Dear Friends —
At New Kensington Community Development Corporation (NKCDC) we are taking a different approach to the difficult challenges in Kensington:
- COLLABORATIVE. We believe that sustainable change comes from diverse partners working together.
- TRAUMA-INFORMED. Awareness of the impacts of chronic stress on individuals and communities makes NKCDC and its partners more compassionate—and more effective—in struggling neighborhoods.
- EQUITY-FOCUSED. With an eye to equity, we apply resources where needs and opportunities are greatest. We promote leaders of color in our staff, board, and community.
- COMMUNITY-DRIVEN. Perhaps most importantly, we believe that community change should be designed, implemented, evaluated, and for the benefit of the community we serve. We are building coalitions that are leading community-driven development in Kensington.
Can we count on you as a partner? This season we are working to expand our network of individual donors. No matter the size of gift, your donation helps us forge new partnerships and leverage additional support.
NKCDC’s work is focused on four critical areas
1. Building Wealth
Through our team of HUD-certified housing advisors, small business development team, or new Empowerment Hub, NKCDC is connecting local residents and businesses to the resources they need to break the cycle of poverty and build generational wealth. Before Gaby Monje became a Board member, her first experience with NKCDC was buying a house with the assistance of our housing services. Watch her story here.
2. Fighting Displacement
NKCDC provides truly affordable housing, priced at 20 to 60 percent of what is called “Philadelphia Area Median Income”—a rate much closer to our area’s actual median income. We connect homeowners to affordable home repair. We partner with legal services organizations to prevent evictions, reduce property taxes, and give residents a clear title to their home.
For the fourth year, NKCDC is running a workforce development program that trains and hires a team of Community Health Workers to conduct social needs screenings and match residents to services that improve their health. To date, 45 health workers have graduated from the program, and 30 have received work experience with NKCDC.
Speaking of health, last year the Community Health Workers completed nearly 900 referrals of clients to health and social services. Diet is a major social determinant of health, and so NKCDC’s healthy food and nutrition education program, Nourish, has begun offering cooking lessons, tastings, recipes and nutrition information at local food pantries and the public library. Environment matters too: each month our team of corridor stewards removes 1,200 bags of trash from neighborhood streets.
We can’t do it alone
NKCDC can’t do this work alone. We rely on a broad network of local community members, civic associations, and nonprofits, as well as government agencies and national foundations. And we need you.
Please join community members and Board members in pledging your support for NKCDC’s work. You can go to nkcdc.org/donate or send a check to 2771 Ruth Street, Suite 1. Contributions are tax-deductible.
Sometimes needs in Kensington feel overwhelming. But with the support of individuals like you, we are meeting our mission to “advance social equity and economic empowerment by nurturing and creating opportunities for residents to live in, and actively shape, their neighborhoods of choice.”
I hope you say “Yes!” to this opportunity to build wealth, fight displacement, grow capacity, and improve health in Kensington and across Philadelphia.
Sincerely,
Dr. Bill McKinney
Executive Director
(If you have already supported NKCDC this year, you have our sincere thanks. Forgive me for asking again on behalf of a cause I believe is so important.)