June 14, 2017 - ChaddsFordLive.com

Good Samaritan and Bridge of Hope merge

Two established non-profits that serve the homeless population of Chester and Lancaster Counties announced today a merger that uniquely positions the organizations to provide emergency shelter, rapid re-housing and permanent housing for homeless men, women and children.

Good Samaritan Shelter, based in Phoenixville & Ephrata, and Bridge of Hope Lancaster & Chester Counties, based in Coatesville and Lancaster, will combine to offer a range of progressive services that will make an even greater impact on ending homelessness. The merger is anticipated to become official later in the year.

Nate Hoffer, executive director of Good Samaritan Shelter said: “This partnership makes sense. For many years our organizations have worked together. Our missions are similar, our Christian foundations are similar, and the geography is similar. What has set us apart is the range of services we provide, so by combining forces we can become stronger in our efforts to eradicate homelessness.”

(Left to right) Simon Brain, board president and Francesca Crane, interim executive director, Bridge of Hope Lancaster & Chester Counties, alongside Nate Hoffer, executive director and David Cagliola, chairman of Good Samaritan Shelter at the announcement of the plans to merge the two organizations.

Good Samaritan Shelter was developed in 1999 through a collaborative effort of several Phoenixville area churches and other community supporters. Together, they sought a compassionate response to the needs of people experiencing homelessness. Good Samaritan now owns eight properties in Chester and Lancaster Counties, helping approximately 50 men, women and children a day and more than 150 residents a year. Good Samaritan Shelter also employs residents through its job program, the Nourish Mobile Market. For more information go to www.goodsamshelter.org.

Established 30 years ago, Bridge of Hope Lancaster & Chester Counties was born from a group of churches united by a deep sense of Christ’s call to compassion for homeless single mothers and their children. The Bridge of Hope ministry model is built on a three-way partnership between homeless families, trained church-based mentoring groups and professional social work and education staff. Last year, 61 homeless single mothers and 123 children were served, and 32 churches in Chester and Lancaster Counties provided mentoring groups. For more information go to www.lancasterchester.bridgeofhopeinc.org.

Simon Brain, president of the Board of Bridge of Hope Lancaster & Chester Counties commented: “Both of our organizations understand the differences and the needs of people experiencing homelessness in Chester County and in Lancaster County and we truly believe that we are better together – which in turn means that people experiencing homelessness are better served as a result of the partnership.”

In combining forces, Bridge of Hope Lancaster &Chester Counties will increase its current level of services under the leadership of Good Samaritan Shelter. All four offices will remain: two in Chester County – Phoenixville and Coatesville; and two in Lancaster County – Ephrata and the City of Lancaster.

“As we come together in all four locations, we look forward to further developing our strengths, providing greater opportunities for our volunteers and donors, making more effective use of donor funds, and most importantly, offering hope, homes and eventually independence to those experiencing homelessness,” Hoffer added.

About Press Release

Good Samaritan and Bridge of Hope merge Read More »

DCCC gets $198K grant

School & Education

8966.LapSim.grp photo — College faculty and staff receive training on how to use the LapSim® virtual laparoscopic simulator. (Courtesy image)

Delaware County Community College, in partnership with the Delaware County Workforce Development Board, has received a $198,067 Strategic Innovation grant from the state to train workers for high-tech jobs of the 21st Century.

The grant was awarded to the Delaware County Workforce Development Board, which acts as the fiscal agent and works in concert with the College. The college will use the grant, which was awarded by the Commonwealth’s Department of Labor and Industry, to further infuse virtual reality and augmented reality into its educational curriculums for an ever-expanding list of fields such as healthcare, skilled trades, advanced manufacturing and advanced technology.

Augmented reality and virtual reality use the latest in technology to create artificial environments that simulate real work environments. The college already utilizes virtual reality to train students in welding. Also, in 2015, the college was the first community college in the nation to acquire a LapSim®, a cutting-edge, virtual laparoscopic training simulator that helps students studying in perioperative nursing, registered nurse first assistant, surgical technology and other medical programs.

“With the help of the Delaware County Workforce Development Board, Delaware County Community College will utilize this grant to further improve its cutting-edge, technologically advanced training for the high-tech jobs of today and tomorrow,” said Jerry Parker, DCCC president.

The College has a state-of-the-art STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) Complex, consisting of the STEM Center and a free-standing 32,000-square-foot Advanced Technology Center with the type of high-tech equipment used in advanced manufacturing, as well as state-of-the-art classrooms and laboratory space.

The Delaware County Workforce Development Board was one of 10 workforce development boards in Pennsylvania that received a total of $2 million in Strategic Innovation grants. The grants, which come from state Reemployment Fund resources, are designed to encourage creativity and innovation.

About Press Release

DCCC gets $198K grant Read More »

Police Log June 14: Assaults, drug busts

Police

Southern Chester County Regional Police

• Nicholas J. Slish, 26, of Morgantown, was arrested and charged with possessing a prohibited offensive weapon and with violations of the Controlled Substance, Drug, Device, and Cosmetic Act, police said in a press release. On May 17, at approximately 9:01 p.m., police located a vehicle parked at the New Garden Township Park after dark. Upon making contact with Slish, a wooden “Billy club” type baton was observed between the seat and driver’s door. Further investigation led to the discovery of a small amount of marijuana and related paraphernalia in the vehicle.

• Police said Megan Barnett, 22, of Wilmington, was arrested and charged with violations of the Controlled Substance, Drug, Device, and Cosmetic Act, as well as one traffic offense. Shortly after midnight on May 19, police stopped a 2010 Subaru on Prospect Avenue at Walnut Avenue, in West Grove, for both an equipment violation and a registration violation. Upon making contact with Barnett, police observed contraband in plain view, a press release said. Barnett was taken into custody for possession of a small amount of marijuana and related paraphernalia.

• Also on May 19, police were called to 114 Meredith Street, in Kennett Square for reported burglary/assault. According to a police report, the victim said that at approximately 7 a.m., Thomas J. Wilson, knocked on the door and when she opened the door, he forced his way inside by pushing past her. When the victim retreated to the hallway bathroom and tried to lock the door, Wilson reportedly forced the door open, causing the frame to splinter.

• Tito Perez-Ventura, 26, of Toughkenamon, was arrested and charged with strangulation and simple assault after he allegedly grabbed a 28-year-old female around the neck and attempted to choke her, while she was holding her 8-year-old child, police said. The incident occurred on May 20 approximately 8:20 p.m., in the 1600 block of Baltimore Pike, in New Garden Township. At some point during the altercation, Perez-Ventura allegedly knocked the child out of the victim’s arms and the child fell to the ground.

• Nineteen-year-old Benjamin Froelich, of Newark, was arrested and charged with violations of the Controlled Substance, Drug, Device, and Cosmetic Act, after he was found to be in possession of a small amount of marijuana and related paraphernalia, according to a police report. Police said Froelich was arrested at 11:02 p.m. in the Landenberg Section of New Garden Township after officers came upon an occupied vehicle that was parked at the Somerset Lake Clubhouse. When the occupants put the windows down, clouds of smoke with the odor of burnt marijuana emitted from the vehicle, police said.

• Jorge Deharo, 54, of Bakersfield, Calif., was charged with simple assault and related offenses, stemming from an altercation that occurred on April 25 at 289 Chambers Road, in New Garden Township. Deharo is alleged to have assaulted a 49-year-old male after an argument. He reportedly struck the victim in the face causing injuries. When the victim tried to fight back, Deharo allegedly bit him on the finger. Deharo was later interviewed and admitted to his involvement in this incident.

About CFLive Staff

See Contributors Page https://chaddsfordlive.com/writers/

Police Log June 14: Assaults, drug busts Read More »

Art Watch: Art & Jazz plus Clover Market

Arts & Entertainment

STARBURST — Starburst by Stan Smokler, Jazz in the Vineyard

The Oxford Arts Alliance celebrates “Jazz in the Vineyard” at their wonderful annual Garden Party fundraiser at Galer Estate Winery in Kennett Square this Friday. The Clover Market has a full day explosion of the arts, food and refreshments from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Kennett Square on Sunday. You have a great art weekend ahead, with “Jazz in the Vineyard” and The Clover Market!

Wendi Grantham, jazz vocalist at Jazz in the Vineyard

This year The Oxford Arts Alliance’s “Jazz in the Vineyard” art party features the talented Wendi Grantham and her jazz accompanists. Wendi Grantham is well known as an actress from the TV show “The Wire” but she has always had a passion for singing jazzy, beautiful renditions of classic favorites. From 5 to 8 p.m. at Galer Estate Winery Wendi will be performing, and there will be dancing, a live art auction, local sculptures and paintings exhibited for sale, delicious food catered by Brandywine Prime and wine, of course, from Galer Estate. This will be a really fun event, that also helps to support a wonderful local organization. The Oxford Alliance fundraiser is always a much anticipated event, well attended and full of art, artists and a great vibe out on the deck over-looking the vineyard. For tickets, go online to www.oxfordart.org until Thursday the 15th.

The Oxford Arts Alliance is a small community art association non-profit located in Oxford Pennsylvania that offers an extensive music program, gallery exhibition space, and two art studio spaces for art classes. Board member Rob Sigafoos says that the Oxford Arts Alliance is a very special community center for the arts that “brings in such a diversity of different artists and programs to a community that is not so exposed to the arts as say West Chester or Kennett Square.”

Sanctuary by Rob Sigafoos, Jazz in the Vineyard

Rob will also be heading up the live art auction at the “Jazz in the Vineyard” party this Friday and will have several sculptural works for sale at the show. Last week Rob’s huge steel sculpture “Kennett Squared” was unveiled in downtown Kennett Square to a huge crowd and much public acclaim. Other artists showing and selling their work on Friday’s event are Stan Smokler, Vickie Vinton, Dan Boxler, Lele Galer, Rachel Romano and many more.

“Jazz in the Vineyard” this Friday is the Oxford Arts Alliance’s largest fundraiser for the year, and raises critical funds for this small organization to keep its doors open. It is difficult for community arts organizations to maintain their free programming and open community interaction without the support of donors.

Chester County recently lost the wonderful Phoenix Village Art Center after many years of being the center for arts in the town of Phoenixville. “Jazz in the Vineyard” will help Oxford Art Alliance at the benefit to be held at Galer Estate Winery, located at 700 Folly Hill Road in Kennett Square. A limited amount of tickets are still available.

Montage of photos for Clover Market, credit Carrie Hill Photography

On Sunday June 18th, Kennett Square’s Clover Market celebrates its final market of the season, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Genesis Healthcare parking lot at 600 South Broad Street – across from Kennett Square High School. This is an enormous crafts, vintage antiques ,art, food, beer, wine, music and whole family fun day with over 120 local vendors! What a great way to celebrate Father’s Day. Food trucks will be serving everything from tacos, to barbecue, ice cream and homemade lemonade. Most of the artisan vendors are local artists and crafts people – too many to list – but so very exciting to see them all in one place for the afternoon!

There is also live music by “Couple Days”, face painting, Finding Shelter Animal Rescue, a Tiny Tin Photo Booth and a crafts project arranged by Chester County Art Association. Kennett Square is the place to be this Sunday! While you are downtown, check out the latest show at Mala Galleria, the newest cool items at Metamorphosis, and grab a coffee at Philter which always has local paintings, sculpture photography on display. I can’t wait!

About Lele Galer

Lele Galer is an artist who has chaired numerous art shows, taught art history and studio art, public art and has chaired, written and taught the Art in Action Art Appreciation series for the UCFD schools for the past 12 years. She worked at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and wrote for the Associated Press in Rome. She has been dedicated to Art History and art education for most of her adult life. Lele and her husband Brad own Galer Estate Winery in Kennett Square.

Art Watch: Art & Jazz plus Clover Market Read More »