Compelled by the love of God in Christ Jesus, in cooperation with the Church and others, Esperanza Health Center is a multi-cultural ministry providing holistic healthcare to the Latino and underserved communities of Philadelphia.
The North Philadelphia community that Esperanza Health Center has served for nearly three decades includes the densely-populated neighborhoods of Upper Kensington, Hunting Park, Fairhill/St. Hugh, Harrowgate, Feltonville and Juniata Park. Nearly one out of every five Philadelphia residents lives in our community, which is the largest Hispanic community in the city and is among the largest Puerto Rican communities in the United States.
In the late 1800s and early 1900s, North Philadelphia had become a major hub of manufacturing known as the Workshop of the World. The Kensington neighborhood and surrounding communities were home to literally hundreds of textile mills, carpet mills, tanneries and other factories. Over the next few decades, the citys manufacturing economy gradually declined, and by the 1950s most of North Philadelphias factories had closed their doors. Thousands of jobs disappeared, and the citys population began a steep decline in the middle of the 20th Century.
Around this same time, migration of Puerto Ricans to Philadelphia grew significantly from the 1940s through the 1970s. The several blocks around North Fifth Street between Lehigh and Allegheny Avenuesknown as El Centro de Oro, or Center of Goldsoon became the residential and business center of Philadelphias growing Latino community. Today, Philadelphia has the second-largest Puerto Rican community outside of Puerto Rico itself, and migration to North Philadelphia has increased in recent years from the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Colombia and Mexico, as well as many other non-Spanish-speaking countries. Today, North Philadelphia is a highly-diverse community with a vibrant multi-ethnic culture and a rich history, and which has strong community roots going back generations. A large percentage of Esperanzas current staff members are North Philadelphia residents and are proud to call this community their home.
Public health data for North Philadelphia reveal many persistent health disparities that negatively impact our community. These disparities include high rates of many common health conditions, such as diabetes, hypertension, cancer, low birth weight and infant mortality, childhood obesity, depression, asthma and others. Recent research by VCUs Center on Society and Health documented that the overall life expectancy in Esperanzas North Philadelphia service area is 10 to 17 years shorter than life in Philadelphias more prosperous neighborhoods. This stark difference in life expectancy is the result of the cumulative effects of deep poverty, high crime, repeated trauma and lack of access to affordable, quality health care that directly impact North Philadelphias residents.
Esperanza recognizes these challengesand, were excited about new opportunities to invest in North Philadelphias people to promote our communitys health and well-being, which is something weve been committed to since our founding in 1989. Our Mission Statement begins with the following: Compelled by the love of God in Christ Jesus, in partnership with the Church and others To fulfill our mission, Esperanza seeks to not only provide excellent, compassionate care in Jesus name for all of our patients, but also to reach outside of the exam room walls for a healthier community.
To that end, were building and expanding our community partnerships with local churches, other non-profits, schools,government agencies, local North Philadelphia community development organizations, and many different neighborhood groups. Our innovative Community Health Promoter program is but one of the many ways that were empowering others andpartnering in health with the people of North Philadelphia.
The history of Esperanza dates to the early 1980s when Dr. Carolyn Klaus, a Philadelphia family physician, together with other concerned health professionals from local churches, realized the great unmet need for affordable primary health care in North Philadelphias Latino community. They established a non-profit corporation to lay the groundwork for a health center.
After years of prayer and with broad community support from churches, individual donors and others, including a majorstart-up grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Esperanza opened its doors as a small, second-story walk-up clinic at 2927 N. Fifth Street in El Centro de Oro (Center of Gold), the heart of Philadelphias Latino community.
As the original Fifth Street site was insufficient to support Esperanzas growing number of patients, the health center relocated to a new facility on Wyoming Avenue in the Juniata Park neighborhood of North Philadelphia.
After many years of prayer that Esperanza would be able to return to the Fifth Street community, in September 2006 Esperanza opened a new satellite site at 2940 N. Fifth Street, located almost directly across the street from the original location.
The Summer Medical Institute (SMI) was re-established in Philadelphia as a team of 10 health professions students and local church members conducted health and evangelistic outreach in the Hunting Park community.
Esperanzas first class of Community Health Promoters (below) graduated in May 2010. Through this program, community residents are educated on a broad range of health topics, equipping them to serve as health advocates among friends and neighbors. As of 2017, over 250 individuals have graduated from Esperanzas program, offered twice each year in Spanish (spring) and English (fall).
On February 22, 2011, Esperanza broke ground on its new health and wellness center at 4417 N. 6th Street in Hunting Park. At the ceremony, Esperanza staff members were joined by government officials, representatives from some 30 community churches, organizations and businesses, and many friends and neighbors from the community.
Nine months after the groundbreaking ceremony, on December 1, 2011 Esperanzas staff and several hundred guests celebrated the Grand Opening of our new Hunting Park Health and Wellness Center at 4417 N. 6th Street.
Esperanzas newly-founded Department of Community Health and Wellness begins to offer a range of programs based at the Hunting Park sites gymnasium, teaching kitchen, fitness room and classrooms including group exercise, individual fitness, cooking classes, youth Taekwondo classes and other offerings that are open to everyone in Esperanzas community.
In the fall of 2014, under the direction of Esperanzas Chaplains, Rev. Andres Fajardo and Rev. Miguel Diaz, the health centers first team of Volunteer Chaplains completed their training and began to minister to patients.
In November 2016, Esperanza purchased the Kensington Trust Company building, a four-story, 35,000 square foot former bank building at the corner of Kensington & Allegheny Avenues. When renovations are completed in early 2019, it will become the new permanent home for Esperanzas Kensington Health and Wellness Center.
In June 2017, Esperanza received a vacant parcel of land from the city of Philadelphia located directly behind the bank building at H and Westmoreland Streets, which will be the site for a new community center.
Since our founding in 1989, Esperanza has been committed to providing access to affordable, high-quality bilingual health care and wellness services, as we pursue health together with our patients and our community.
Esperanza Health Center is recognized as a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, Bureau of Primary Health Care.
