On May 9, 2019, over 65 women gathered from all parts of the Greater Pottstown area for an evening of fine wine, fellowship, and fundraising at the inaugural “Wine” Not? Women Helping Women event at the Stone Barn Cellars Winery. During the event, guests enjoyed wine tastings, a delectable dinner donated by local organizations and event committee members, and prizes such as must-have luxury women’s themed gift baskets. 

Event attendees came together to not only celebrate the women in their lives, but to also raise funds to support local under-resourced women. The need is great in Montgomery County, PA, as the largest demographic living in poverty is Female 18-24, followed by Female 25-34, and then Female 35-44. Last month PCRC served 257 families with women as “head of household.” 

Because of the women who joined us in our mission and supported the event, we were able to surpass our fundraising goal to provide local under-resourced women with food security, housing stability, and supportive services and education. We are already looking forward to the second annual Women Helping Women event in May 2020. “Wine” Not join us next year? 

Please visit our website frequently at pottstowncluster.org, or look for PCRC communications to come for information about next year’s event!

Everything You Need to Know Happening at PCRC

New Volunteer Opportunity: Delivery Drivers Needed in a Digital Effort to Improve Food Pantry Access

Looking for a rewarding volunteer opportunity that allows you be a part of a hunger-fighting solution? We are in need of volunteer delivery drivers to deliver food to homes in a digital effort to improve food pantry access.

Visiting a food pantry can be a challenge. The limited hours, the stigma, the difficulty of finding transportation, and some people’s physical disabilities all can make visiting a daunting experience.

To improve food pantry service, the Pottstown Cluster of Religious Communities has joined MontCo Anti-Hunger Network (MAHN), Advanced Living Communities (parent company of Schwenckfeld Manor, a Lansdale housing site), and the HealthSpark Foundation to connect people to food pantries via the computer. This new hunger-fighting solution mimics online grocery ordering and provides people with the option to order pantry food from a website.

Can you help? We are looking for:

• Delivery drivers who can be available on Tuesdays and Thursdays
• Ability to report to PCRC at 9:30 am
• Make 2-6 food deliveries to homes in the area
• Must have reliable vehicle (using own vehicle)
• Ability to lift 35 lbs (loading and unloading vehicles)

PCRC Launches a Series of Pilot Programs in Partnership with Area Organizations

“Ending Hunger. For Good.” – PCRC Partners with Philabundance and Habitat for Humanity of Montgomery and Delaware Counties to Improve Food Security and Financial Stability

The Pottstown Cluster of Religious Communities has formed a unique partnership with Philabundance and Habitat for Humanity of Montgomery and Delaware County to offer critical services and supports to decrease the number of people facing hunger in the Delaware Valley. The three organizations will collaborate through a series of pilot programs that will pair food plus other critical life services to improve food security, household, and financial stability for its clients.

Programming will offer a suite of services, including education, financial literacy, health services, housing and/or job assistance. The goal is to end the cycle of no-win decisions: Do I buy food or medicine? Heat or eat? Pay for lunch or a bus pass?

The first pilot program began in February 2019, primarily providing food, financial literacy coaching and case management, to help approach other issues, including housing challenges. To date, nine families have committed to the pilot.

Impact of the programs will be monitored and reported over time, with joint goals focused on increasing food security and other indicators of household stability, helping determine which pilots are effective and which to replicate to help end hunger for good.

Read more on Philly.com.

A Digital Effort to Improve Food Pantry Access

Visiting a food pantry can be a challenge. The limited hours, the stigma, the difficulty of finding transportation, and some people’s physical disabilities all can make visiting a daunting experience. A convenient solution to this problem is for hunger-fighting organizations to mimic online grocery ordering and provide people with the option to order pantry food from a website.

To improve food pantry service, the Pottstown Cluster of Religious Communities has joined MontCo Anti-Hunger Network (MAHN), Advanced Living Communities (parent company of Schwenckfeld Manor, a Lansdale housing site), and the HealthSpark Foundation to participate in a pilot food program that connects low-income people to food pantries via computer, a twist on online grocery ordering designed to serve low-income consumers.

In all, around 130 Montgomery County households now take advantage of the service. Read more about the program on Philly.com.

Community Volunteer Leadership Program (CVLP)

The new Community Volunteer Leadership Program (CVLP), set to kick off in July, is designed to provide individuals the education and foundational skills needed to serve as volunteer leaders with a nonprofit community, such as serving on a board, or to contribute in some other way. This is a program of Leadership Tri-County, in collaboration with the Pottstown Cluster of Religious Communities (PCRC), and funded by The HealthSpark Foundation. PCRC will be active in the education piece of the program in a series of workshops.

An ideal candidate to participate in the program would be a person with lived experience utilizing nonprofit communities and/or health and human services.

For more information, contact Jennifer O’Donnell, Director, Leadership Tri-County, at jennifer@tricountyareachamber.com.

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