Charity Datebook 2021
From the Guest Editors
Can you believe it’s been a year since COVID struck? The Community Foundation’s last official in-person gathering was on March 9, 2020 in West Chester. We celebrated the launch of County Lines Magazine’s Charity Datebook 2020, packed into Mercato’s bustling bar area to catch up with friends while enjoying cool drinks and oven-fired appetizers.
Charity Datebook’s 2021 events will definitely look and feel different. For the foreseeable future, special event logistics continue to be impacted by social distancing, sanitizing and health implications resulting from COVID. We expect many events will have a deeper resonance, paying closer attention in a myriad of ways to issues such as social justice, equity, local sourcing, global warming and sustainability.
The easy, breezy luncheons, galas, golf tournaments and 5Ks of the past are not gone. But we vow never again to take them for granted. Now, more than ever, charities are re-envisioning the core purpose of special events, examining what works and what doesn’t, and reimagining how to re-design events in light of all we’ve been through in 2020.
In this Datebook, you’ll find Charity Events. You’ll also find Charity and Donor Profiles. We’ve selected a handful of the many, many nonprofit charities that pivoted to stand up to COVID. Community health centers, hospitals, food pantries, senior service agencies and homeless service agencies were the first nonprofits to expand their services against the odds, helping our most vulnerable neighbors who were immediately struck by the pandemic. Education, child care and environmental nonprofits refined their safety protocols. Arts, culture and historic preservation charities continuously grapple with audience and visitor capacity issues.
The charities that pivoted most rapidly were those that had visionary, resilient leadership combined with strong support from their donors. We trust their stories will inspire you.
If you’re looking to get involved in your community, please do. We invite you to contact us to learn more about volunteer opportunities, committee service, board leadership, ways to donate and means to build a legacy to fulfill your charitable intentions. We have expertise in emerging community issues and connections to the local, regional and national charities best-positioned to meet Chester County’s needs and aspirations.
We are here to connect you to the causes that matter. For good. Forever.
Here’s to your health!
– Karen Simmons, President and CEO
– Michael DeHaven CPA, Chair of the Board
Can We Make 2021 the Year of Local Food and Farmers
We can all agree 2020 was a year of learning, especially for the farmers in our local food system who grow wholesome fruits, vegetables, meats, grains, dairy and more for our family tables.
When COVID-19 rocked Pennsylvania last March, store shelves became empty due to illness, shut downs and transportation delays. Consumers learned the vulnerability of an “efficient” food system, and many turned to their local farmer to feed their families.
Change beyond personal control is a common experience among farmers. Variables like changing markets, consumer interests and weather are hard to predict. It’s safe to say no one was expecting 2020 to include a global health pandemic. Yet farmers adapted, persevered, and helped feed our families. And most importantly, they’re still farming.
Let’s not soon forget the critical role local farmers play in our community and food system, and let’s think about how each of us can make changes to support them. For example:
* Budget some of our food dollars for local food from a farm stand or CSA (community supported agriculture), or purchase PA Preferred products at local grocery stores. Find a convenient farm stand at ChesCo.org/4461/Where-to-Buy.
* Help feed our neighbors by volunteering or donating to a local food pantry or the Chester County Food Bank.
* Decrease food waste by storing food properly, and freezing or preserving before it spoils. Penn State Extension has many resources to help.
* Purchase local foods in season and freeze or preserve them. Buying freshly picked foods is also more cost-effective—and delicious!
* Protect the environment by decreasing or eliminating use of water bottles, styrofoam and all single-use plastics; recycling as much as possible; and being mindful of products used.
* Support independent restaurants, especially those purchasing directly from local farmers.
In this year of transformation, how can you make an impact?
~Jodi Gauker, Executive Director, Lundale Farm Inc.
Chester County’s own Lundale Farm is a community of regenerative farmers enhancing the ecology, health and diversity of the land. The farm serves as a model for local food production and forest stewardship on preserved land. It’s an evolution of the founding families’ land preservation legacy that seeks to preserve land and use it in a responsible manner to benefit the region’s environment, economy, agricultural heritage, health and nutrition of its people. Learn more at LundaleFarm.org.
