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July 27, 2016

GALLERY: Portraits from the Clintonville Shantytown in Philadelphia

Kensington's pop-up tent city, partially destroyed by heavy rains, welcomes Rainbow Gathering volunteers.

DNC2016 Advocacy
Carroll - Clintonville Shantytown Thom Carroll/PhillyVoice

Willow and her four children, on the grounds of the Clintonville Shantytown and Shining Light Kitchen in Kensington during the Democratic National Convention.

Clintonville Shantytown is a temporary pop-up tent city in Kensington, modeled on the Hoovervilles of the 1930s, shantytowns built by the poor and unemployed. Unfortunately, most of DNC Clintonville was destroyed during strong storms earlier this week, but the Shining Light Kitchen, volunteers of the Rainbow Gathering, erected a temporary kitchen and shelter to offer food to the community and to protesters. 

Here is a series of portraits made on Wednesday, July 27, 2016.

Thom Carroll/PhillyVoice

Cheri Honkala, activist and anti-poverty advocate on the grounds of Kensington's pop-up

Thom Carroll/PhillyVoice

Strong storms destroyed much of the Clintonville Shantytown.


Thom Carroll/PhillyVoice

Part of Clintonville Shantytown that remains after strong storms destroyed much of the pop-up tent city in Kensington.


Thom Carroll/PhillyVoice

Members of the Shining Light Kitchen, an entity of the Rainbow Gathering, were welcomed to the grounds permitted for the Clintonville Shantytown, and set up a functioning kitchen offering food for the community and different protest groups.


Thom Carroll/PhillyVoice

The Shining Light Kitchen is a group of volunteers that is an entity of the Rainbow Gathering.


Thom Carroll/PhillyVoice

The Shining Light Kitchen served eggs, bread, and vegetables for lunch on Wednesday, July 27, 2016.

Thom Carroll/PhillyVoice

A 20-foot tipi was erected on the grounds of the Clintonville Shantytown by volunteers with the Shining Light Kitchen.

Thom Carroll/PhillyVoice

Elder members of the Rainbow Gathering Family, Feather Sherman, left and San Francisco radio host, former mentor to Bob Dylan, beatnik and 'fellow human', Diamond Dave Whitaker.


Thom Carroll/PhillyVoice

Volunteers with the Shining Light Kitchen and Rainbow Gathering Family, Eloisa, 23, left and a fellow Rainbow brother.


01-072716_Clintonville_Carroll.jpgThom Carroll/PhillyVoice

The remains of the Clintonville Shantytown kitchen after much of the pop-up tent city was destroyed by strong storms earlier in the week.


Thom Carroll/PhillyVoice

A member of the Shining Light Kitchen gives a healing, crystal massage to another member.


Thom Carroll/PhillyVoice

Lucid, a volunteer with the Shining Light Kitchen.


Thom Carroll/PhillyVoice

Nathan, 28, of the Shining Light Kitchen, left, and John. 'I hope for the hungry to have food to eat, the lonely have a friend, the homeless have a home and the thirsty have a drink.' -John


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