A Northeast Philly teen is helping hundreds of people experiencing homelessness

At 10 years old, Declan Cassidy would accompany his mother on trips from their home in Northeast Philadelphia to Kensington to see his sister.

The young woman, then 25, was suffering from substance use disorder, and was living on the streets.

Declan and his mother, Jennifer Malazita, 46, were such frequent visitors that he found himself affected by the chaos and deprivation that people living homeless were suffering. “You feel sorrow for everyone,” said Declan, now 14. “But you can’t understand what they’re going through.”

Whenever he talked to people, he’d ask what they needed. Almost all said they could use socks.

So Declan started a sock drive in his neighborhood, collecting 1,000 pairs. “I wanted to help people in need. Their feet get wet, they develop scabs and infections. It’s painful.”

He’s kept at it, founding the organization that’s become Socks For The Streets (SFTS), an all-volunteer nonprofit that recently delivered 29,000 pairs of socks to people experiencing homelessness in Kensington, as well as parts of Northeast Philadelphia.

“My mom and dad do a lot of volunteering,” Declan said, explaining that charitable impulse is a family trait. “But I wanted to start this on my own.”

Declan has received numerous civic awards for his efforts, among them: the Mayor’s Youth Hero Award, 2020; the Youth Congressional Recognition Award, 2022; the Philadelphia RowHome Magazine Wish Rock Award, 2023.

Declan and Malazita, with the help of a board of directors made up of women who’ve each been touched in some way by the opioid crisis, have expanded SFTS to include donations of wound-care and hygiene items, food, and clothing.

These days, Malazita and board members make enough spaghetti meals and casseroles to feed around 300 people experiencing homelessness in Kensington. They, along with Declan, deliver the food twice a month.

“Over the past few years, I became even more involved and understood all the things people need,” Declan said. “You see people with ripped-up clothes, or walking around with one shoe, and you realize you need to do more.”

Declan is in Kensington so often, he’s made sure to learn how to use Naloxone, a medication designed to rapidly reverse opioid overdose. On every visit, he’s greeted warmly by those he helps. Malazita said the individuals they serve “are so thankful to Declan. They help us unload the car. And we’re building trust to help get some of them into treatment.”

Declan explained, “People always say the same two things to me: ‘Most people your age just don’t care,’ and, ‘Make sure you don’t use drugs, cause this is what happens.’”

The other day, Declan and Malazita had finished stuffing the family Nissan Rogue with socks and other items for the next Kensington trip. “In the past, we’ve put 6,000 pairs of socks in that car,” Malazita said. “It was a little unsafe.”

The two quickly returned to the living room, to get out of the cold. Two Christmas trees that are up year-round brightened the space. They’ve been redecorated for St. Patrick’s day, with dual green bowlers serving as tree toppers.

Malazita acknowledges that for a while, her daughter had been uppermost on her mind. “I was obsessed with saving her,” she said. No longer in Kensington, Malazita’s daughter, now 29, works as a waitress and lives with Malazita’s mother not far away. “She’s now two-and-a-half years clean,” Malazita said, smiling.

Malazita has led a life of nonprofit service. Along with being an officer of SFTS, she’s the volunteer manager of the Philadelphia Toys for Tots warehouse in Bristol. She also volunteers for the 8th District Police Advisory Council.

That life of charitable work has clearly influenced Declan, a ninth grader at nearby Swenson Arts & Technology High School. He’s a straight-A student, according to Malazita. His favorite subject is science. He’s a member of the local 4-H organization, and is involved in the Air Force ROTC program.

He doesn’t know what he wants to be yet, but he figures he’ll be going to college. Mother and son both acknowledge that he’ll have a great story to tell when it’s time to write his admissions essay.

But Declan isn’t much for self-aggrandizement. He’s motivated by a basic urge to help.

“You see what people are going through in life, and it’s not all their fault. It’s so hard to overcome addiction.

“I knew I had to do something.”