Based in the poorest district in Pennsylvania, the Kensington Welfare Rights Union may be one of the most influential outreach programs in the state.
The KWRU, which runs out of the Kensington neighborhood in North Philadelphia, is an organization that "advocate[s] on the behalf of poor and homeless families and allow[s] them to come together to build a massive social movement to combat poverty in our country," according to Director Cheri Honkala.
Since its inception in April 1991, KWRU has worked to improve living conditions for community members.
In addition to North Philadelphia residents, Honkala said that college students are prominent KWRU volunteers.
"Penn students have had a very positive relationship with us over the years," Honkala said. "They're involved in every single aspect, from food distribution to exchange programs to you name it. They have played a very important role."
When she transferred to Penn during her sophomore year, College senior Nina Swanson said she "was looking for [a program] more action-based rather than service," a quality she found in KWRU.
Having been involved with the union for two years, Swanson said it has been a fulfilling experience. "I imagine that I will be involved in some respect for the rest of my life," she said.
KWRU's primary goal has been to increase affordable housing for community members.
We need to "get the city to put more money for affordable housing," Women's Community Revitalization Project Executive Director Nora Lictash said. "So many folks are suffering. There needs to be about 57,000 more affordable housing units to meet the need."
According to Lictash, the Union has been extremely successful in achieving this goal.
"They're an amazing group, they're very willing to step out there and take risks for what they know is right," Lictash said. "We are proud to fight with them."
In addition to housing, KWRU advocates other initiatives, varying from health care service lobbying to political marches.
To achieve these goals, KWRU employs a broad number of activities, including poverty tours and the establishment of tent cities.
According to Honkala, the give-and-take nature of KWRU allows for its growth and success.
"A lot of the volunteer work comes from actual homeless families themselves, who are working around the clock to try and figure out how to house other homeless families," Honkala said. In this way, "we're interested in helping people as long as they help us."
Tony Rowe, a Kensington neighborhood resident who currently serves on the KWRU housing task force, exemplifies this model.
Five years ago, after Rowe's wife Carla fell sick, the family's income was drastically reduced. Facing a rent debt of $1,200, the Rowes entered a shelter, where a KWRU representative immediately offered the family temporary housing.
At first, Rowe had little faith in the offer. "Why would a stranger do this for us?" he asked. "We were skeptical."
However, "sure enough, that day she did find temporary housing for us," Rowe said. "My kids were transferred to the school in the neighborhood."
Rowe, who has been an active KWRU member ever since, emphasized the importance of giving back to the community.
By being involved, "I try to pass this blessing onto someone else," Rowe said.
