I am a 52 year current resident of Kensington, a Philly neighborhood that has been decimated by the opioid epidemic.

Since my Son Michael lost his battle with heroin addiction on 12/23/19, I’ve been praying every day for God to give me a reason to go on and some guidance on how to give life meaning again. Though the answers never came for quite a while, the depression did and it’s been a constant battle for me.

I believe in life that there are small signs along our journey that help guide you in the right direction. When an opportunity arose to donate a few hours of my time to help Prevention Point Philadelphia serve lunch to the hungry and addicted at Ruth & Clearfield Sts., I accepted and my mission became clear.

After I saw the conditions there and how people were living less than 5 minutes from my home, I couldn’t just sit around and complain about the issues anymore. I had to be part of making a change for the better. I had to try and do something, anything I could really, to stop other families from going through the pain that I still endure.

This is how S.O.N. ‘Save Our Neighborhoods’ got started.”