Sisters in Kensington feed, clothe those in need with love, dignity

KENSINGTON - One of the city’s top priorities has been to find a solution to clean up Kensington. Right in the heart of Kensington, among all the drug addiction, homelessness and mental health issues, there is Sarnelli House.

It’s run by two young women from Virginia, simply trying to feed people with dignity and love.

"I was blown away when I moved here. I was like, ‘Kim what have you gotten yourself into?’" Kim Collins stated.

Nine years ago, Collins says she had a calling to come to Philadelphia from Virginia to help people on the streets of Kensington.

"So many places, you don’t always feel like you can give people the love and dignity that they really need and deserve and I feel like, at Sarnelli House, I’ve been able to invite people into my own home and live with them in their own neighborhood, because we also live here," Collins explained.

A few years later, her sister, Kathleen, followed her lead to give back and, together, they feed thousands of meals to people who they say need a lot of love.

"It’s not just for addicts. They’re out here for everybody. They don’t care what background you come from, what you’ve done in the past. Just come here," Kensington resident Sean said.

The sisters say living right among the people they serve makes all the difference, helping them not only understand what everyone goes through every single day, but also builds real friendships.

Volunteer, Helen Smith, said, "Kim, Kathleen, they’re great people. Everybody who volunteers here is great people. We’re not just volunteers, we’re a family."

A family that serves up more than just food and kindness, but also true fellowship and even clothing, on certain days of the week.

"This is somewhere that they can go, but, yeah, for anybody who needs help is always welcome here," Kathleen explained. "It doesn't matter what kind of help or who you are or whether or not you live in the neighborhood or if you have an illness, you can just come here. If it helps, great!"

Kim added, "We’re just here to love people and hopefully with that, we can inspire somebody to try something new with their life."

Anyone wishing to volunteer their time, or contribute financially, can do so at the Sarnelli House website.