Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
Rep. Comitta visits school for year-end service project
WEST CHESTER » Goshen Friends School, a preschool and pre-kindergarten located in West Chester, welcomed state Rep. Carolyn Comitta, D-156, to its yearend service project gathering to benefit Home of the Sparrow, a local nonprofit organization that works to solve the problem of homelessness and create better futures for women and children.
“I want to thank the teachers and especially the children and families of Goshen Friends for their years of service projects helping people in our community,” Comitta said. “What a perfect way to celebrate the end of this year, by making these donations to Home of the Sparrow, as the children said, to share and help other people. They are learning from a very young age what makes our community so special, and I’m grateful to the school for this.”
As part of the service project, Goshen Friends families, faculty, and members of the General Committee and Goshen Monthly Meeting donated muchneeded household items to the organization, including diapers, laundry detergent, dish soap, disinfectant wipes, garbage bags, and even gift cards to Wawa and Target. During the service project gathering, children from the school created summer-themed picture frames to be given as prizes at Home of the Sparrow’s annual Summer BBQ for the women and children who use its services.
“It means so much to us that even the youngest members of our community are getting involved to help,” added Janet Zeis, a board member from Home of the Sparrow. “We wouldn’t be able to end and prevent homelessness for women and children in Chester County without the passionate support of our community members.”
In addition to Home of the Sparrow, over the past school year Goshen Friends has undertaken service projects for the Chester County Food Bank, Goshen Fire Company, Devereux, Safe Harbor, Bellingham, and the Brandywine Valley SPCA. “Caring for our community is one of the most important ways that Goshen Friends expresses the Quaker values that are at the heart of our school,” said head of school Mimi Ackers. “We teach children every day about the importance of kindness, stewardship in our community, and taking care of others.”
An independent Quaker school, Goshen Friends has been serving young learners since it was founded in 1959 by Barbara Dixon and Hazel Wright, members of the Goshen Monthly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends.