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…