Springfield Country Club opens fiitchen to help fieed local people in need
SPRINGFIELD » Springfield Country Club is partnering with Caring for Friends to help them deliver on their mission to provide meals to homebound seniors and disabled, the homeless, and families with children in need in the five-county Philadelphia region. During the coronavirus pandemic, the local nonprofit is efficiently providing food, health checks, and friendship to our most at-risk populations to reduce travel and limit crowd size to relieve hunger, contain disease, and prevent civil unrest.
Even though Springfield Country Club’s restaurant and banquet facility is closed to the public amid the pandemic, members of the team are still working, at a safe social distance. Team members have opened back up the expansive kitchen to prepare thousands of meals each week to be delivered to families in need, all prepared with fresh ingredients.
“This week, with the support of a generous fresh food donation from one of our preferred vendors, Performance Food Group, we are able to make over 1,000 meals every day,” said Nancy Steinmetz, executive vice president of Springfield Country Club.
Meal varieties being prepared and packaged this week at Springfield Country Club include beef burgundy over egg noodles with green beans, sirloin steak with roasted fingerling potatoes and broccoli, chicken fajitas, and turkey with corn and stuffing.
“During these challenging times, it is important to find ways to come together to make a difference,” said Patrick Burns, president and CEO of Springfield Country Club. “Springfield Township has been a tremendous help and great partner during this crisis and our staff has remained optimistic and resilient. We are energized and motivated to really get behind this initiative to help our neighbors in need. While we are still operating with a reduced staff and cannot wait to open back up to the public, this partnership with Caring for Friends has quickly proven to be a wonderful way to turn a difficult situation into something positive.”
Caring for Friends is feeding more seniors, kids and families than ever at this urgent time with the help of volunteers and partners like Springfield Country Club. Others can join in lending support through volunteerism and donations. For every $1 donated to Caring for Friends, more than $6 is generated in free meals and services. For more information, visit https://caringforfriends.org. For those who are in need of food and friendship to help live comfortably at home, or if a community nonprofit or place of worship is looking for food to feed the hungry in their community, Caring for Friends can help. Contact the Caring for Friends office at 215464-2224 OR reach out directly to the team at Springfield Country Club by calling 610-690-7600 and someone will assist in connecting you with a Caring for Friends representative.
Ellis Athletic Center holds food drive for St. Mark’s pantry
NEWTOWN » Ellis Athletic Center at the Ellis Preserve, 3819 West Chester Pike, Newtown Square, will hold a drive-through safe social distancing donation opportunity 4-7 p.m. Wednesday, April 22, to stock St. Mark’s Food Pantry in Broomall.
People can donate by driving though the Ellis front lot and following signs to drop items off in marked bins. Now that families are home full time, there is a special need for kid-friendly foods like spaghetti-os, cereal, mac and cheese and canned protein items. All food must be nonperishable.
Benchmark School donates use of 3D printer
UPPER PROVIDENCE » Medical professionals on the front lines of the COVID-19 crisis are in desperate need of personal protective equipment, including respirators and face shields. To help out, the Benchmark
School in Upper Providence donated the use of its Makergear 3D printer to a local volunteer group, PPE Fab Crew (https:// www.facebook.com/
groups/249731616038516), who are dedicated to creating equipment for Philadelphia-area hospitals in need.
According to PPE Fab Crew, small 3D printers can produce up to three reusable face respirators a day, and larger printers, like Benchmark School’s, can print up to 40 face shields a day.
Benchmark School joined other schools in the region who have donated the use of their 3D printers, which PPE Fab Crew promises, “will be loved as if they were their own.” PPE Fab Crew have a team of volunteers sourcing material, operating, printing, and distributing this equipment. As of Thursday, April 16, the group has donated face shields to over 145 medical and essential personnel settings and hit a new milestone: the creation and distribution of 2,500 face shields.
Emma Mattesky, director of innovation (and manager of the makerspace) at Benchmark School says, “It’s an honor for Benchmark to join together with the maker community in supporting the creation of equipment to help our nurses and doctors perform their jobs safely. With our campus closed, our printer had been idle, and we’re thrilled to be able to contribute to this cause.” PPE Fab Crew rely on donations, and they have a GoFundMe page: https://
www.gofundme.com/f/covid19-3d-printed-ppe-faceshields-amp-masks. Benchmark School is an independent, co-educational school in Delaware County for children in grades 1-8 who have been identified as having dyslexia, ADD/ADHD, auditory processing or other learning differences. For more information, visit benchmarkschool.org.
PECO extends COVID-19 customer support efforts through June 1
PHILADELPHIA » To offer continued assistance to customers impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, PECO is extending its support policies, which include suspending service disconnections, waiving new late fees, and reconnecting customers who were previously disconnected, through at least June 1.
The company’s COVID-19 policies, designed to help ensure all customers have access to safe and reliable electric service during this critical time, launched in mid-March with PECO’s announcement to suspend service disconnections and waive new late payment charges for all of customers. The commitment was extended shortly thereafter to reconnect customers who previously had their power disconnected.
“We recognize the impact of COVID-19 on our customers and communities has been greater than anyone could have imagined, with many experiencing financial difficulties and uncertainty about the future,” said Mike Innocenzo, PECO president and CEO. “We remain committed to every customer through difficult times, and we will continue to support our communities in need. During this pandemic, we will power through together.”
Customers who are challenged to pay their energy bill should contact PECO customer care as soon as possible at 1-800494-4000. PECO will work closely with customers to waive late payment fees, avoid having their service shut off, discuss reconnections, and determine eligibility for assistance programs. PECO representatives can also discuss payment options, like budget billing, which averages payments over a
12-month period to help customers manage their monthly energy bill, or flexible payment arrangements that offer individually tailored payment installment plans.
Throughout the year, PECO offers many other programs to help customers manage their energy costs and save money.
To ensure customers receive the most up-to-date information from PECO, they are encouraged to register for “My Account,” an easy, online interactive tool that provides customers with the ability to set alerts and provide important contact information. Visit peco.com/myaccount or PECO’s free mobile app to learn more about all PECO’s programs.