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Honoring and commending Sonia Garrett for her constant service to her community and her tireless devotion to improving the lives of her neighbors in Logan, North Philadelphia, on the occasion of Women’s History Month.
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WHEREAS, Sonia Garrett was born and raised in Philadelphia at the Raymond Rosen Projects on 22nd Street. She went to William Dick public school and then FitzSimons school. In October 1972, her mother moved her family to the Logan section of Philadelphia. Her father worked for the City, and her mother was a teacher for children with special educational needs. Sonia is the second oldest of five siblings. She attended Bloomsburg State College in 1978, and Community College of Philadelphia where she received her associates in real estate and business management. Sonia has two wonderful children, Kevin and Charnae. She has done property management for the past 35 years, and worked in the public sector from 2004 until her retirement in 2013; and
WHEREAS, She has fostered countless children. When Sonia became an empty nester, she took on three cousins whom she had not met, a 15-month-old boy, a 3-year-old girl, and a 6-year-old boy for four years. She has since taken in many teenagers, trying to help transform their lives and realize their potential. In 2017, she began helping her mother to take care of her grandmother once she became bedridden. Sonia shopped, did laundry, cooked, kept appointments, maintained the home - anything to help her mother and grandmother. Sonia considers it an honor and a pleasure to have had that opportunity; and
WHEREAS, Sonia’s Committeeperson, Lillian Hentz-English, asked for Sonia’s help in 2012 working polls. Sonia became a judge of elections, serving in the role until 2020. She is a Committee person for Ward 49, Division 11, a Community Project Coordinator for the Logan Civic Association, and serves as Vice President of the Logan RCO, working hard to improve and protect her community. In conjunction with the Nicetown CDC, Sonia is the Neighborhood Advisory Subcommittee President, and the Block Captain for the 4800 Block of North 13th Street. She is newly on the City Hall Advisory Board for Council District 8, volunteers with State Representative Darisha Parker, has sponsored independent cleanups throughout the year, and is an avid participant in the Mayor’s Spring and Fall cleanups; and
WHEREAS, Sonia gives out food to her neighbors on Mondays. She travels to and welcomes new businesses in the Logan area and helps raise awareness on their behalf. She facilitates events including breakfasts and Get Out The Vote initiatives to bring the community together, and has created her own clean-ups in the neighborhood in conjunction with Logan Civic Association; and
WHEREAS, For the past two years, Sonia has partnered with Drexel’s School of Design to provide tours of the Logan Triangle to students and classrooms and describe the history and context of the Logan area, including the flawed design processes that led to the Logan Triangle environmental debacle. Twice a year, she sits in on the Urban Architecture class to review the students’ designs for the Logan Triangle. She is part of the Nicetown CDC Giveback Committee, and in October 2024, she received an award from the Heroes in the Community Committee of the Philadelphia Police Department honoring her for how much she has given back. One of her proudest accomplishments was participating in the creation of the Jay Cooke Elementary School playground; and
WHEREAS, Sonia asks community members about their opinion on new developments, inviting and compelling them to come out to community discussions on new developments. She is a political educator who considers it her mission to empower the people around her. Her goal is to educate that they may be empowered. Sonia would like to give all honor and praise to God. Her mother is living through dementia and has resided with Sonia for the past three years; Sonia cherishes the opportunity to care for her mother and give back to the woman who encouraged her and set her an example; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, THAT THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, Hereby honors and commends Sonia Garrett for her constant service to her community and her tireless devotion to improving the lives of her neighbors in Logan, North Philadelphia, on the occasion of Women’s History Month.
FURTHER RESOLVED, That an Engrossed copy of this Resolution be presented to Sonia Garrett as an expression of gratitude and admiration of the Council of the City of Philadelphia.
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