CCFB News – April 2025
Volunteer Appreciation Month!
Did you know that April is National Volunteer Month? Here at CCFB, we are extremely grateful to our volunteers for their exceptional service to fighting food insecurity within the Chester County community each and every day. To show our gratitude, CCFB has been using the month of April to celebrate our volunteer department and all the wonderful work they do!
Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon
To kick off Volunteer Appreciation Month, CCFB hosted a Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon to honor our incredible team of volunteers. With delicious food prepared by staff in our commercial kitchen, speeches highlighting the impact of our volunteers, an award ceremony for volunteers with prizes such as CCFB hats, shirts, and mugs, and a showing of a staff-organized video thanking volunteers for all they do (masterfully edited by CCFB volunteer Ashley Batiste!), the event was a heart-warming illustration of the power of kindness and community!
Thank you, Karen!
Headed by Senior Manager of Volunteer Services Karen Mudgett, CCFB’s Volunteer Services Team is dedicated to developing an enthusiastic community of local and corporate volunteers.
Recruiting thousands of volunteers each year, Karen has nurtured a large and loyal base of volunteers who help with crucial tasks such as planting at our partnering farms and gardens, being ambassadors at community events, working hands-on in our commercial kitchen, and even assisting our office team.
Each and every one of our volunteers makes CCFB more successful in our mission to ensure access to nutritious and familiar food, and without Karen leading the charge, none of this incredible goodwill and teamwork would be possible!
CCFB is so grateful to Karen for her passionate efforts to engage and inspire current and future volunteers to join together to help fight food insecurity within the Chester County community. Thank you, Karen!
Interested in becoming a CCFB volunteer? Follow the link below to learn more!
https://chestercountyfoodbank.org/get…/as-a-volunteer
Earth Day Food Drive
Want to make a difference for our community and the planet? Join us at the Chester County Food Bank on April 22, 2025, from 10:00am – 2:00pm for our Earth Day Food Drive!
Through the donation of surplus non-perishable food items, you can help reduce food waste while fighting food insecurity in Chester County.
We are in most need of canned proteins such as chicken, salmon, and tuna, but other donations are appreciated as well! Let’s benefit our neighbors and planet together!
BYOB (Buckets)
Rinse out those buckets and get ’em ready for the 9th Annual Compost Giveaway at the Kennett Square Farmers Market on Friday, May 9th from 3:00 – 6:00pm and the New Garden Growers Market on Saturday, May 10, from 9:00am – 12:00pm to celebrate International Compost Awareness Week!
As always, it is BYOB (buckets of course) and donations benefiting Chester County Food Bank are appreciated. Laurel Valley Soils will be giving away their STA Certified Premium Compost to help you grow the healthiest plants in your gardens this summer, just like many of our 70 active garden partner sites.
PA NEN Conference
Community Food Educator Erika Mendez and Senior Manager of Food Access and Education Programs Kale Doughty will be presenting at the Pennsylvania Nutrition Education Network Conference this month.
A collaborative networking event uniting over 200 nutrition and food security professionals, Kale and Erika will be taking part in sharing how CCFB advocates for food security and nutrition education to Chester County.
Good luck, Erika and Kale!
Beginning of Farm Season
April marks the beginning of farm season! Thanks to Springton Manor Farm in Glenmoore and Two Gander Farm in Downingtown, we have access to beautiful farmland, greenhouses, and park land for harvesting crops and providing unique educational and volunteer opportunities.
We can’t wait for another season of growth, agricultural education, and fun!
We know that experiencing food insecurity can be overwhelming, but you don’t have to face it alone. Together with our incredible community partners, we are here to provide support and resources to anyone in need.