WHO WE ARE
WHO WE ARE
Embedded Files
THE CREATION OF FGGC
THE CREATION OF FGGC
In 2020, Ashley Knueppel and Joe Deutschmann began greening and cleaning up an empty, blighted lot on their block. Together, alongside neighbors, they built the Lil' Ogden Community Garden, which served as a community space for many years. In 2025, when the garden site was sold to a developer, the loss underscored the need for stronger long-term planning, coordination, and stewardship of community-created green spaces. In response, Ashley and Joe founded this nonprofit to support neighborhood-led greening efforts that are more resilient, intentional, and community-controlled.
March 2020: Ashley & Joe begin cleaning and restoring abandonded, vacant lots at 15th & Ogden Streets.
Summer 2020: The first gardeners begin planting vegetables, herbs and flowers; Vineyards Cafe builds two picnic tables for the space.
2020–2025: Lil’ Ogden Community Garden expands with new plots, gathering spaces, and community events - made possible by amazing neighbors!
Summer 2025: Community advocates to swap two garden lots for 1438 Poplar St via petitions and city meetings.
October 2025: Garden lots sold for development; however, discussions with city to purchase 1438 Poplar St (dubbed The Francisville Yard) begin.
December 2025: Francisville Garden & Greenspace Collective (FGGC) is formally established.
January 2026: Ashley gets the crazy idea to apply for a grant with the William Penn Foundation, leveraging community relationships with a goal to bring neighbors together around a shared vision of the future of not only 1438 Poplar, but other greenspaces.
May 2026: William Penn Foundation awards FGGC the "Community Greening Plan" grant. Work begins!
A MOMENT FOR THE MEMORIES
A MOMENT FOR THE MEMORIES
The Lil’ Ogden Community Garden was created and cared for through years of volunteer-led neighborhood stewardship. What began as formerly vacant and overgrown lots evolved into an active community gathering space shaped by the people who used and cared for it together.
Over time, the space grew to include 15 community garden beds, native flowers and pollinator-friendly plantings, a free herb garden open to neighbors, picnic tables and outdoor seating areas, and shared gardening supplies including soil, compost, mulch, and seeds available for community use. The garden also became a space for neighborhood gatherings, seasonal celebrations, volunteer clean-up days, casual outdoor meals, children’s activities, and community events that brought neighbors together across ages and backgrounds.
More than a garden, the space became an example of how small neighborhood green spaces can support connection, care, creativity, and community well-being.
MEET OUR BOARD
MEET OUR BOARD
Francisville Garden & Greenspace Collective is led by a volunteer Board of Directors composed entirely of Francisville residents with backgrounds in community engagement, systems design, environmental stewardship, operations, education, entrepreneurship, and neighborhood organizing.
Joe Deutschmann & Ashley Knueppel
President / Treasurer & Vice President
Joe and Ashley have called Francisville home for the past eight years. After meeting at Arcadia University, they have shared plenty of adventures together - international travel, adopting three cats, attending Phillies games, playing Heyday soccer, getting married, and ultimately co-founding FGGC. As a neighborhood block captain, Joe is often the first to hear about what is happening on the block, while Ashley can usually be found organizing projects, planning events, or convincing Joe that one more project is a good idea.
Professionally, Ashley serves as Assistant Director of Civic & Global Engagement at Arcadia University, where she specializes in operations, project management, marketing, communications, and community engagement. Joe is a Solutions Architect with expertise in systems design, problem-solving, and implementation planning.
Erika Fink
Secretary
Erika began planting her roots in Francisville 4 years ago and was immediately drawn to the community that formed around the neighborhood’s green spaces! With a background in food and nutrition science, her early career started at a community-focused non-profit that serves Philadelphia schools and neighborhoods. There, she created nutrition education curricula, trained teams of educators, and eventually developed and managed the organization’s first on-site hands-on cooking program. In 2023, Erika transitioned into the world of entrepreneurship, bringing with her a strengthened ability to lead teams, creatively problem-solve, and move ideas from brainstorms into the real world. She now works alongside her wife as the Business Manager of Doug Don Dad & Daughter Window Cleaning, a family business of 50 years. When Erika's not behind a computer or holding a squeegee, she can be found teaching weekly yoga classes at the Columbia North YMCA.
Gabe Spiller
Board Member
Fatimah Johnson-Drame
Board Member
MEET OUR COMMUNITY GREENING PLAN TEAM
MEET OUR COMMUNITY GREENING PLAN TEAM
In addition to our board members, we are grateful to welcome on additional team members to support this special project.
Shelve Carter
Neighborhood Liaison
Shelve is a long term resident of Francisville; his family has been in the area for three generations. After attending Bache Martin School and Northeast High School, Shelve graduated from Temple University with a B.S. in Secondary Education and English. He is also a long term entrepreneur and restaurant owner for over 15 years and has recently started Wingo Wyo Gardens, a non-profit organization to revitalize urban communities through sustainable agriculture, environmental stewardship and hands-on education. His goal is to leverage underutilized spaces around the city to build workforce and personal development opportunities for youth and families.
Ali Sneed
Neighborhood Liaison
Luke Miller
Community Data & Insights Analyst
OUR VALUES
OUR VALUES
At FGGC, we believe shared green spaces are about more than beautification. Thoughtfully cared-for public spaces can strengthen neighborhood connection, support mental and physical well-being, encourage environmental sustainability, and create opportunities for neighbors to gather, participate, and feel a sense of belonging.
Our work is guided by the belief that public spaces should reflect the voices, experiences, and history of the communities they serve. We value resident-led stewardship, inclusive community participation, cultural preservation, accessibility, and long-term care for shared neighborhood spaces.
We believe even small green spaces can have a lasting impact when they are shaped through collaboration, rooted in local knowledge, and maintained with care over time.
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse