Rosalind «Roz» Pichardo inaugurated Sunshine House on March 16th at 2774 Kensington Ave., alongside her mother Ana, friends, and allies. Thanks to donations and the activist’s efforts, what was once a store is now a community center.
Sunshine House distributes clothing, personal items, and books, and has a «messaging center» that provides a connection between those struggling with addiction and their families. It is a space for people to call and receive messages from their loved ones. This community center also offers services to prevent gun violence and overdoses. For Roz, this space is a dream come true.
Roz is a longtime activist in Philadelphia and the subject of a documentary. She knows firsthand what trauma means. In 1994, at just 16 years old, she suffered a horrific beating at the hands of an ex-boyfriend who threw her from an overpass. The abuse by this individual included gunshots and even the murder of her boyfriend at the time. In 2001, her twin sister Kathleen committed suicide.
On January 9, 2012, Roz’s younger brother Alexander Martínez was murdered in North Philadelphia. The perpetrator has not yet been found. After this tragedy, Roz decided to found the non-profit organization Operation Save Our City. This organization, made up of volunteers, provides support to families of homicide victims in their moments of greatest need. They offer comfort in their grief, prepare home-cooked meals, and help them communicate with the police department.
Roz, who almost lost her life as a teenager, has seen how death has taken away her loved ones. However, instead of giving up or closing her heart, she loves unconditionally and works to help families who have lost loved ones to gun violence and opioid use.
A tireless fighter, Roz learned to administer naloxone (Narcan), the prescription medication used to reverse overdoses, and incorporated this resource into the organization she founded. She has thus saved many lives in the neighborhood.
To continue fighting overdoses, she has given numerous trainings to social workers and police officers, who are on the front lines of the opioid epidemic that is particularly affecting the Kensington area.
In the neighborhood, Roz is known as «Momma Sunshine» because she affectionately calls the most vulnerable people «sunshines» instead of the usual derogatory terms. This is why she named the center after her «sunshines.» While working to make a living, Roz dedicates her free time to the new center that provides hope in Kensington to people experiencing homelessness and drug users.
