Local pastor honored as Pennsylvania County Corrections Chaplain of the Year
CONCORD » Rev. Cokelia Oliver-Dunn of George W. Hill Correctional Facility is one of two recipients of the 2020 Pennsylvania Prison Chaplains Association Correctional Chaplain of the Year award. Each year the PPCA recognizes one chaplain from the state correctional institutions, and one from the county corrections facilities. Rev. Oliver-Dunn was honored as the outstanding county chaplain.
She currently serves as the chaplain and volunteer coordinator at G. W. Hill Correctional Facility, a post she has held since 2010 as well as a contracted chaplain at SCIChester.
Oliver-Dunn was first licensed to preach in December 1985 and later ordained in 1989 by the Keystone Baptist Association as a member of the First Baptist Church in Wayne. She also pastored the First Baptist Church of Marple in Springfield from 2003 until 2013. Collectively, she has been serving in prison specific ministry for twentyfive years.
The PPCA is an association of state and county correctional chaplains founded in 1976 to elevate the standards of religious programs in correctional facilities while improving the effectiveness of correctional chaplains. The PPCA selected OliverDunn as this year’s awardee amongst a host of nominations because of her excellent work, faithful tenure, and caring nature.
Oliver-Dunn received her award during the annual
PPCA Conference on Sept. 2, recognized among seventy of her chaplain colleagues and participating dignitaries that evening.
Show your Eagles spirit and protect others
Jim May is still at it! Since March, the local tailor has been sitting at the sewing machine inside his costume shop at 450 MacDade Blvd. in Ridley Township, turning out mask after mask to keep up with the demand of keeping the local community safe from COVID-19. He said if local residents wear masks, everyone they come in contact with will stay safe.
This month, in his continued effort to stop the virus from spreading, he is churning out Eagles masks, in the spirit of the football season. May is a lifetime fan of the team and he’s giving away the masks, hoping they will encourage fans to keep them on to show their spirit and do their part to protect others.
May found himself on stage at the Eagles victory parade when player Jason Kelce delivered his now-famous speech, following the Eagles’ 2018 Super Bowl win. May made the now-iconic dazzling Mummers hat and costume that Kelce wore that historic day.
So far, the talented May, assisted by his wife Betty Lou, has made more thousands of reusable face masks, giving them to healthcare workers, police and fire departments, nursing homes and other longterm care facilities, senior citizens, students, supermarket clerks and all frontline workers and many others. If anyone is in need of a mask, he generously supplies it. His mission is to make sure everyone not only has a mask, but wears it.
“Masks save lives — it is that simple,” May said. “I just want to see people wearing a mask so they stay safe and keep everyone around them safe.”
May said his Eagles masks are comfortable and wash nicely. The Mays said those in need of protective masks can request them by calling 610-532-3430 and, if they are able to accommodate their request, they will make arrangements for contactless pick-up.
White Horse Village hosts virtual race discussion series
According to White Horse Village in Edgmont, it has been committed to creating a diverse environment that is welcoming and accepting since its opening in 1989. Last year, residents and team members joined together to create an Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Advocacy committee to encourage and support diversity, inclusion, and equity.
The IDEA committee recently presented the first of three virtual discussions titled “A Conversation on Race.” Thirty-seven team members participated in the discussion, facilitated by Marsha Wesley Coleman of Friends Service Alliance. The virtual events feature a group discussion, small group reflections, and a themed video. Laptops and paid time-off are provided for team members to participate in IDEA events.
The IDEA events offer a warm and friendly environment that encourages people to be genuine in sharing who they are and their experiences in belonging. By becoming a more inclusive community, White Horse Village wants all people to have the opportunity to feel welcome and valued. For more information, visit www.whitehorsevillage.com.
U.S. News ranks Neumann among best for academic quality and social mobility
Neumann University has been ranked among the Best Regional Universities in the North by U.S. News & World Report in its Best Colleges 2021 issue.
U.S. News also ranked Neumann among the Best in the North for social mobility. This ranking identifies colleges that are successful at advancing social mobility by enrolling and graduating significant proportions of economically disadvantaged students who are eligible for Pell Grants.
Neumann was ranked #8 among regional universities in Pennsylvania for social mobility. The magazine’s overall rankings are based on academic quality. According to the publication’s website, the statistical indicators that U.S.
News uses to measure academic quality fall into nine broad areas: social mobility; first-year student retention and graduation of students; graduate indebtedness; expert opinion; faculty resources; student excellence; financial resources; alumni giving; and graduation rate performance. Sixty-one percent of Neumann’s undergraduate classes have fewer than 20 students, and the student-faculty ratio is 14:1.
U.S. News defines Regional Universities as those that offer a full range of undergraduate programs and some master’s programs but few doctoral programs. Neumann offers 48 undergraduate programs, eight master’s degrees, and two doctoral programs. In addition to its academic majors, Neumann University requires that students complete an internship or field experience related to their field of study and offers extensive opportunities for community service. Extracurricular activities include 24 Division III NCAA athletic teams and more than 30 student clubs.
For more information about Neumann, visit www.neumann.edu.