Elko to be honored for service

Chester County Fund for Women and Girls to present longtime advocate with award

WEST GOSHEN » The Chester County Fund for Women and Girls will honor Susan Elko, a longtime advocate for social change in Chester County, during a “Making a Difference” luncheon award ceremony.

The honor will be given during the nonprofit organization’s annual Kitchen Table Award at the CCFWG Making a Difference Luncheon on Friday, May 4 at the Desmond Hotel and Conference Center in Malvern. CCFWG established the Kitchen Table Award in 2011 to honor a Chester County woman who has made substantive contributions through service and/ or philanthropy to improve the lives of women and girls through her own time, talent or resources. It is named in celebration of the genesis of CCFWG in 1996: many conversations held around kitchen, board and coffee tables.

Susan Elko has an impressive history of service and philanthropy in Chester County. With more than 30 years of experience in

special education, educational consulting and policy development, she has devoted her career to serving others. From her work at Bridge of Hope – assisting women faced with homelessness – to her role as board president of The Barn at Spring Brook Farm, a nonprofit focused on enriching the lives of children with disabilities through animal-assisted activities – Elko has developed strong programming and opportunities for women and girls throughout Chester County. As a former board member

and co-founder of CCFWG’s Girls Advisory Board (GAB), she has helped grow the program over the past 13 years into the transformative experience it is for high school girls today.

Elko also serves on the board of the Community Coalition, and was a former committee member for the First Presbyterian Church of West Chester, and WCU’s Institute for Educational Excellence and Entrepreneurship. She also formerly served as an executive committee member for the Homeless Single Women’s Shelter Task Force, where she was instrumental in establishing a winter emergency shelter. Furthermore, Elko is an inspiring mentor, friend, colleague and true example of how women help shape

the future of their communities.

The 2018 Making a Difference Luncheon will also feature keynote speaker Tynesha McHarris, Program Officer of Advancing Adolescent Girls’ Rights at the NoVo Foundation. McHarris has more than a decade of experience advocating for racial and gender justice; she has worked with foundations, community organizations and young people to challenge systems and institutions that perpetuate inequity. In her role at NoVo, McHarris supports projects and individuals dedicated to the advancement and future of girls in the US, Africa, Latin America and Asia.

To learn more about McHarris, visit www.novofoundation.org.

For 20 years, CCFWG, based in West Goshen Township, has raised awareness about critical needs of women and girls in Chester County, and awarded nearly $3 million to 71 nonprofit organizations. To learn more about the Chester County Fund for Women and Girls, visit www.ccfwg.org.

Susan Elko