Abington’s Amelia Fletcher is just 14 years old and making a big difference in Kensington, writes Courtenay Harris Bond for the Philly Voice.

Fletcher volunteers with the Everywhere Project, a non-profit that helps Philadelphians in need. Working in Kensington, Fletcher often saw children waiting in boredom while their parents received meals. This inspired her to create a little library at Ruth and Clearfield Streets, where the non-profit serves up to 450 people on the weekends.

Fletcher set up a station with bins of books and toys. There, she reads and plays with the children while their parents collect goods. “The kids need a little bit of happiness and joy and a place to be,” said the eighth-grader at Abington Middle School.

Founded in 2021, The Everywhere Project focuses on harm reduction. It distributes drug-testing kits, safer-sex supplies, food, and clothing. The project serves 26,000 meals monthly.

The project’s Operations Director Thomas Frey says Fletcher’s efforts fit perfectly with their mission. “This is the simplest, purest, kindest form of harm reduction,” he said. “If more kids her age got out and did what she was doing, I think it would make a big difference in this world.”

Read more about Abington’s Amelia Fletcher and her efforts to help children in need in the Philly Voice.