On Saturday, June 20th, neighborhood residents from the 4200 block of North Fairhill St, as well as multiple vendors and community organizations, came together for a free and family-centered mental health and wellness block party.
The event was organized by local block captain, Niaundria Ramseur. The purpose of the event, according to Niaundria, was to connect community members with essential health, mental health, housing and social services resources, as well as help increase awareness of trauma and wellness, reduce barriers to care, all to promote healing and resilience in the community.
Around 30 vendors participated, offering educational resources, giveaways, activities and learning opportunities. For example. Esperanza participated, providing a fun tabletop demonstration related to air quality and health, offering climate resilience surveys that had questions about heat and health, and distributing cooling kits with supplies for high heat days. Esperanza sponsored the event, providing healthy snacks for attendees. Esperanza’s music school, AMLA, provided live entertainment in the form of a student rock band performance. Block residents, Hunting Park Green, Herr’s Potato Chips, Family Ties, Cousins Supermarket, Hunting Park United, State Representative Danilo Burgos, and North10, also sponsored the event.
Many health and wellness and social services organizations participated; Councilwoman Lozada’s office, the office of Danilo Burgos, the Parking Authority of Philadelphia, the Greater Philadelphia Alliance Social Service Center, the fire department, Hunting Park NAC/CRC (and more!), provided information about city services. The City of Philadelphia provided information and tools to assist residents with tangled titles. There were farm animals (including horses and goats), bouncy houses and stilt walkers, adding to the lively, family-friendly atmosphere. Attendees could even receive a free massage and muscle relaxation therapy!
The event was well attended, and residents left happy and with a lot of resources in hand. A resident on the block who attended the event said, “I think this event is really great; it’s bringing a lot of information to the neighborhood, because sometimes people can’t get out to get the information that they need.”
Niaundria reflected, “Overall, I think the event did what it needed to do. Residents were able to get information they would not normally get. It was important for organizations to be in attendance, especially when it comes to mental health.”This is the second time that Niaundria has organized this event. She is also developing a new organization called T.H.E. K.O.N.N.E.C.T., which will be focused on trauma and healing in community. She hopes to continue bringing community wellness block parties to the neighborhood blocks in North Philadelphia in the future, highlighting the importance of mental health and wellness.
