Courtenay Harris Bond

courtenayharrisbond@gmail.com

Volunteers from Savage Sisters Recovery, one of the founding organizations of HER

Philly’s opioid crisis

New group HER is working to improve Philly’s dangerous recovery house scene, as the first state regulations take effect

“This is a life and death situation,” said the owner of Savage Sisters Recovery, one of HER's founding members.

Kensington is the epicenter of Philadelphia's opioid crisis

Philly’s opioid crisis

Health Department hiring two new specialists as ‘tranq’ infiltrates nearly all street drugs in Philadelphia

Use of xylazine, a horse tranquilizer, leads to wounds that are very difficult to treat.

‘Narcan Near Me’: Philadelphia to pilot Narcan vending machines to help stop fatal overdoses

The first machines will be installed in South and West Philly, where opioid-related deaths are on the rise.

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Resources to help avoid and deal with traumatic birth experiences in Philadelphia

How to make the start of a new life as trauma-free as possible.

Counseling for new parents is almost never provided — or covered by insurance.

Birth trauma for parents is common at Philadelphia hospitals, but not usually covered by insurance

Fear of lawsuits means the baby becomes the sole focus, experts say — and everyone is hurried home to avoid costs.

Overdose fatalities overall rose in Philadelphia during the pandemic, but not among the city's white population

Latino Life in Philly

Philly’s overdose spike in 2020 hit Black and Latino residents the hardest

Nearly three dozen departments will work together to combat the rise, which happened in totally new areas of the city.

The Kensington Storefront is closing after four years

Broke in Philly

Mural Arts closing Kensington arts center next to Somerset Station, with vows to relaunch elsewhere

The shutdown, ostensibly because of zoning issues, is a loss to many in the neighborhood.

On the left is Walker Hall, one of the 'community-based sites' used to temporarily house former COVID hotel residents

Philly’s coronavirus response

Philly disputes claims by COVID prevention hotel transplants that new housing lacks heat, hot water

Still waiting for permanent homes, several people moved from Center City are unhappy with their new surroundings.

The four youngest Quinn family children, who are moving back to a shelter

Broke in Philly

Heading back to a shelter, Philly mom wishes COVID hotel money could pay for housing instead

The funding designated for contingency sites is not flexible, city officials said.

Protests were staged many nights this week by people angry over the shutdown of the city's COVID prevention sites

Philly’s coronavirus response

Why Philly shut down its homeless COVID hotels, and why advocates are furious

A private prison company runs one of the temporary sites where residents are being relocated.

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