New Kensington Community Development Corporation (NKCDC)

NKCDC’s 6th cohort of community healthy workers graduated from the 11-week training program today! The 12 graduates are now part of a network of Kensington residents who have trained to become Pennsylvania State Certified Community Health Workers (CHWs) thanks to funding from the PA Department of Human Services. Residents enter training with a lived understanding of the experiences that other community members go through, positioning them as trusted partners and community advocates. They go door-to-door connecting residents to critical resources and assist them in navigating complex social services and healthcare systems. These relationships build community capacity and empower residents to advocate for themselves and for their community’s health. The program jointly works to address social and environmental factors leading to poor health while providing professional opportunities for residents that equip them to advance in health-related careers. Thank you to the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services and Jefferson Health for your support and congrats to the 6th cohort of CHWs on graduating from the program!

“In 2021, then-Attorney General Josh Shapiro joined his counterparts in 14 other states in negotiating settlement agreements with four pharmaceutical companies that would enable millions of dollars to flow into cities and towns across Pennsylvania to address the enduring harms of the ongoing opioid crisis. Under the terms of the agreements, officials at the county level determine how the money from the settlement is spent in their communities, and a newly created state panel, the Opioid Misuse and Addiction Abatement Trust, leads the oversight and administration of those funds,” Dr. Bill McKinney, Carla Sofronski, Sterling Johnson, and Britt Carpenter write in an editorial for the Philadelphia Inquirer. In June, the trust found that $7.5 million in opioid settlement funding going to Kensington schools, parks, eviction and foreclosure prevention, and home repairs was a misuse of funds. The City of Philadelphia appealed that decision and last Thursday, after the City presented its appeal, the trust voted to reverse part of its decision. Last Thursday, the trust found funds used for Kensington schools, parks, and rent and mortgage prevention were a proper use of the funds while funding for home repairs and small business support was not. While this decision won’t impact the funds already earmarked for home repairs or small businesses or any of the other disbursed money, it could reduce, withhold, or impact future funding for Kensington from this opioid settlement agreement. “Kensington has some of the highest rates of trauma-inducing conditions such as poverty, housing instability, drug-related crime, and more. All of these experiences also create a type of trauma that research indicates has a direct link to substance misuse and overdose.” “While we fully understand how essential it is that the funds are spent effectively, we also hope the trust pays heed to experts in research, substance use prevention, and healing. Listen to the community and stakeholders with firsthand knowledge of our challenges. All of these are priorities the Kensington community itself has identified as crucial to addressing the opioid crisis.” Read the full editorial from NKCDC’s executive director and the leaders at the PA Harm Reduction Network, the Philadelphia Community Land Trust, and Philly Unknown at the link in bio. You can read more on what the Kensington community has identified as crucial for addressing the opioid crisis and quality of life at kensingtonplan.org/reports.

Klean Kensington is a community-based and resident-driven initiative to beautify and green blighted properties in Kensington while providing opportunities for teens to make money. The Klean Kensington Gardens at 708 E Hilton Street and 804 E Willard Street are spaces for neighbors, teens, children, and community organizations to connect in. Klean Kensington is working to activate and reclaim spaces that have been blighted or abandoned in Kensington. As one of several Rite Aid Healthy Futures microgrant recipients, funding will support the purchasing of vegetables, flowers, and composting soil to rejuvenate the beds at the Hilton Street Garden, as well as new meditation labyrinth at one of Klean Kensington’s spaces. Working in collaboration with other gardeners and organizations in Kensington, Klean Kensington works to strengthen health and wellbeing in the neighborhood by providing a safe space for residents to gather and connect. Want to see the Klean Kensington gardens yourself? Join us on October 5th for the Kensington Gardens Tour from 12PM-4PM! You can also get involved in the garden by reaching out to Jeremy Chen at jeremytchen@gmail.com!

Kensington was once home to hundreds of textile mills that provided economic opportunities for residents. With the passing of the High Act of 1956 and a decline in the manufacturing economic base of Kensington, the population transformed from a majority white population to a majority Latino and Black population, leaving residents of color stranded on an island of disinvestment. Soon after, the drug trade replaced manufacturing as the primary economic driver of Kensington. Today, the historical lack of investment, systemic racism, and the resulting trauma has led to significant challenges related to safety and trash along the business corridors. Small businesses are burdened not only by high rates of violence, but also higher insurance costs, higher costs of maintenance and repairs, vendors refusing to come to Kensington, and reduced numbers of customers. To ensure sustained outcomes and solutions for economic development in Kensington, we need trauma-informed, participatory, and comprehensive strategies and investments. Learn more about how we can make current and future strategies for economic development more effective in Co-Creating Kensington: Alignment at the link in our bio or at https://lnkd.in/eyura-J6

In June, Pennsylvania's oversight panel, the Opioid Misuse and Addiction Abatement Trust, found that Philadelphia's use of $7.5 million in settlement money to help pay for a series of community revitalization efforts that included rent relief and repairing homes, parks, and schools did not comply with its guidelines for how the money should be spent. "The trust’s decision reflects a misconception that two of the most pressing needs in Kensington — addressing the quality-of-life concerns of long-term residents and treating individuals with substance use disorders with care and empathy — are separate issues." writes Dr. Bill McKinney (NKCDC), Carla Sofronski (Pennsylvania Harm Reduction Network), Sterling Johnson (Philadelphia Community Land Trust) and Britt Carpenter (Philly Unknown) in a newly published opinion piece in the @phillyinquirer. "Viewing those issues as unrelated demonstrates a lack of understanding about what impacts substance use disorder — such as adverse childhood experiences — and what constitutes effective prevention — such as the community-focused interventions that have been deployed." Philadelphia, with the support of community members, are contesting the decision, with an appeal hearing scheduled for Thursday, October 3rd. “We hope trust members have used the months since their decision to speak with residents, visit our community, and become more familiar with our history in an effort to better understand Kensington.” Residents and stakeholders, through an inclusive planning process, produced a list of priorities self-identified by the community. These were highlighted in the first of three reports from Co-Creating Kensington, which can be found at https://buff.ly/3BrhtwF "Let Kensington speak for itself, and we ask the opioid trust to trust Kensington." To read the newly published opinion piece for the @phillyinquirer, click here: https://buff.ly/4drD4Cv

As a companion green space to Flip Out Production’s gymnastic facility, the Flippin Garden represents both a magical space for athletes and members of the community to explore, and as a way for them to learn valuable horticulture skills to aid in creating more green spaces in the community. As one of several Rite Aid Healthy Futures microgrant recipients, NKCDC and Flip Out are working together to strengthen health and wellbeing in Kensington. Funding from the Rite Aid grant supported the Flippin Garden in purchasing seeds and plants as well as in a new mural above the garden! This summer, the garden harvest included tomatoes, cucumbers, chocolate mint, hot peppers, basil, lemon balm, butternut squash, and perennial and annual flowers. Not only that, but the garden remains a safe environment for kids to spend time outside, a lovely walk through for local community members, and a beautification to Frankford Avenue. Interested in immersing yourself in the Flippin’ Garden? Stop by from 12PM-4PM during the Kensington Gardens Tour on October 5th!

Ruth Hart’s Community Garden is a new green space at 1823 Hart Lane in Kensington. As one of several Rite Aid Healthy Futures microgrant recipients, the lot is being activated from a vacant property into a safe place for kids from the block to play and a quiet and peaceful space that adults can enjoy. This summer Ruth Hart Garden’s steward, Lauren Bruce, said that they added the first raised beds to the space and that kids from the block helped to fill it in with soil and put the first plants in. “We want kids to feel like the space is theirs to use,” Lauren says. The microgrants from Rite Aid Healthy Futures will help to install a few raised beds for growing native pollinator plants and some vegetables. This fall, they’re planting carrots, beets, spinach, and broccoli – all vegetables that are cold hardy! “This garden belongs to the community and folks should feel free to come and grow things in the space,” Lauren says. Want to experience the garden yourself? Stop by the space at 1823 Hart Lane, come out during the Kensington Gardens Tour on October 5th from 12PM-4PM, or reach out to Lauren at laurenjbruce@gmail.com to connect on more ways to get involved!

The Simple Way bolsters immediate neighbors in Kensington through listening, learning, and invitation and also tends to a thriving community garden for neighbors to enjoy! As one of several Rite Aid Healthy Futures microgrant recipients, NKCDC and The Simple Way are working together to strengthen our local food system in Kensington. Their garden grows food for neighbors and the Simple Way community fridge, and it serves as a community space for neighbors to feel welcomed and interact with the garden. Their fall garden is fully underway, with collard greens, kale, radishes, beets, cucumbers, squash, beans, and potatoes planted for a fall harvest to come! The Rite Aid Healthy Futures microgrant will allow the Simple Way to maintain the surrounding area around the garden to allow for more hours of sunlight. Want to experience the garden yourself? Stop by their garden at 3234 Potter St, Philadelphia, on October 5th for the Kensington Garden Tour from 12PM-4PM!

Rite Aid Healthy Futures held their Strengthening Cities Summit last week in Cleveland, Ohio, where NKCDC's executive director, Dr. Bill McKinney, and Urban Agriculture Program Manager, Catherine Reuter, attended with other Rite Aid funded partners! Our team had the opportunity to meet with farmers and land stewards across the country and visited several food sites in Cleveland including Rid-All, Greater Cleveland Food Bank and Village Family Farms. Dr. McKinney moderated a session to highlight the food systems work of Food Access Raises Everyone, which builds capacity of community members most affected by the social determinants of health and partners with grassroots organizations. Funding from Rite Aid Healthy Futures allows NKCDC to support urban agriculture and community gardening across Kensington to improve health and wellness, increase access to nutritious food, and promote urban land sovereignty. We're grateful to learn from partners locally and across the U.S.! Thank you to Rite Aid Healthy Futures for your continued support and to all the growers and community organizations who made the conference a success!

Join us for an insightful exploration of how immigrant entrepreneurship shapes and revitalizes Philadelphia's commercial corridors in the workshop: Where Global is Local: Immigrant-Owned Businesses in Commercial Corridors with Yvonne Boye, Department of Commerce, Stephanie Michel, Olney Community Collaborative (N5SRP), Lee Nentwig, NKCDC, Sunny Phanthavong, Vientiane Bistro, Haoyi Shang, Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corporation, and Ying Jing, Artiva Hair Salon. Registration ends Monday! https://shorturl.at/mm8CY #PACDC2024EDC #Immigration #Philadelphia #Philly #Smallbusiness #housingsecurity New Kensington Community Development Corporation (NKCDC) Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corporation (PCDC) Artiva Hair Salon Philadelphia Department of Commerce