Philadelphia, PA. Before I even stepped through the door, the smell — warm and irresistible, curling through the entrance like an old friend. Arroz con pollo, habichuelas, frijoles negros, empanadas — aromas rising from platters being carried across a dining room. The tropical music — alive with an alluring beat. The interior of Isla Verde, on American Street, is a luminous green of sugarcane in morning light, of banana leaves after rain.

On the evening of March 29th, Councilwoman Quetzy Lozada invited the community’s women leaders and everyday heroes at Isla Verde for an evening of recognition, food, and solidarity. Lynnette Perez Pizarro, a national leader for NACOPRW, and Christina Vega, local chapter leader, moved through the restaurant’s booths and open spaces with the easy grace of women who have earned their joy. The room hummed with laughter and familial recognition. «We are here to recognize the contributions of women and to support Quetzy and the work she is doing in this community», said Christina. «We are celebrating our work on the ground», said Councilmember Lozada. «We see and respect your work. We recognize that events like this connect us with others doing similar work and join resources. Together we are stronger. If we work together, we can make life better».

People came from across the city. They filled the booths at Isla Verde and spilled into the aisles, mingling with the ease of community — the warm, purposeful exchange of neighbors who know each other’s struggles and want to celebrate each other’s progress.

When I arrived, I was greeted in the reception area by Patrick Ahern, who introduced himself as Political Director for Councilwoman Lozada’s upcoming 2027 campaign. He set the tone for an evening that felt both politically grounded and deeply personal. Nearby, I spotted Yanitza González, a familiar and respected presence on the councilwoman’s team. A seasoned community advocate who previously served under former Councilwoman Maria Quiñones-Sánchez, Yanitza is known to many Philadelphians not for the title she carries, but for the quiet, consistent work she does every day — the kind of work that rarely makes headlines but changes lives.

Councilwoman Lozada herself is cut from the same cloth. A longtime activist and leader for positive change in Philadelphia, she has spent years embedded in the daily realities of her constituents. What strikes those who know her is not only the breadth of her advocacy, but its roots. On this particular evening, those roots were in bloom: March 29th was also the birthday of her father, Jose Lozada, a man who, by all accounts, modeled civic engagement as a way of life — a man who was always ready to help, and who passed that readiness on to his daughter.

Among the familiar faces in the crowd was Alma Ríos, Owner and Funeral Director at Amadorez Funeral Home, located at 4292 Frankford Avenue in Philadelphia. Ríos is a woman who understands, perhaps better than most, the weight of showing up for a community in its most vulnerable moments. When we had the opportunity to sit together with her briefly, she spoke about her work as the owner and funeral director in the community at Amadorez Funeral Home, her plans for the year, and the quiet satisfaction of being of service — not in the abstract, but in the particular, intimate way that her work demands. She is exactly the kind of woman this evening was designed to honor.

The mood throughout the night was welcoming and supportive — the kind of atmosphere that does not happen by accident. The unity at this event reflects the intentional leadership by a councilwoman who understands that recognition is crucial to the network’s infrastructure. When women see themselves celebrated, named, and gathered together in a room that smells like their memories and glows like home, connections are made. And resources are joined. The work continues — not in isolation, but in community.

As the evening wound down and the last empanadas disappeared from their trays, the green walls of Isla Verde seemed to hold the warmth of the hugs and words of encouragement that Philadelphia’s 7th District showed up for its women. And its women, as they always do, showed up for each other.