PHOTO CAPTION: Chester City officials in partnership with Aqua Pennsylvania present a $20,000 check to the Salvation Army Chester Corps on Thursday, April 23, 2020, to help support the organization’s food bank program. The Salvation Army was one of six organizations to receive a monetary donation.
(L to R: The Salvation Army Chester Corps Commanding Officer Major Ervin McKoy, Councilman William Morgan, Director of Social Services for the Salvation Army Chester Corps Kimberly Cohens, Councilwoman Portia West and Mayor Thaddeus Kirkland.)
Office of Mayor Thaddeus Kirkland
Date: Thursday, April 23, 2020
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
contact: Aignér Cleveland
Press Secretary – City of Chester
contact: Donna Alston
Communications Manager – Aqua Pennsylvania
Cell: 484.368.4720
City of Chester Partners with Aqua, Local Food Pantries/Programs Receive $100K Donation Amid COVID-19 Outbreak
The $100,000 donation will be divided among 6 nonprofit organizations in the City that provide food bank services to the community.
(CHESTER, PA) – Mayor Thaddeus Kirkland and Chester City Councilmembers today presented several nonprofit organizations in the City with monetary donations totaling $100,000 thanks to a partnership with Aqua Pennsylvania and its foundation.
The Bernardine Center, Chester Eastside Ministries, Inc., CityTeam Chester, and the Salvation Army (Chester branch), each received $20,000 donations. St. Mary’s Episcopal Church Food Cupboard received an $18,000 award, while Chester Young Professionals was given a $2,000 contribution that will be used to support Chef Lamont Harris’ feeding ministries. All donations were awarded to support each respective organization’s food bank program/initiative during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect the world, many people are experiencing unimaginable hardships. Specifically, in the city of Chester, local food banks have been confronted with an increase of persons needing assistance. “We have residents who have been laid off; business owners who’ve had to close their doors for an indefinite period of time. These are people who have families to feed,” said Mayor Kirkland. “This virus has presented all of us with challenges that is why partnering with Aqua Pennsylvania for this initiative is vital to ensuring that our local food pantries are able to keep up with the increase in demand.”
“These are exceptional times and they call for exceptional measures,” said Aqua Pennsylvania President Marc Lucca. “We learned from Mayor Kirkland about several organizations that were doing great work to ensure that city residents who are struggling to make ends meet get the food they need to make it during this crisis. As a utility that will be providing wastewater services to many of them, we wanted to be a part of those efforts and support the organizations the same as we do in areas where we provide service.”
Kwinn Tucker, Executive Director for CityTeam Chester accepted the $20,000 donation for the nondenominational Christian nonprofit. “This grant comes at a very critical time for CityTeam Chester as we remain open, providing food and shelter for some our most vulnerable community members,” said Tucker. “This donation ensures that we can maintain enough food supplies, cleaning materials, and other vital resources for the growing number of people facing food insecurity during this pandemic. Without this type of support, there’s no way we could keep up with the pace of the needs right now, we are so grateful.”
Each of the six donation checks were personally presented to a member of the awarded organization by Mayor Kirkland and one Chester City Councilmember. “Although there are social distancing guidelines in place, I thought it was important to deliver these donation checks in person,” said Mayor Kirkland. “Our partners with Aqua Pennsylvania are not here, in part, because of social distancing but their contributions by way of these donations are seen far beyond the current barriers. Partnerships like this are essential and this administration will continue to look for resources that help our residents and our local businesses during this trying time.”
“Food, like drinking water, is a life-sustaining necessity and we understand that many people are having a hard time during this pandemic,” said Chris Franklin, CEO of Essential Utilities, which owns Aqua Pennsylvania. “Through its acquisition of DELCORA, Aqua Pennsylvania is looking forward to serving customers in the city of Chester and providing support to the city’s food banks is just the start of our great partnership with city residents.”
All monetary donations awarded to the above nonprofit organizations are specifically designated to assist with continuity of food pantry services.
FOOD PANTRY RECIPIENTS & DISTRIBUTION INFORMATION:
1. Bernadine Center
2625 W. 9th Street
Chester, PA 19013
PHONE: (610) 497-3225
· Food Distribution Time: 2nd & 4th Tuesday/each month (4:00-5:00pm)
Wednesdays (9:00-11:00am)
2. Chef Lamont Harris
5th & Pennell Streets, Chester (former Lamokin Street Train Station stop)
· Food Distribution Time: Monday – Friday (12pm until supplies run out)
3. CityTeam Chester
634 Sproul Street
Chester, PA 19013
PHONE: (610) 872-6865
· Grab-N-Go Prepared Meal Time: EVERYDAY (5:30pm)
· Emergency Food Boxes: Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays (10:00am – 12:00pm)
· Mother Baby Program: Individuals may come one time per month to receive formula, diapers, clothes, and other essential baby items
Please bring WIC ID and appointment schedule.
Wednesdays & Thursdays (10:00am -12:00pm)
4. Salvation Army
151 W. 15th Street
Chester, PA 19013
PHONE: (610) 874-0423
· Food Distribution Time: 2nd & 3rd Wednesday/ each month (12-1:30pm)
5. Chester Eastside Ministries, Inc
St. Paul Episcopal Church
301 E. 9th Street
Chester, PA 19013
PHONE: (610) 872-4812
· Food Distribution Time: Mondays & Wednesdays (11:00am – 12:30pm)
6. St. Mary’s Episcopal Church Food Cupboard
703 Edwards Street
Chester, PA 19013
PHONE: (610) 874-8565
· Food Distribution Time: Thursdays (12:30-2:00pm)
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
Aqua Pennsylvania:
Aqua Pennsylvania serves approximately 1.4 million people in 32 counties throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Visit AquaAmerica.com for more information, or follow Aqua on Facebook at facebook.com/MyAquaAmerica and on Twitter at @MyAquaAmerica.