The Roots of KenCrest

KenCrest was founded by Sister Maria Roeck, a Lutheran deaconess, in the mill district of Philadelphia in 1905 under the name of "Kensington Dispensary." Within five years the organization opened a "River Crest Division" in nearby Mont Clare, Pennsylvania. The original mission of the organization was the treatment of tuberculosis.

In 1955 the agency redirected its mission under the guidance of another Lutheran deaconess, Sister Grace Jones. We began serving people with mental retardation and other disabilities. KenCrest continues in that mission today. In 1970 the two Divisions– the Kensington Dispensary and River Crest – merged their operations under the corporate name "KenCrest Centers." Since that time, KenCrest has broadened its area of service to include the five–county Metropolitan Philadelphia area, Delaware, and Connecticut.

The Core of KenCrest

From the days of Sister Maria to the days of Sister Grace right through the present day, KenCrest has embraced a handful of principles that guide the way we serve. These principles define the KenCrest way of meeting human needs:

Serve in the community.
Take risks to meet people's needs.
Emphasize the family.
Respect the uniqueness of each person.
Explore new frontiers.