News

Open Hearth, PACS and Trellis for Tomorrow Launch Community Garden

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A dynamic new partnership between three Phoenixville-based nonprofit organizations—Trellis for Tomorrow, Phoenixville Area Community Services (PACS), and Open Hearth, Inc.—has resulted in the launch of a new Trellis for Tomorrow Food for All garden. Located at Open Hearth’s building on 701 S. Main Street, the Open Hearth–PACS (OHPACS) Garden is the newest addition to Trellis for Tomorrow’s growing network of community-centered gardens and is poised to play a vital role in strengthening local food security. Click Here to Read More

 

Now Hiring! Development Director

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Open Hearth is partnering with Bob Madonna (Diversified Services LLC) on a search for a Development Director to lead the fundraising of a successful nonprofit in Chester County, PA that has been serving the community for over 34 years. This newly created role will be responsible for expanding and diversifying revenue streams, strengthening donor relationships, and increasing financial sustainability.

 

Click the link below to download the full job description.

Open Hearth Director of Development.

Attainable Housing in Chester County

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Our region prospers only when we all prosper when there are enough good, safe homes people can afford. We need advocates to speak out for and support the changes to make this happen. The lack of affordable housing impacts all of us, not just the struggling households. 40% of our workforce is in the retail, accommodation, education, health, and food service industries. The median income for workers in these essential industries is $61,000 or less. Recent college graduates and other young professionals also have trouble finding housing they can afford. Our long-term economic success depends on the availability of safe, attainable housing for our workforce. Employers need workers close by, especially in jobs like health care and emergency services. By creating ‘middle housing’ such as house-scale buildings with multiple units compatible in scale and form with single-family units, we will bridge the gap for struggling families.

Visit their site at www.attainablehousingadvocacy.com

 

 

A Stable Source of Support – Stroll Schuylkill

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What is the mission of Open Hearth? Open Hearth, Inc. is a leader in resource coordination and community-building efforts, providing innovative programs to support and empower people to end the cycle of homelessness, acquire affordable housing, a means of transportation, workforce opportunities, and achieve financial stability.

Debbie Dundon

Why was the organization started? Open Hearth was originally formed in 1989 as a local grassroots committee to assure equal housing opportunities for people who are traditionally isolated and systematically denied opportunities due to mental, emotional, or physical disabilities. Headquartered in Phoenixville, Open Hearth, Inc. received its  501(c)(3) tax-exempt status in April of 1991. Over the years our organization has grown and evolved to serve members of single parents, displaced families, those dealing with drug and alcohol dependency, and all income-eligible populations who come from diverse racial, cultural, and geographic backgrounds.

We believe our greatest strengths are staying abreast of emerging issues and best practices and then developing programs and effective partnerships to meet the needs of the community we serve. Because of this, as community needs have changed we have expanded our services to include asset building, financial education and coaching, transportation solutions, and case management, believing that the answer lies in prevention and education.

Our work at Open Hearth spans a continuum—from providing temporary housing for someone experiencing homelessness to providing a savings match for someone planning to purchase their first home. Our participants can rely on our staff to support them as they work to attain financial and housing stability.

What is your role with Open Hearth? As the office manager, I am primarily responsible for all of Open Hearth’s operational support including facility management, accounts payable/receivable, and serving as the point of contact for our IT consultant. I started with Open Hearth in March of 2006 and was a program coordinator for a year. I then shifted to the office administrator role and also served as the coordinator of the monthly Phoenixville Area Resource Network meetings for ten years.

Any other information you would like to include? I’ve been excited to watch the growth of Open Hearth over
the last eighteen years including our move from our rented office space in Spring City, to our property in Phoenixville, to the growth of our programs and staff. Debbie has lived in Schuylkill Township at SpringMeadows at Valley Forge for 14 years. Her parents both had roots in Phoenixville and she grew up in the borough. She currently lives with her fur babies: dog Kona (4), and cats Frankie& Freddy (4). Her adult daughters, MaryBeth and Amy, both live locally.

 

Click to see the rest of Stroll_Schuylkill_Township

Grants Totaling $315,000 To Assist in Ida Recovery

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Groups reach across county lines to help Mont Clare residents cope with flood devastation.

Imagine having no choice but to spend your chemotherapy money on a trash dumpster for the debris covering your property. Or settling in a new country with your family, only to end up with your home destroyed and no insurance.

Those were just two of the situations facing Mont Clare, Pa., residents after Hurricane Ida and its accompanying floods. Nearly two months later, more than 150 households are still coping with homes left uninhabitable.

Fortunately, Mont Clare has concerned neighbors who are eager to help, and two grants will go a long way toward assisting them in that mission.

  • Open Hearth, Inc., a non-profit organization serving Chester County and portions of Montgomery County, received $300,000 from the Phoenixville Community Health Foundation to help Mont Clare residents affected by Ida get their systems back up, including electricity, heating, and water.
  • The Jaycees in Phoenixville received $15,000 for the organization’s “In This Together PXV Fund” – originally intended to assist with the Covid pandemic, recently pivoted to benefit victims of Hurricane Ida as well.

Soon after Ida hit, a partnership in the neighboring borough of Phoenixville came together with the intent of helping victims on the other side of the river separating Chester and Montgomery counties. Participants include Open Hearth, the Jaycees, the Phoenixville Community Health Foundation, and Karin Williams, director of the Phoenixville Office ofEmergency Management.

“Phoenixville is fortunate to have the kind of strong community partnerships that enable us to lend a hand to our MontClare and Port Providence neighbors in their time of need,” Williams said.

Contacts:

Kelly Raggazino, Executive Director – Open Hearth, Inc., 610-792-9282, ext. 202, [email protected]

Erica Klinedinst, Executive Director – Phoenixville Jaycees Foundation, (717)-683-4274, [email protected]

Karin Williams, Director – Phoenixville Office of Emergency Management, 610-933-8801, ext. 120, [email protected]

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Open Hearth, Inc., a leader in resource coordination and community building efforts, provides innovative programs to support and empower people to end the cycle of homelessness, acquire affordable housing, a means of transportation, workforce opportunities, and achieve financial stability.

The Phoenixville Jaycees provide development opportunities that empower young people to create positive change in their communities and support the good efforts of exempt organizations in and around Phoenixville, Pennsylvania.

Boost Your Donation During The Amazing Raise

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Open Hearth is proud to participate in The Amazing Raise. This regional month of giving is an initiative of the TriCounty Community Network. We hope you can contribute to Open Hearth during the month of October to boost your gift’s impact!  To donate, visit: 

www.amazingraisetricounty.org/OpenHearth