimore Avenue: “Philadelphia Waterways with Ben Franklin Bridge” and “View of Downtown Philadelphia Skyline,” 1939 oils on canvas by Moses and Raphael Soyer

• The North Philadelphia Post Office branch, 2601 North 16th Street:  “Mail Delivery,” “City,” “Country,” “Northern Coast,” “Office,” “Home,” “Tropics,” and “History of Mail Transportation by Water,” 1939 tempera paintings by George Harding

• The Southwark Post Office branch, 925 Dickinson Street:  “Iron Plantation near Southwark – 1800″ and “Shipyards at Southward – 1800,″ 1938 oils on canvas Philadelphia by Robert E. Larter (pictured at right)

• The Spring Garden Post Office branch, 7th and Thompson Streets: “Streets of Philadelphia," 1938 oil on canvas by Walter Gardner 

• The William Penn Annex Post Office branch, 900 Market Street: “Mail Delivery – North, South, East, West,” 1941 bas relief sculptures by Edmond R. Amateis

• The William Penn Annex Post Office branch, 900 Market Street: “Law,” “Justice,” and two eagles,  1940 bas relief sculptures by Donald De Lue ("Justice" pictured below, complete with fasces – just like our Bok stage and the back of the 1935 Liberty dime!)

Fairmount Park is home to thirteen shelters built by the Works Progress Administration in 1938 and 1939.  Pictured at left, the Wissahickon Shelter, like all of the park's WPA structures, is situated along the path of the Wissahickon Creek.

Philadelphia's Central High School opened in 1838 and was the oldest high school in the United States not in New England. The school changed buildings many times over the years, including in 1854 and in 1900.  Its final and current iteration is a WPA-built structure from 1939, located at 1700 West Olney Avenue.

Philadelphia's 30th Street Post Office building, located at 30th and Market Streets, is a giant art deco masterpiece built by the WPA in 1935.  Serving as the city's main post office for over seventy years, it has been renovated into a multipurpose office building.

Tomorrow, we'll take a look at some of Philadelphia's public art created by the WPA's Federal Project Number One.

"Aside from being pitch perfect in every way, these performers really connected with their characters. I had goose bumps during every single song..."

"The songwriting was excellent...each tune had a memorable melody, thoughtful lyrics, and real emotional integrity"

Read the full article from Rock on Philly here.

"An impressive collaboration between a diverse array of artists and community members..."

"...the ideal of what education should be."

Read the full article from Hidden City here.

"The work has this blend of despondency and ambition that touches the soul."

"...a lesson that...sparing a dime and sharing one’s time serve the same function – the fostering of hope."

Read the full article from the South Philly Review here.

Thoughtful presentation of food can enhance a meal, especially when you're eating on the cheap. 
In honor of Earth Day, we've picked this pretty salad recipe from the Great Depression to send you a vitamin-rich bouquet of green(s).

Ingredients
Romaine lettuce, center leaves
1 carrot, cut in long, thin slices
multicolored peppers, cut in strips
turnip tips

Directions
• Place pepper slices inside 2 Romaine leaves
• Roll the leaves tightly at the bottom, creating a "bouquet"
• Tie with a carrot slice
• Slip turnip tips into the bouquet center
• Place on a plate and serve with your favorite dressing