On Saturday, March 15, 2025, Chester Residents Concerned for Quality Living (CRCQL) held the annual “Let us Breathe” Asthma Awareness event at the Access Center, 701 Booth Street in Chester–aiming to educate Chester residents and surrounding communities about high asthma rate throughout the city.
Children in the City of Chester have 38% higher of asthma incidents than any other city in the nation. This can be attributed to the polluting industries that are located in and around the city.
Industries such as Reworld/Covanta, Evonik, PQ Corporation, Monroe Energy, and Kimberly Clark all contribute to poor air quality in the city, resulting in elevated asthma rates among Chester residents, particularly the youth.
CRCQL educated attendees on methods to reduce the triggers of asthma and provided Corsi-Rosenthal boxes. Participants helped make Corsi-Rosenthal boxes onsite. Residents received instructions on how to build the boxes and were allowed to take them with them free of charge.
Community partners included Trinity House, who provided free diapers and Widener provided free blood pressure screenings. Physicians for Social Responsibility, Choices, Environmental Youth Leadership Group, and many others were on hand to answer questions and educate the community on asthmatic health issues.
For more information on Zulene Mayfield, CRCQL, and how you can get involved, contact www.ChesterPaEJ.org.
