What began as a small salvage business in 2016 has grown into a community cornerstone. George Mathes’ Thunderbird LLC now unites Kensington through vintage treasures and local events.
Hey there, neighbors. All of the Halloween festivities are officially over, and folks are preparing to fill some tummies this
Voters turned out with the hopes of retaining Pennsylvania's Supreme Court Justices, and some were inspired by New York’s history-making mayoral election.
The hearing announcement comes after Lozada introduced a bill earlier this month that would ban mobile service units in most of District 7.
Councilmember Quetzy Lozada, who represents District 7, will organize another hearing for the “special committee on Kensington.”
The hearing resolution says it will “explore best practices in substance use disorder outreach” and “investigate the effectiveness of current methods used by the City of Philadelphia and its partners.”
City Council voted in support of the hearing on Thursday.
The hearing announcement comes after Lozada introduced a bill earlier this month that would ban mobile service units in most of her district.
The special committee on Kensington is made up of council members Curtis Jones, Nina Ahmad, Mark Squilla, Mike Driscoll, and Jim Harrity. This will be the second hearing for the committee. Experts testified in July about treatment barriers complicated by an increasingly complex drug supply.
Details about who will be invited to speak and when or where the hearing will take place are pending.
A number of ideas are mentioned on the resolution — including a “central hub” that would connect people with substance use disorders to services, “warm handoffs” — which normally refers to the process of social workers or certified recovery specialists connecting people to addiction treatment beds from emergency rooms, and a medication-assisted “holding zone” for people living with addiction before they are transported to a treatment bed.
Thursday’s resolution says the hub would “enhance the coordination of efforts” in Kensington.
“Evidence-based outreach practices, wound care, a dedicated mobile team, and medication-assisted treatment would be coordinated through that central hub,” it reads.
The resolution also says the “warm handoffs” could also be part of the hub.
It cites a 2022 study by the University of Pennsylvania and the Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual DisAbility Services that argues warm handoffs can help improve engagement in opioid use disorder treatment.
The third idea in the resolution — the “holding zone” — would be “crucial in stabilizing a patient until they can be transported to a treatment bed to prevent further harm from withdrawal.”
Lozada did not share any details with Kensington Voice on what a holding zone would entail.
Have any questions, comments, or concerns about this story? Send an email to editors@kensingtonvoice.com.
Kensington Voice collected and verified data on 87 people who were arrested during the first months of the program and tracked their journeys through the court. Most ended up with Wellness Court bench warrants after the city lost contact with them.
Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker’s administration plans to allocate more to Riverview than to all other opioid settlement money initiatives combined.
An ordinance that expands a business curfew currently in effect in a section of Kensington will be enforced in much of North Philadelphia and more of Kensington in 60 days.
The Philadelphia Board of Health unanimously approved a regulation relating to Councilmember Quetcy Lozada’s mobile services ban in Kensington. The health department will now oversee a permitting process for all mobile medical providers in the city.
Stay informed with community-driven reporting, local events, and neighborhood updates — every week, free to your inbox.
