LOOKING BACK AT 2025
LOOKING BACK AT 2025
Kensington is often photographed at its worst and rarely seen beyond the lens of crisis. These images are a record of the year as we witnessed it: ordinary days, hard days, and the moments of joy that happened anyway.
In 2025, Kensington Voice tracked the city's controversial "wellness court" from launch to outcome, covered the mobile services ban debate at City Hall, and investigated where opioid settlement dollars actually went. But we also consistently showed up for the moments that matter most to our neighbors: Los Bomberos de la Calle's grand opening on Three Kings Day; the 41st Feria del Barrio; basketball leagues bringing young men together; a $16 million recreation center renovation in Fairhill.
This is nowhere near a complete account. It's a curated set of scenes that helped us understand what changed, what didn't, and what people carried through.
Move slowly. Look for the details: the hands, the storefronts, the kids on the move, the small signs of care. These photographs were taken close, and over time. A neighborhood is more than its headlines. These pictures are one way to remember that.
January
"Folks don't need a carceral hook into services."
— Solomon Furious Worlds, ACLU attorney
Reported by Emily Rizzo
Family members and musicians from Los Bomberos de la Calle celebrate as the ribbon is cut during the grand opening of their cultural center.
Photo by Solmaira Valerio
Read the full story →
City officials, police brass, and community leaders listen as Mayor Parker announces the new addiction recovery campus. A year later, the center remains central to the city's Kensington strategy.
Photo by Solmaira Valerio
Read the full story →
Participants of the "Mothers Helping Mothers" art and healing workshop gather for a group prayer with Brenda Mosley, founder of By Faith Health and Healing Inc.
Photo by Solmaira Valerio
Dr. Stephanie Brown reads "Island Born," a book by Dominican writer Junot Díaz, during AfroLatine Storytime.
Photo by Solmaira Valerio
Jan Matthew Tameta and Nashion McDill discuss personal projects with Charlie Affel, president of Hive76, in the organization's workspace.
Photo by Solmaira Valerio
NKCDC's Cure Violence team and Esperanza Health Center host their first Free Kensington Community Winter Basketball League.
Photo by Solmaira Valerio
Dr. Bill McKinney cuts the ribbon at the Engagement Center—held on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s 96th birthday. The building, once a police substation, is now a community space.
Photo by Solmaira Valerio
Read the full story →
State Senator Nikil Saval, District Attorney Larry Krasner, and State Senator Christine Tartaglione speak at the grand opening.
Photo by Solmaira Valerio
Mayor Cherelle Parker leans on Councilmember Quetcy Lozada during a press conference to unveil the Kensington Wellness Court. Kensington Coordinator Neftali Ramos looks on. Parker signed an executive order allowing police to make civil arrests. The next day, the first arrests.
Photo by Solmaira Valerio
Read the full story →
Solomon Furious Worlds, a staff attorney with the ACLU of Pennsylvania, poses for a portrait. He is one of many advocates who've shown up to observe Wellness Court proceedings.
Photo by Solmaira Valerio
The Police-Assisted Diversion office. On launch day, three arrests—two diverted to treatment, one jailed on a warrant.
Photo by Solmaira Valerio
Read the full story →February
"Its effectiveness comes from its accessibility."
— Theo Fountain, Kensington resident in recovery
Reported by Emily Rizzo
Year of the Snake exhibit, hosted by Journey to the West.
Photo by Solmaira Valerio
Rosa Canal, a Sunday Love Project volunteer, shares hugs with kids during the Valentine's Day party.
Photo by Solmaira Valerio
Theo Fountain speaks at a community meeting on mobile services.
Photo by Solmaira Valerio
Councilmember Quetcy Lozada listens as neighbors share concerns about the proposed mobile services ban.
Photo by Solmaira Valerio
See more photos →
A guest takes in artist Danny Torres' exhibition, Perspect—Vida de un Sueño.
Photo by Solmaira Valerio
Volunteers sort and fold donated materials during Save + Sort volunteer day.
Photo by Solmaira Valerio
See more photos →
Councilmembers prepare to begin a 5-hour hearing on diversion programs.
Photo by Solmaira Valerio
Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel and Public Safety Director Adam Geer listen as councilmembers press officials on cost and effectiveness.
Photo by Solmaira Valerio
Read the full story →March
"In our community, we need people who have been through what we've been through."
— Tyreek Counts, Cure Violence program coordinator
Reported by Khysir Carter
A free yoga class hosted by Yoga 4 Philly. The new facility offers programming for the neighborhood.
Photo by Solmaira Valerio
Families gather to share and swap baby clothes, toys, bottles, and other essentials at Esperanza Health Center's monthly Baby Goods Exchange.
Photo by Solmaira Valerio
Tarryn, the children's librarian, leads preschool story time.
Photo by Solmaira Valerio
Narcan hangs on a telephone pole—easy access for anyone who needs it.
Photo by Solmaira Valerio
Violet Gehringer, a harm reduction specialist with Prevention Point, co-leads a Narcan training at McPherson Square Library. Outside, Narcan hangs on poles throughout the neighborhood for easy access.
Photo by Solmaira Valerio
Group leader Richard Coaxum tastes salsa verde during an open house at Philly Bridge & Jawn (PB&J). The afterschool program teaches teens cooking and leadership skills—and pays them to show up.
Photo by Solmaira Valerio
Read the full story →
Ms. AJ reads to kids during story time.
Photo by Solmaira Valerio
Arlene Ortiz, a member of the KCR Fund community granting group, outside her home. The Parker administration ended a major grant program that let Kensington residents decide how opioid settlement dollars were spent in their neighborhood.
Photo by Solmaira Valerio
Read the full story →
A police officer hands out toys at Councilmember Quetcy Lozada's community resource fair.
Photo by Solmaira Valerio
Snack time at IMPACT Services' Spring Arts and Crafts Workshop.
Photo by Solmaira Valerio
The Peacemakers hoist the trophy.
Photo by Solmaira Valerio
April
"Everyone's frustrated. Because they do what they feel they're expected to do and get no results."
— Doris Lynch, Port Richmond Neighborhood Action
Reported by Khysir Carter
Community celebration as Rivera Recreation Center and Mann Older Adult Center reopen in Fairhill.
Photo by Solmaira Valerio
$16 million renovation, plus the community-created mural "El Ritmo del Centro."
Photo by Solmaira Valerio
See more photos →
Edible Alphabet—learning English while cooking together.
Photo by Solmaira Valerio
A streetlight with its back open, wires cut out—copper theft. At least 75 streetlight outages reported along Richmond Street since October. Some residents say they're afraid to leave their homes at night.
Photo by Solmaira Valerio
Read the full story →
Cotton candy and lion whiskers. Spring festival at Heitzman.
Photo by Solmaira Valerio
Spring recital. Bomba and plena passed to the next generation.
Photo by Solmaira Valerio
Kids with their loot, the quiet moment after the hunt. Wanda Community Event Inc. hosts an Easter basket giveaway.
Photo by Solmaira Valerio
Grupo Alegría performs a traditional bomba dance at the unveiling of a new mural celebrating the Norris Square community and its Caribbean roots.
Photo by Solmaira Valerio
Housing Now. A cross, a pink triangle, a shared demand.
Photo by Solmaira Valerio
Neighbors line up to address City Council at a Kensington Caucus town hall.
Photo by Solmaira Valerio
May
"They are walking to school and dodging bullets."
— Erica Green, Conwell Middle School principal
Reported by Emily Rizzo
Joey Gabor's mother holds a blanket with his picture while his sister testifies at Councilmember Quetcy Lozada's town hall on the proposed mobile services ban. Joey, 41, died in police custody in December.
Photo by Solmaira Valerio
Tyreek Counts, program coordinator. The el, the avenue, the work that keeps him here.
Photo by Solmaira Valerio
Gloria Casarez Elementary students with signs: "No needles," "I just want to be a kid," "We want to be able to play outside." The bill passed 13-3.
Photo by Emily Rizzo
Read the full story →
¡Ni uno más! Talia Giles, a Kensington resident and member of the Philly Liberation Center, speaks at a rally for Eddie Irizarry.
Photo by Solmaira Valerio
Mural Arts Philadelphia displays work from the Color Me Back program at a hearing with the Special Committee on Kensington.
Photo by Solmaira Valerio
Mayor Cherelle L. Parker signs the mobile services bill into law. The legislation bans most mobile outreach from Kensington's 7th Council District.
Photo by Solmaira Valerio
June
"Reciprocity is a mutual exchange."
— Paula Rivera Calderón, artist
Reported by Khysir Carter
Paula Rivera Calderón, a Kensington-based artist from San Juan, cuts the ribbon at the dedication of "Prevention Point," a mural she created in collaboration with Mural Arts Philadelphia.
Photo by Solmaira Valerio
Sarah Palmer, library supervisor, outside the Kensington Neighborhood Library. A Norris Square resident since 2014, she's watched the neighborhood change.
Photo by Solmaira Valerio
New construction beside existing rowhomes. Rising costs threaten the Latino cultural fabric that community groups have nurtured for decades.
Photo by Solmaira Valerio
Read the Neighborhood Profile →
Pat De Carlo on her front steps. The retired attorney has been on the frontlines for decades, fighting to keep the neighborhood affordable.
Photo by Vicky Díaz-Camacho
Read the full story →July
"There's room for everybody in the circus."
— Erin Flanigan, Queer Circus organizer
Reported by Emily Rizzo & Solmaira Valerio
Mason shoots as fellow campers watch. Summer camp at Mother of Mercy House.
Photo by Solmaira Valerio
Queer joy, performance, and self-expression at Kensington's first Queer Circus.
Photos by Emily Rizzo & Solmaira Valerio
Summer camp at Mother of Mercy House—one of the organizations receiving opioid settlement grants.
Photo by Solmaira Valerio
Read the full story →
Da'Veh settles in at The Simple Library—a new neighborhood space where kids can read, play, and cool off. The library opened in June.
Photo by Solmaira Valerio
Read the full story →
Couples take the floor at Taller Puertorriqueño's Salsa Night—one of the cultural center's regular community dance events.
Photo by Solmaira Valerio
Isela Williams wears a shirt honoring her son Aasim, a local musician murdered by gun violence in April 2024.
Photo by Solmaira Valerio
Summer ball at Trenton and Auburn Playground. Behind the court, new housing reshapes the skyline.
Photo by Solmaira Valerio
August
"People really out here thinking that they don't matter. That's not true."
— Priscilla Ramos, Kensington resident in recovery
Reported by Sammy Caiola
Two players leap toward the basket during a Cure Violence summer league game.
Photo by Solmaira Valerio
Jewtown Ballers vs. Peacemakers. Gwendolyn Walker, president of the Trenton Playground Advisory Council, watches courtside. The Peacemakers took the win.
Photo by Solmaira Valerio
See more photos →
Brandie McIntyre sits for a portrait on the steps in front of Huntingdon Station before the Walk of Remembrance.
Photo by Kriston Jae Bethel
About 70 people march from Huntingdon Station to Prevention Point, carrying purple balloons and photos of loved ones lost to overdose. Marisol Olivero holds a sign for her step sister and step brother—both died from overdose two months apart.
Photos by Kriston Jae Bethel
Read the full story →
Victor Montañez keeps watch outside Price Is Right Variety Store on North Front Street—one of the storefronts holding steady under the El.
Photo by Solmaira Valerio
September
"No matter how far you fall, with faith, love, and purpose, you can rise again."
— Luis Soto, Kensington resident in recovery
Dr. Usama Bilal poses clarifying questions. The board unanimously approved permitting rules for mobile services—citywide oversight begins.
Photo by Solmaira Valerio
Read the full story →
Sara Bermudez holds the new 5th Street sign honoring her father, musician Jesse Malpica-Bermudez.
Photo by Solmaira Valerio
Children test out the new play area as Richmond Library reopens after an eight-month, $2.5 million renovation. Branch manager Amy Thatcher cut the ribbon alongside neighbors and city officials.
Photo by Solmaira Valerio
Read the full story →
More opioid settlement money going to Riverview Wellness Village than all other initiatives combined.
Photo by Solmaira Valerio
Read the full story →
Miguel carries the light blue flag—a shade tied to the island's original design and independence.
Photo by Solmaira Valerio
Puerto Rican Day Parade.
Photo by Solmaira Valerio
October
"It's basically a bench warrant factory."
— Kateri Andriole, mutual aid worker
Reported by Emily Rizzo
Aziz at a recovery home.
Photo by Solmaira Valerio
Kensington Voice tracked 87 people arrested through Wellness Court. Dominic, 46, arrested while sitting on the sidewalk—without his wheelchair. Josue Mariani's memorial poster; the city marked him a "success" in May; he overdosed in August.
Photos by Vicky Díaz-Camacho & Kit Ramsey
Read the full investigation →November
"I'll take anyone who's not trying to capitalize on real estate, someone who is actually for the working party, and someone who will save SEPTA."
— Bobby Risdorfer, Kensington voter
Reported by Kensington Voice Staff
A voter reviews instructions outside Lewis Elkin Elementary on Election Day.
Photo by Solmaira Valerio
A student takes notes during a GED class at Congreso de Latinos Unidos—one of the neighborhood's workforce development programs.
Photo by Solmaira Valerio
Teens from Fab Youth Philly lead neighborhood discussions during a community town hall—part of the organization's mission to put young people at the center of civic life.
Photo by Solmaira Valerio
Young skaters hit the ice at Scanlon Recreation Center during a Community Resource and Anti-Violence Fair.
Photo by Solmaira Valerio
December
"We're the eyes and ears outside."
— Jackie Bonner, Safe Path monitor
Reported by Sammy Caiola
Saleem Gilliard, Safe Path supervisor, guides families across the street after dismissal. Safe Path—violence prevention monitors stationed along school routes—quietly disappeared from schools across Philly this fall, including Kensington. Just when students needed it most.
Photo by Solmaira Valerio
Read the full investigation →
Jan. 5 · Los Bomberos de la Calle
Guests watch from their cars as Los Bomberos de la Calle perform during the grand opening of their cultural center.
Solmaira Valerio