A few years back, Declan Cassidy would often accompany his mother, Jennifer Malazita, on trips from Northeast Philadelphia to Kensington to see his sister who was suffering from substance use disorder and living on the streets.
Seeing the people and environment in Kensington struck a cord for the young Cassidy, then 10 years old, and eventually led to the start of his nonprofit, writes Alfred Lubrano for The Philadelphia Inquirer.
“I wanted to help people in need,” Cassidy said.
So, he talked to people and asked what they needed. Most of them said they needed socks.
From there, Cassidy started a sock drive in the neighborhood where he collected over 1,000 pairs.
The sock drive has since grown to become Socks For The Streets (SFTS), a volunteer-based nonprofit that recently delivered 29,000 pairs of socks to people experiencing homelessness in Kensington and Northeast Philadelphia.
With help from a board of directors composed of women who have been affected by the opioid crisis, SFTS has expanded to include donations of wound care and hygiene items, food, and clothing.
“Over the past few years, I became even more involved and understood all the things people need,” said Cassidy.
That gave him the idea that he needed to do more.
Read more about the Northeast Philly teen dedicated to helping the homeless at The Philadelphia Inquirer.
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