As the Kennett area community has grown, efforts to prevent hunger and homelessness have as well – matched only by the increasing need for those services.
In 1954, a group of local families distributed holiday food baskets to a few families in need in the area. Decades later, Kennett Area Community Service (KACS), which operates the Kennett Food Cupboard, has evolved into a valued nonprofit. Run by a small staff and hundreds of volunteers, it distributes about three to four days’ worth of food and household essentials to over 1,600 individuals each month, along with providing a variety of other supportive services.
On Wednesday, June 15, nearly 200 stakeholders celebrated the opening of the KACS Resource Center, a space that will enable the nonprofit to keep up with the demand for its initiatives.
When the building next door at 138 West Cedar Street became available, the KACS board recognized that its proximity offered a sensible addition to the outgrown, existing facility. The former residence was purchased in August 2015, initiating a dramatic transformation.
At the ribbon-cutting on Wednesday, Bob George, secretary of KACS board, said the group knew that the undertaking would be ambitious as well as expensive. “We realized we had to do it ourselves, but we couldn’t do it alone,” he said.
George was joined by KACS Executive Director Melanie Weiler; all three Chester County commissioners; Pat Bokovitz, director of the county's Department of Community Development; volunteers, donors, and members of the community. A $250,000 county grant helped fund the $537,536 project, of which $108,876 remains to be raised.
“Thank you for making Chester County the great, caring place that it is,” said Commissioners’ Chairman Terrence Farrell, addressing the audience. Commissioner Kathi Cozzone noted that the efforts of many people “brought us to why we’re here today,” and Commissioner Michelle Kichline pointed out the substantial size of the crowd, adding that the commissioners were honored to participate in the celebration.
Weiler said numerous other partners made the project possible, including the Longwood Foundation and Tri-M Group LLC, whose donations included the security system, electrical replacements and information technology.
“We cannot believe we outgrew that facility,” Weiler said, adding that the expansion project involved the entire community, requiring thousands of volunteer hours over two years.
The transformation of a former residence created offices that will enable a variety of service providers – from Legal Aid to La Comunidad Hispana – to meet comfortably with those in need of assistance. Tours of the facility were given, and staffers eagerly showed off the new space, which even includes laundry facilities. Weiler said the new building adds 2,300 square feet to the 3,200 that KACS already had.
Thanks to the Longwood Rotary, KACS’ raised-bed gardening program will also get a boost. Previously, the agency operated eight raised beds; 10 more will be placed behind the new building. Weiler said in addition to using the fresh produce to supply those in need, KACS plans to use the gardens as an educational tool, offering lessons on duplicating such efforts as well as the nutritional benefits of doing so.
The Kennett Food Cupboard is one of the largest food cupboards in Chester County. Approximately 95 percent of its food comes directly from the community in the form of community food drives, partnerships with local farmers and grocers, community and family gardens, and individual donations. It serves individuals and families in the Kennett Consolidated, Unionville-Chadds Ford, and Avon Grove school districts.
Weiler said KACS’ ultimate goal is to prevent homelessness and food insecurity by eliminating its root cause: poverty. She explained that KACS does not want to duplicate any services. She said providers like Open Hearth and the Maternal & Child Health Consortium would each spend one day a week at the resource center, where they would provide on-site counseling.
The expansion will also enable KACS to expand national programs like “Bridge Out of Poverty” and “Getting Ahead in a Just Getting by World,” both of which focus on the steps needed to build the resources needed to transition out of poverty. Weiler said she would be offering an introductory course that would detail the “Bridge Out of Poverty” philosophy for those interested in beginning that transition as well as an eight-hour program for social services professionals who want to assist others.
Jeff Yetter, a member of the KACS board, said he was pleased with the expanded facility, which he said would not have happened without Weiler’s passion.
“She’s a driving force,” Yetter said of Weiler. “She’s responsible for pushing us to expand our programs to a new level and to educate those agencies that are partnering with us.”
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