COMMUNITY
Our approach to community development places a premium on collaboration, transparency, and building trust. Community development is what we do; our trauma-informed approach and block-by-block strategy are how we do it.
Trauma Informed Approach
We acknowledge the toll that comes from living in a neighborhood suffering from disinvestment and neglect, but we don’t let those experiences define the community. Trauma informed care promotes environments of healing and recovery rather than practices and services that may inadvertently re-traumatize.
Strategic Planning
The vision of the Heart of Kensington Collective Impact 2022 plan is for neighbors to feel connected to each other, take shared responsibility for the neighborhood, feel empowered to make a change in their environment, and envision a positive future for themselves and their children despite the neighborhood being heavily affected by the opioid crisis.
Community Connectors
Our Community Connectors help ensure residents directly impacted by development shape the planning and implementation of revitalization. Connectors go back to the basics: directly reaching neighbors wherever they are, whether at the supermarket, childcare center, library, hair salon, school, or home.
Rebuild Projects
While the design and construction of Rebuild projects is managed by the city, we are working with the City of Philadelphia to engage with Kensington residents to gather community feedback that can help inform the improvements that are made to facilities. Rebuild is fully funded by the Philadelphia Beverage Tax and is a city-led program.
Healthy Places, Healthy People
We know that resources enhance quality of life -- such as public safety, greenspace, availability of healthy foods, and access to local health services -- can have a significant influence on population health outcomes. Improving the conditions in which we live, learn, work, and play and the quality of our relationships can create a healthier population, society, and workforce.
