Giving Back to Our Community

Now more than ever, it’s important to give back to our community and make the world a better place to live. Consider volunteering at one — or more — of our many local nonprofit organizations. To follow the theme of this year’s Charity Datebook, we’re shining a special spotlight on organizations dedicated to helping women and girls in need.

Our area is full of groups doing good work and making a difference. If you’re not sure where to start, check out the information below for organizations with a wide range of volunteer opportunities — there’s something for every interest.

Women-Focused Organizations

Black Women of Chester County in Action: Positively impacting the economic wellbeing and health of Black women and girls in Chester County. P.O. Box 825, Downingtown. BWCCA.org.

Community Youth & Women’s Alliance: Improving the spiritual, mental, social and physical condition of women and children in the Coatesville community. 423 E. Lincoln Hwy., Coatesville. CYWA.org.

DE Breast Cancer Coalition: Offering programs and services for those affected by breast cancer. 100 W. 10th St., Ste. 209, Wilmington. DEBreastCancer.org.

The Fund for Women & Girls: Ensuring women and girls have resources and opportunities to thrive. 113 E. Evans St., Ste. A, West Chester. TheFundCC.org.

Girl Scouts of Eastern PA: Building courage, confidence and character for girls in eastern Pennsylvania. Shelly Ridge Service Ctr., 330 Manor Rd., Miquon. GSEP.org.

Home of the Sparrow: Supporting single women and mothers experiencing or threatened by homelessness. 969 E. Swedesford Rd., Exton. HomeOfTheSparrow.org.

Maternal & Child Health Consortium of Chester County: Providing high-quality healthcare for pregnant and parenting women. 30 W. Barnard St., Ste. 1, West Chester. CCMCHC.org.

Unite for HER: Enriching health and wellbeing of those diagnosed with breast and ovarian cancers by funding and delivering integrative therapies. 127 E. Chestnut St., West Chester. UniteForHER.org.

Wings for Success: Empowering women and girls to achieve career and economic stability through education, apparel and advocacy. Offices in Exton and Kennett Square. WingsForSuccess.org.

Animal Rescues

All 4 Paws Rescue: Saving needy animals and finding them new homes and families. P.O. Box 122, Chester Springs. All4PawsRescue.com.

Brandywine Valley SPCA: Providing a no-kill, open admission shelter and finding pets new forever homes. Shelters in West Chester, Plymouth Meeting and Delaware. BVSPCA.org.

Main Line Animal Rescue: Eliminating issues that lead to animal abuse and pet homelessness and finding pets new homes. 1149 Pike Springs Rd., Phoenixville. MLAR.org.

Ryerss Farm for Aged Equines: Providing retirement for horses that served former owners or were rescued from abuse. 1710 Ridge Rd., Pottstown. RyerssFarm.org.

Treetops Kitty Café: Finding permanent homes for rescued cats from high-kill shelters. 305 W. State St., Kennett Square. TreetopsKittyCafe.com.

Wolf Sanctuary of PA: Protecting and rescuing gray wolves and wolf dogs and maintaining their wellbeing. 465 Speedwell Forge Rd., Lititz. WolfSanctuaryPA.org.

Arts & Humanities

Chester County Art Association: Educating, inspiring and connecting people through the arts. 100 N. Bradford Ave., West Chester. ChesterCountyArts.org.

Chester County History Center: Preserving and sharing the story of the County’s past. 225 N. High St., West Chester. MyCCHC.org.

Community Arts Center: Offering opportunities for all to create and enjoy the visual arts. 414 Plush Mill Rd., Wallingford. CommunityArtsCenter.org.

People’s Light: Making and experiencing theater through plays and arts education programs. 39 Conestoga Rd., Malvern. PeoplesLight.org.

Uptown! Knauer Performing Arts Center: Providing a home for live performance, film and community. 226 N. High St., West Chester. UptownWestChester.org.

Wayne Art Center: Enriching the community through the arts, with education, exhibitions and outreach. 413 Maplewood Ave., Wayne. WayneArt.org.

For more arts and humanities organizations, see our March 2022 issue.

Education & Youth Services

Boy Scouts of America, Chester County Council: Serving young people in Chester County. 1 Scouting Way, Exton. CCCBSA.org.

Camp Dreamcatcher: Providing a safe, therapeutic, tolerant environment for youth and families impacted by HIV/AIDS. 148 W. State St., Ste 104, Kennett Square. CampDreamcatcher.org.

Charles A. Melton Arts & Education Center: Providing educational, recreational, cultural and civic services for the greater West Chester community. 501 E. Miner St., West Chester. MeltonCenter.org.

The Garage Community & Youth Center: Empowering middle and high school students in after-school programs. 115 S. Union St., Kennett Square. GarageYouthCenter.org.

Operation Warm: Providing warmth and hope to children in need through brand-new winter coats. 50 Applied Bank Blvd., Ste. 204, Glen Mills. OperationWarm.org.

Health

Alzheimer’s Association, Delaware Valley Chapter: Providing information and support for residents of DE, NJ and PA living with Alzheimer’s disease and their caregivers. 399 Market St., Ste. 250, Phila. Alz.org/DelVal.

Chester County Hospital: Providing care for the health and wellness of the county. 701 E. Marshall St., West Chester. ChesterCountyHospital.org.

Community Volunteers in Medicine: Providing free healthcare to low-income individuals and families. 300 Lawrence Dr., West Chester. CVIM.org.

Connect Thru Cancer: Providing free services to individuals and families living with cancer. 535 N. Church St., West Chester. ConnectThruCancer.org.

LCH Health & Community Services: Improving the health and wellbeing of people and communities by providing high-quality healthcare, resources and social services. Locations in Kennett Square, Oxford and West Grove. LCHCommunityHealth.org.

Homelessness & Food Insecurity

Bridge of Hope: Ending homelessness through help from partners. 1 N. Bacton Hill Rd., Ste. 100, Malvern. BridgeOfHopeInc.org.

Chester County Food Bank: Addressing food insecurity. 650 Pennsylvania Dr., Exton. ChesterCountyFoodBank.org.

Family Promise of Southern Chester County: Working to end homelessness by providing meals, shelter, resources and mentorship. 1156 W. Baltimore Pk., Kennett Square. FamilyPromiseSCC.org.

Friends Association: Providing programs to prevent homelessness and promote independence of families with children. 113 W. Chestnut St., West Chester. FriendsAssoc.org.

Good Samaritan Services: Responding with compassion to homelessness and poverty across Lancaster and Chester Counties. Locations in Phoenixville, Coatesville and Lancaster County. GoodSamServices.org.

Good Works: Repairing homes for low-income homeowners. 544 E. Lincoln Hwy., Coatesville. GoodWorksInc.org.

Habitat for Humanity of Chester County: Serving low-income families by providing an affordable place to live. 1220 Valley Forge Rd., Ste. 16, Phoenixville. HFHCC.org.

Phoenixville Area Community Services: Helping people overcome food insecurity. 101 Buchanan St., Phoenixville. PACSPhx.org.

West Chester Food Cupboard: Providing fresh and nonperishable healthy food to residents in need. 431 S. Bolmar St., West Chester. WestChesterFoodCupboard.org.

Human Services

Casa Guanajuato Kennett Square: Promoting and preserving Mexican and Latino culture, traditions and customs. 645 E. Baltimore Pk., Kennett Square. CasaGKS.WixSite.com/CasaGuanajuatoKS

Chester County Anti-Human Trafficking Coalition: Working to eliminate modern-day sex and labor slavery through public awareness, legislation, law enforcement and referral services to victims and survivors. P.O. Box 302, West Chester. CCATOfPA.org.

Care Center Foundation: Aiding lowincome families through education and social uplift programs. 127–129 S. Matlack St., West Chester. CareCenterFoundation.org.

Chester County Opportunities Industrialization Center: Helping economically disadvantaged individuals. 22 N. 5th Ave., Coatesville. CCOIC.org.

Domestic Violence Center of Chester County: Programs, intervention and advocacy to combat domestic violence. Offices in Coatesville, Kennett Square, Phoenixville and Oxford. DVCCCPA.org.

NAACP, West Chester, PA Branch: Ensuring a society in which all have equal rights without discrimination based on race. P.O. Box 196, West Chester. WCPANAACP.org.

Oxford Area Neighborhood Services Center: Assisting people experiencing crisis or sudden hardship. 35 N. 3rd St., Oxford. OxfordNSC.org.

Preservation Programs

Brandywine Battlefield Park Associates: Preserving and educating the public about this battle site. 1491 Baltimore Pk., Chadds Ford. BrandywineBattlefield.org.

Green Valleys Watershed Association: Protecting natural watersheds of northern Chester County. 1368 Prizer Rd., Pottstown. GreenValleys.org.

Historic Sugartown: Inspiring engagement with the past through a 19th-century village. 690 Sugartown Rd., Malvern. HistoricSugartown.org.

Historic Yellow Springs: Sharing and preserving the living village of Yellow Springs. 1685 Art School Rd., Chester Springs. YellowSprings.org.

Natural Lands: Saving open space, caring for nature and connecting people to the outdoors in eastern Pennsylvania and southern New Jersey. 1031 Palmers Mill Rd., Media. NatLands.org.

Stroud Center for Water Research: Advancing knowledge and stewardship of freshwater systems. 970 Spencer Rd., Avondale. StroudCenter.org.

Valley Forge Audubon Society: Preserving birds, wildlife and their habitats. P.O. Box 443, Eagleville. ValleyForgeAudubon.org.

Willistown Conservation Trust: Preserving and managing the open land, rural character and natural resources of the Willistown area and nearby communities. 925 Providence Rd., Newtown Square. WCTrust.org.

Services for People with Disabilities

The Arc of Chester County: Advocating, educating and providing services to empower individuals with disabilities. 900 Lawrence Dr., West Chester. ArcOfChesterCounty.org.

Canine Partners for Life: Training service and companion dogs to aid individuals with disabilities. 334 Faggs Manor Rd., Cochranville. K94Life.org.

HC Opportunity Center: Providing people with disabilities vocational job training, socialization and the opportunity for competitive employment. 215 Barley Sheaf Rd., Thorndale. HCOCenter.org.

PAWS for People: Improving the lives of people in the community by providing therapeutic visits with gentle, affectionate pets. 703 Dawson Dr., Newark, DE. PAWSForPeople.org.

Quest Therapeutic Services: Providing pediatric horseback riding therapy. 461 Cann Rd., West Chester. QuestTherapeutic.com.

Thorncroft Equestrian Center: Providing therapeutic horseback riding for children and adults with disabilities. 190 Line Rd., Malvern. Thorncroft.org.

Seniors

Kennett Area Senior Center: Helping adults 50 and older live healthy, active and independent lifestyles. 427 S. Walnut St., Kennett Square. KennettSeniorCenter.org.

Meals on Wheels of Chester County: Supporting community-based programs to address senior isolation and hunger. 404 Willowbrook Ln., West Chester. MOWCC.org.

Phoenixville Area Senior Center: Supporting and enhancing the lives of senior citizens by promoting active, independent, healthy lifestyles. 153 Church St., Phoenixville. PhoenixvilleSeniorCenter.org.

Surrey Services: Helping seniors live with independence and dignity. Multiple locations. SurreyServices.org.

Wayne Senior Center: Providing community, friendship and resources to enrich the lives of older adults. 108 Station Rd., Wayne. WayneSeniorCenter.org.

West Chester Area Senior Center: Enriching the lives of seniors through friendship, activities, education and nourishment. 503 E. Union St., West Chester. WCSeniors.org.

Veterans

Veterans Multi-Service Center: Providing comprehensive services for military veterans and families. 797 E. Lincoln Hwy., Ste. 12, Downingtown. VMCenter.org.

Veterans of Foreign Wars: Serving and advocating for veterans, the military and local communities. Locations in West Chester, Downingtown, Kennett Square and Media. VFW.org.