April 8, 2020

“We are accepting donations at the Kennett Area YMCA,” said Leah Reynolds, Executive Director of Kennett Area Community Services. The Kennett Y, which has been closed down as a non-essential business, is open to allow KACS employees to accept and sanitize food donations in their gym. “We meet our donors at their cars so we can maintain social distancing guidelines.”

The food bank is facing challenging times. Their two main sources of food have dried up – the Chester County Food Bank is unable to make any further donations to KACS in April and grocery stores no longer have the extra stock to donate. In addition, due to the small size of the food cupboard building, KACS had to halt accepting donations from the community.

Until today.

Donations of shelf-stable items are being accepted at the Kennett Y on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Donations should be placed in the trunk to decrease any chance of passing on the COVID-19 virus. Their top 10 list includes rice, pasta, peanut butter and jelly or jam as well as canned fruit, canned vegetable and canned fish.

“We have 550 low-income families who couldn’t stock up,” said Reynolds, “and they have 900 children.”

In addition, 75 new families have turned to KACS for help with food. In adherence with social distancing guidelines, families are only allowed into the offices one at a time to be qualified for the program. Food is pre-packed in cartons by family size and delivered outside.

“We had an 85 percent increase in requests for emergency assistance,” said Leah Reynolds, Executive Director of Kennett Area Community Services (KACS). Stories of need are varied and include people who are out of work and without shelter.  “An elderly man kicked out his daughter and her boyfriend over fear of being exposed to COVID-19.”

Kennett Area Community Services supports area residents with emergency funds and food boxes. For more information or to donate online, please go to Kennett Area Community Service.

Natural Lands, of Media, announced that it has preserved the 54-acre Castle Rock Farm in Chester County. The farm straddles Pocopson and West Bradford townships along the West Branch of the Brandywine Creek in Chester County, between the ChesLen and Stroud preserves.

“This farm, this land … it’s too meaningful not to save it … to ensure it will always be preserved even after my sister and I are gone,” said landowner Peter Giangiulio in a press release.

According to the release issued by Natural Lands, “The conservation easement ensures the property is never developed, preserving the pastoral, scenic views along West Branch Brandywine Creek. In addition, the deal means Castle Rock Farm will continue to provide vital ecological benefit by recharging groundwater supplies, slowing and filtering stormwater, and reducing flooding during storms.”

Natural Lands President Oliver Bass said in the release that his organization “believes in the power of nature’s open spaces to improve our health, calm our nerves, and clean the air we breathe and the water we drink. Natural Lands has been working to save our region’s land — forests, fields, and farms like Castle Rock Farm — since 1953. With the help of many partners along the way, our preservation efforts have resulted in more than 125,000 acres of permanently protected open space. Even during these challenging times, our work continues.”

Chester County’s Preservation Partnership Program; Mars Foundation; the Marshallton Conservation Trust; the PA Department of Community and Economic Development’s Greenways, Trails and Recreation Program; West Bradford Township, and the Gianguilio family helped fund the project, the release said.

The cost of the easement was $391,000.