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It’s that glorious time of summer when hours of sunshine during the day and a good soaking from evening thunderstorms make for happy plants, as evidenced by the backyard and community gardens positively exploding with fresh fruits and veggies. You can see the tomato and squash plants growing in leaps and bound before your very eyes!
Some gardens even become so prolific that the…
Though drive-in movies aren’t the mainstay of summer entertainment that they once were, there’s still something so wonderful about taking in a film under the stars on a steamy summer evening. Thankfully, our children can still know this pleasure, thanks to the many community organizations that have taken to hosting outdoor movies in parks and other public spaces.
On Thursday, August 10…
Situated in a big, beautiful Victorian-style house in Phoenixville, in the former rectory of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, is The Clinic. Founded in 2001, this community-based health care center has provided comprehensive medical care to patients regardless of their ability to pay. The Clinic was founded by Dr. Lorna B. Stuart and the Rev. Marie Z. Swayze with funds from a generous…
One of the more unique events of the summer in Chester County is right around the corner, as the Brandywine Valley Water Garden Weekend Tour is slated for July 29-30.
The origins of the event can be traced back 12 years prior, when a group of approximately 30 pond enthusiasts gathered to use their interest in the elaborate water gardens built by Coatesville-based…
They say laughter is the best medicine, but at the Chester County Food Bank, we believe nutritious food is a close contender. Fresh produce does a world of good for bodies young and old, but not everyone has access to fruits and vegetables. Our Fresh2You Mobile Market, which opened for the season on June 13, seeks to address that issue by bringing a produce-market…
A fully stocked fridge after a trip to the grocery store; a farmer’s market bag stuffed with leafy greens and plump tomatoes; a fruit bowl, spilling over with sweet, ripening fruit: the sensation of abundance is a basic human pleasure. But for so many of our neighbors—more than 45,000 in fact, including 18,000-plus children—this is a feeling they rarely…
The last day of school is a joyous occasion for most school-aged children: the summer stretches before them, seemingly infinite, full of leisure, adventure and fun. However, for 13,500 kids in Chester County, the end of school also means that they can no longer count on the free or reduced-price meals they receive from the National School Lunch Program and the National…
Here at the Chester County Food Bank, we are so fortunate to have a dedicated, passionate and all-around incredible staff and team of volunteers. One of these folks, whose job is integral to our goal of distributing fresh produce (in addition to shelf stable goods) to our neighbors, is Raina Ainslie, the manager of our Raised Bed Garden Program.
This dynamic program, which we…
Have you ever heard the saying: No farmers, no food? We’ve seen this cautionary adage in real life as we’ve deepened our relationships over the years with two local farms that help, in quite substantial ways, to provide fresh produce to the Chester County Food Bank. Because of our longstanding partnerships with local farmers, we’ve seen up close the energy, struggle and…
At the Chester County Food Bank, we procure food for our community partners in a number of ways. Some items come from generous donations from our supporters, while others from food drives. But we buy a lot of food, too—in fact, 42% of our food inventory comes from the food we purchase using money from grants, donations and virtual food drives. It’s with…