PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Between COVID-19 and flu season, a lot of people may want to boost their immune systems, and a good number of them are looking to herbal supplements. An alternative medicine shop is helping Philadelphia's underserved communities, with a specific focus on Black people, by offering herbal medicine free of charge.
Philly Herb Hub is an online apothecary run by Desiree Thompson and Kelly McCarthy, two herbalists who knew they wanted to build something that was both anti-capitalist and easy for everyone to access. They say the long term sustainability of the project rests on relationships with the land, plants, growers and people who need the medicine.
According to Nutrition Business Journal, sales of herbal supplements surpassed $10 billion last year and is expected to continue to soar. The highest demand was for herbs that are said to be good for boosting the immune system and relieving stress.
Thompson and McCarthy say working through a cooperative network of growers, medicine makers and herb enthusiasts allows them to offer herb, medicines and supplements, and workshops, all for free. They do it simply because they love and believe in what they do, and they do it at their leisure.
Because they are not preoccupied with keeping up with capacity and corporate bottom lines, Thompson says, they have the freedom to dispense at their own pace, allowing them to listen, respond and adjust to the needs of their clientele.
"It becomes a project that we can do with more of our hearts, with more of ourselves," she said. "We can bring all of that, because we are not meeting deadlines or worried about profit margins. We're a mutual aid project, so we lean on each other. We lean on volunteers."
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McCarthy says they are surrounded by people who truly appreciate nature's abundance of healing plants.
"Part of how we see our role is kind of like intermediaries, helping that plant abundance get to people," McCarthy said.
So what's popular?
"Folks love tea blends, which is wild to me, because I struggle with taking time out to make tea," McCarthy said. "But it's part of a nice ritual to kind of connect with the plants."
She says salves are also a hit right now.
"We have one right now called Morning Boost, and that is super popular, because of the name," McCarthy said. "People are like: 'Yeah, I want a morning boost.' The other cool thing we have in the hub are 1 oz. bags of different dried herbs."
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The hub encourages experimenting and education, which Thompson and McCarthy say they will happily help with. The specific benefits of herbs are not regulated by the FDA, and people are encouraged to discuss any new medicinal regimen with their doctor.
Folks can look up what they want at phillyherbhub.com, by ailment or specific supplement. And pick-up locations are in Germantown and West Philadelphia, with some special deliveries available for those who can't get to a location
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