The AAUW Pennsylvania Gateway to Equity Award honors an individual, group or organization that has shown by action and philosophy the promotion of the AAUW mission to advance gender equity for women and girls through research, education, and advocacy. Each year the West Chester – Chester County branch of the AAUW selects a different honoree and channels our creative resources to provide the support most helpful to them.
For 2022-2023 we are supporting Family Service of Chester County whose mission is to provide life-changing individual and family support through access to counseling, case management, youth services, and family programs. Serving our community for 75 years, The Family Service legacy is built upon foundational values of compassion, empowerment, quality care, acceptance, and community collaboration. These timeless values have guided the agency throughout the decades to be a community leader and provider of choice. Much of their work helps connect residents to community services and resources, especially in times of transition and hardship. Programs include counseling for personal support, professional guidance, job training, family intervention, family cohesion and strengthening, life-skill training for youths transitioning from Youth & Family and Juvenile Probation situations, HIV medical care access, and volunteer assisted ride service. Learn more at: https://www.familyservice.us/about
With these needs in mind, our AAUW team worked with Director Amy DeFonzo to produce a list of monthly supplies that we can donate to Family Services. Supplies are typically delivered the Monday following Branch General Meetings. Members can bring their donations to the Branch meetings or deliver them to a team member; see the Newsletter for details. Supplies our AAUW branch will collect over the next several months are:
February: Personal care items such as toothpaste, shampoo, toothbrushes, feminine supplies
March: Kitchen supplies such as dishes, glassware, dish towels, flatware, cooking utensils
April: Cleaning products such as dish & laundry detergent, and home cleaning supplies,
May: School supplies such as book bags, pens, pencils, paper, colored markers
Our generous Branch members have donated a closet full of baby goods and 3 carloads of cleaning supplies, stacks of home linens, and numerous gift cards this past fall. Pictured below is Amy DeFonzo and her assistant receiving the many donated household items at Family Service on Matlock Street in West Chester. Amy, the Exchange Club Family Center Director of Family Service and the liaison to our AAUW committee, sent the following thank-you to our branch for the household items:
“I just wanted to thank you and all of the women at AAUW for the generous donation of the cleaning supplies for the families. It is so important for every child to have a safe and clean home. These cleaning items are expensive and often get put at the bottom of the list. It is so great that you were able to provide them! It will make such a difference in so many homes. As you can see from the photos we were able to organize the items and pack each bag with paper towels, sponges, laundry and dish detergents as well as household cleaners for the kitchen and bathroom! Thank you so much!”
