Joseph Vachaparambil

I had the pleasure of meeting a community member who had moved to Philadelphia five years ago with her husband from Indonesia. She had described her initial experiences as difficult, having moved so far from home and leaving her prized job as a midwife to build a new life. Those difficulties have turned into a sense of belonging in the past five years as she has grown very connected with her local community in South Philadelphia. When describing her community, she used words like care, help, and kindness. She shared numerous instances where the community had risen up to fill a need, most recently providing food for those who had lost their job at the start of COVID. She also expressed gratitude for the opportunity to meet people of diverse backgrounds, which she never had in Indonesia. She also felt her community in Philadelphia was unique in its camaraderie, unlike what she had seen in NYC while visiting her brother-in-law. This love of her community inspired me to make this drawing showing her smiling as she looks at the community that has welcomed her so readily. This view of the city is from a picture taken from the roof of the BOK building where the Wyss Wellness Center is located.