The Value of Family

the Value of Family by artist Eric Okdeh is located in the North Philadelphia neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Located on the side of the NorthEast Treatment Center (NET) this mural was inspired by Patricia Henry, James Cofer, Nicki Stallworth, and Delores DeFrancesco who were members of the NET “family.” The murals is dedicated to, and highlights the behavioral healthcare and social services that NET centers provide to the local Philadelphia community.

One of the central features of the mural is a quote by George Bernard Shaw, and Irish Playwirght, “Perhaps the greatest social service that can be rendered by anybody to the country and to mankind is to bring up a family.” This quote is paired with vignettes of the many social and childcare services that take place within the walls of the NET building. The theme of family is woven through out the entire mural from the children, to adults, to the mosaic flowers and oak trees symbolic of strength and strong bonds.