Tagged With "compassion"

Chera Kowalski remembers working at McPherson Square Library when overdoses became a more common occurrence in Kensington. It was 2015, and Philadelphia saw 696 overdose deaths that year — a 52% increase from just two years before — eighty percent of which involved opioids. There were more than twice as many overdose deaths than homicides. At the time, library staff didn’t have naloxone — an opioid overdose reversal medication — or the training to administer it. The best staff members could...

What happens when all people who spend time in a park—including people without homes—have equal say in how it is renovated? Or when the dignity of those living on the street is considered in urban design, down to the features of city trash cans? Creating inclusive, healthy places demonstrates that compassion is an undeniable community value. These examples are drawn from my participation in a study group during a visit to Copenhagen last summer. For the past year, I’ve served as a sounding...