🚨 STATEMENT ON THE ESCALATION OF POLICE VIOLENCE AGAINST UNHOUSED DRUG USERS IN KENSINGTON 🚨
This statement was written by the Philadelphia Coalition for Dignity in Treatment, a group of harm reduction organizers and healthcare workers fighting to improve conditions inside Philadelphia’s drug treatment settings. We are disturbed by the direction Mayor Parker and City Council are headed when it comes to addressing the overdose crisis. Full text of the statement with citations can be found linked in our bios.
“People who use drugs deserve dignity. Forced treatment and increased policing are not the solution.“ ❤️🩹
On Tuesday, Mayor Parker unveiled her plan for the “Riverview Wellness Village,” a 600-bed drug treatment center and shelter that would offer “quality shelter and treatment options citywide to people living on our streets, suffering from addiction, mental health challenges, and physical illnesses.” The facility would be built immediately next door to the infamous city jail complex on State Road in the Northeast, far from most other services and supportive community resources in the city. Despite rebranding, the City’s intentions haven’t changed - they are planning to force people who use drugs into treatment, and punish non-compliance by putting them into cages.
Managing Director Thiel was quoted in the Inquirer saying, “We may have folks who are on the site voluntarily, some who may not be there voluntarily.” If people are going to be held at this location against their will as Thiel confirmed, this is not a “wellness village” - this is a medical jail. Building this ‘secure facility’ next to the jail complex ensures that the City can more easily warehouse people, threaten them with police violence, and remove them from their communities. As Angela Davis says, prisons do not disappear social problems, they disappear human beings.
The Parker administration, along with the Kensington Caucus in City Council, have shown time and time again that they do not understand barriers to treatment in the city. The Administration has not clarified the levels of care that the facility will provide, a huge oversight when many individuals seeking care require comprehensive withdrawal management and wound care. Like their disastrous “triage center” rollout, this plan has not been developed in collaboration with people who use drugs, harm reductionists, or healthcare workers. This incompetence is life-threatening. With an increasingly toxic drug supply, Philadelphia cannot count on this administration to address the worsening overdose crisis.
🕊️ FREEDOM & LIFE FROM PHILLY TO PALESTINE 🇵🇸
Today, Philly harm reduction groups are sending an open letter to @phillymayor and phlcouncil demanding that they join the movement of cities passing resolutions for a permanent #CeasefireNOW in Gaza.
For far too long, our tax dollars have funded war crimes and police violence while programs that support life have been systematically starved.
Harm reductionists must be united against imperialism, settler-colonialism, and capitalism in order to be liberatory. We make these demands in support of a future free of prisons and wars for all of us.
Act now by calling and emailing City Council and Mayor Parker! Emails and numbers in bio ☎️✉️‼️
**Edit: The Palestinian flag colors appear in the wrong order in this graphic set. We apologize and will take care to correct this going forward! 🇵🇸
Hi all! Join us for our fourth GBM next Tuesday, April 7th from 6-7:30 pm in Ritter 100. We will be making safer use kits with @templeaed and @solcollectivephilly ! We hope to see you there!
🥶❄️HAND-WARMER FUNDRAISER🧤🔥
Philly is already freezing and after a code blue this weekend, temps will be dropping severely by the end of the week with highs at 17 degrees this weekend *without accounting for windchill* …. and SOL has already moved through our supply of hand warmers 😬
Please consider supporting us in a big bulk purchase for our street outreach, especially if you never have to worry about the impact exposure to the severe cold could have on you or your loved ones 💙
A little goes a long way as the city continues to willfully and violently abandon our folks at every turn.
$ can be sent on Venmo: @SOLCollective215
and put a 🔥 in the payment line so we know it’s for this fundraiser!
Please note - our CashApp and PayPal are currently NOT payment options, so please only use Venmo this time! Apologies for any inconvenience.
Share share share and thank you for helping us reach this goal FAST 🫂
❤️🔥❤️🔥🎁HARM REDUCTION HOLIDAY GIFT INCOMING🎁❤️❤️
Order your limited edition SOL Collective Pets of Harm Reduction 2026 wall calendar TODAY!
We guarantee this is the only calendar where you’ll see so many tiny paws deeply committed to meeting people where they are. For $25 each, get 12 months of adorable furry harm reductionists sniffing around safer use supplies and napping in boxes of naloxone! Snag one for yourself, or give the gift of cats, pups, and community care to your loved ones— but either way, move fast because these always go quick & we have a limited supply.
Place your order today using the link in our bio
Mark on the form whether you’d like to pick up locally in Southwest Philly, East Passyunk, and Brewerytown OR pay an extra $5 for nationwide shipping.
We’ll be in touch to organize pickup if that is what you select.
Calendars should arrive 4-6 business days after your order has shipped. We’re currently taking pre-orders and will be shipping them as soon as they are printed.
If you’re ordering for a holiday gift, we recommend getting your order in ASAP!
We can take payments via Venmo, Cashapp, or Givebutter (instructions are in the form)
Questions? DM us or email [email protected]
☎️ CALL TO ACTION: Say NO to banning lifesaving mobile outreach services in Kensington! ☎️ ((Posting with corrected phone and bill number!))
Show up for your community on Monday if you’re able:
➡️ Call 215-686-3444 by 3pm, Fri Nov 21st
➡️ State that you wish to testify against Bill No. 250720
➡️ Come to Room 400, City Hall at 2pm on Mon, Nov 24th
**You can STILL SIGN UP IN PERSON if you miss the deadline!**
Even if you’re not able to testify, contact your city councilmember to tell them NO to Bill 250720! No to banning mobile health, food, and safety outreach!
We keep us safe. More updates to come!
Save the dates for our next event on Nov 9th! 🥀
This time we’re partnering with @solcollectivephilly , a mutual aid group, to orchestrate a supply drive for winter gear. All donations will be distributed to unhoused individuals in Kensington as the temperature begins to rapidly decline. Feel free to DM us for any questions about this drive or our meetups!
P.S. Girls who donate are hot 🩶
Announcing a very exciting, limited edition SOL Collective merch sale! This is your chance to own an item of clothing or a tote bag that doubles as the ultimate bird whistle that you are both super hot and have incredible politics!!
We have t-shirts (size XS-4XL) for $25 and tote bags for $15, lovingly printed by our friends at @latziyela_prints . Shipping available nationwide, free local pickup also available.
100% of profits go directly to purchasing harm reduction supplies for our neighbors.
Slide into our DMs to claim yours! We look forward to seeing you rep us around town ❤️🔥❤️🔥
‼️ Do you make an amazing tea latte? Can you share the secrets to your Gram’s bread recipe? Do you have a recipe that nourishes you that you want to nourish others? 🚨
SOL Collective is putting together a cookbook fundraiser — the recipes of our communities shared with our community, and all proceeds (that’s 100%) go towards supplies for distribution in Kensington.
🍤🌮 We welcome recipes of all kinds — desserts, apps, mains, cocktails and coffee drinks, and more! Former and active food service, culinary artists, amateur bakers, and those of us who stumble into the kitchen to throw something together for the people we love… we need you! 🍓🍰🍧
✅ Instructions on slide #3: send in your recipe, name as you’d like printed, a brief blurb, and any photos or illustrations (if you have) by October 17!
SOL needs funds ASAP to keep our weekly distribution possible — if you’d like to throw us a couple $ while you wait for the cookbook to go on sale, find us on GiveButter, Venmo, Cashapp, and more at link in bio 💵🤑
