Act in Faith helps those in need

Posted by Jim Phreaner on May 11, 2011

Imagine losing your job, facing eviction, or watching your
debt mount because you are unable to pay your bills. For some in our community,
one setback can be the first step into a downward spiral. Having support during a tough time in
life can be the first step toward getting someone back on his or her feet.

While there is an abundance of existing social services in
the Greater West Chester area, knowing what they are, where to go and who is
eligible for support creates undue hardship for those whose circumstances are
already difficult. Faith communities are often the last hope for individuals
and families in crisis.

The Council of Greater West Chester Faith Communities
recently hired Hallie Romanowski to serve as the ACT in Faith ministry
coordinator.

“Act in Faith uses a holistic approach or using resources
which are already available to help people in crisis,” Romanowski said in a
recent interview.

She said an excellent example is resolving women’s homeless
issues in West Chester which have been significantly eased when Matlack Street
based Safe Harbor recently expanded their dormitory facilities to include 19
beds for women.”

ACT in Faith of Greater West Chester seeks to provide
physical, financial and spiritual support to those in the area whose basic
human needs are going unmet by facilitating communication, coordinating
support, and supplementing resources to broaden the reach of existing social
services and programs.

Romanowski is actively recruiting volunteers to assist those
seeking assistance from the Greater West Chester faith community. Comprehensive
training and support will be provided to all volunteers. Volunteers will serve
as trained community mentors to find ways to adequately address social services
issues that may be complex. Some of the unmet social service issues include
assisting the elderly or transitioning a homeless family into a new apartment.

“There are several program areas which are actively seeking
community volunteers. Advocates in
Faith provide intake from individuals who contact Act in Faith seeking
assistance. The Advocates
will utilize ACT NOW resources which will be an email alert chain currently
being built. ACT NOW volunteers may
have expertise in an area of need,” Romanowski said. “Act in Faith is actively
seeking mentors to serve as community friends to those in need. The mentor can be a bridge of
hope for a person in need”

ACT in Faith has established a modest Faith Emergency Fund that
has assisted a single mother from being evicted, purchased bus tokens to get
someone to their new job for a month and assisted in payment of utility bills.

To send a donation, send a check to ACT
in Faith of Greater West Chester, which is an approved IRS 501(C) (3) Non-Profit
Organization. The office is
located at The Church of the Holy Trinity, 219 S. High Street, West Chester, PA
19382. Romanowski’s phone number at ACT in Faith is 484-324-8492. The email address is
contact@actinfaithgwc.org.

About Jim Phreaner

After 41 years of auditing large NYSE global corporations, former IRS Agent Jim Phreaner was looking for a project in retirement with fewer regulations and more people. He joined the staff at Chadds Ford Live more than a year ago. James Edward “Jim” Phreaner, 64, died suddenly in his Birmingham Township home on Dec.17, 2012. Jim was a devoted husband, son, father, friend, and neighbor.