Honoring and recognizing Prudence Powell for her for her powerful advocacy, love for her community and her inspiring work to keep families in Philadelphia whole and to provide sanctuary and stability to all.

Honoring and recognizing Prudence Powell for her for her powerful advocacy, love for her community and her inspiring work to keep families in Philadelphia whole and to provide sanctuary and stability to all. WHEREAS, Prudence Powell was born in Jamaica and moved to New York City when she was 12 years old. She came in a airplane by herself to live with her aunt and to attend the public schools in New York City; and WHEREAS, In high school, Prudence was first told that she was not a U.S citizen. The six month visitor’s visa that she had entered the country with had never been renewed, and her family had never applied for her citizenship; and WHEREAS, With no hope of job prospects or financial aid for college, Prudence dropped out of high school. But at age 19, she moved to Philadelphia with her toddler son and found new support in her Philadelphia community and found family; and WHEREAS, In 2011, with the support of her Philadelphia community, Prudence decided she would earn her GED and apply for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. She soon completed her GED at Temple University in 2013 and was accepted into DACA in 2014. She also secured a work permit the same year; and WHEREAS, After earning her GED, Prudence continued to volunteer her time to fight for immigrant rights in Philadelphia and connected with the Pennsylvania Immigration and Citizenship Coalition, where her tireless advocacy and commitment to the PA immigrant community helped earn her a full…