Page 16 - 2020 Chester County Chamber Guide & Mebership Directory

NONPROFITS
Good Works
Local organizations promote Chester County, help vulnerable citizens
Nonprofits are an integral part of Chester County. Agencies, their staffs and volunteers step up to address the needs of fellow residents and enhance the overall quality of life.
The Chester County Conference & Visitors Bureau received the Chester County Chamber of Business and Industry’s 2019 Nonprofit of the Year award, recognized for making the county “more visible in the region and encouraging economic development.”
The agency also earned the seal of approval from Destinations International, capping 18 months of work. “We believe it’s a worthwhile badge to earn to demonstrate we are holding ourselves to the highest standards as recognized by the official global industry association for tourism,” said Susan Hamley, the Bureau’s Executive Director.
Tourism is big business in the Brandywine Valley, totaling $730 million in income and supporting 21,500 jobs, Hamley said. So, the Bureau’s work not only assists visitors, but also benefits residents and taxpayers.
The Bureau operates the Visitors Center in Kennett Square and works to build tourism by focusing on association, social and tour groups, as well as amateur sporting events.
Two other hard-working nonprofits focus on overcoming homelessness and promoting housing stability.
“What sets us apart is . . . our commitment to keeping the family together. We are one of a few [agencies] that work with the family unit,” said Jennifer Lopez, Executive Director of Friends Association for Care and Protection of Children. That unit can be multi- generational and have a single parent, two parents, same-sex partners or grandparents.
The agency operates a shelter with six apartments where homeless families can live for 60 to 90 days rent free. A case manager works with the residents to help them move toward stable housing. Last year, 28 to 30 families lived in the apartments, which always have a waiting list.
The association prevented other families from becoming homeless by stepping up with rent or utility payments. In all, the small organization
assisted more than 350 people — 60 percent of them children — in 92 families, providing 7,665 nights of secure shelter, according to its FY 2019 report.
Home of the Sparrow also addresses homelessness and housing instability. In 2019, the small nonprofit served 1,087 women and children, which included helping 269 avoid eviction.
Because Home of the Sparrow takes a comprehensive approach
to homelessness, each woman receives guidance in working toward self-sufficiency through education and employment and an understanding of what led to her housing instability.
The nonprofit’s Pre-Senior Bridge Housing program is unusual. The agency has two houses that serve women ages 55 to 62 who are
at risk of homelessness. The Coatesville facility offers four single apartments and one double, and Home of the Sparrow’s West Chester center provides communal living, with private bedrooms, for up to five women.
Each woman pays a program fee that is well below market rents. “We ensure their placement in the subsidized housing queue so when they turn 62, they receive housing benefits,” said CEO Michelle Venena.
14 Chester County Chamber of Business & Industry 14 Chester County Chamber of Business & Industry