We interviewed more than 30 Safehouse stakeholders about their personal experiences with addiction, how they feel about the proposed overdose prevention site, and their ideal outcome for the overdose crisis in Philadelphia. Our…
Who’s watching the push for Safehouse?
Last Wednesday, a federal judge ruled that Safehouse does not violate the federal “crack house” statute, setting a new legal precedent for future overdose prevention sites to operate under federal law. Since…
For Philly English learners, arranging standardized testing accommodations can be a challenge
The neurologists weren’t helping. Each appointment left Madeline Perez Vega less secure about her son Jose’s well-being than the last. When he eventually experienced a seizure so intense that his face turned…
“Burnout is real”: The importance of engaging in self-care practices when faced with trauma
Chera Kowalski remembers working at McPherson Square Library when overdoses became a more common occurrence in Kensington. It was 2015, and Philadelphia saw 696 overdose deaths that year — a 52% increase…
“This kind of work will drain you”: How trauma is affecting people responding to overdoses in Kensington
On a cold March morning earlier this year, Roz Pichardo was driving into work on Kensington Avenue when she heard someone scream from outside her car window — “I need Narcan!” With…
Another Kensington garden is losing land to development
When members of the Philly Socialists formed the César Andreu Iglesias Community Garden at Arlington and North Lawrence Streets in 2012, they did it to reclaim the vacant land for the community.…
Awilda Ocasio: “the Mother Teresa of Kensington”
“Hello, my love!” — were the three words that sang from Awilda Ocasio’s lips when she entered a room. “She loved everyone… Everyone loved her,” said Judi Moore, the children’s librarian and…
What places do you love the most in Kensington?
What places do you love the most in Kensington? We’re compiling an ongoing list of places people love in the neighborhood. You can help us make it longer by telling us about…
How hard is it to convert vacant buildings into safe, affordable homes for people in need?
Before Miguel Diaz purchased and renovated an abandoned house on Potter Street in Kensington, he worried he could never afford a comfortable home for himself and his daughter in the neighborhood where…