Abruzzese Delco to honor 2 at 29th annual dinner dance
Summer camp grants available for children of job seekers
GLENOLDEN » Associazione Regionale Abruzzese (ARA) of Delaware County will hold its 29th annual dinner dance to honor those who contribute greatly to the community on Sunday April 28 from 4 to 9 p.m. at Oaks Ballroom by Anthony’s Catering, 511 W. Oak Lane, Glenolden.
The event fosters Italian customers, language and customs and will be a fundraiser for St. Gabriel Church in Abruzzo, Italy.
This year’s honorees are Dr. Erin Di Marco, senior vice president and COO of Wilmington University and Eustace Wolfington, the executive producer of the “Cabrini” film, along with others on the film team. Local students who have excelled in the studies of Italian language will also be honored at the event.
Tickets are $75 and include one hour open bar cocktail hour, hors d’oeuvres, wine served with dinner, choice of prime rib or crab cakes, and entertainment by Fulvio and Sal. Basket raffles and 50/50 drawing will benefit select charities.
For tickets or information, email Nrapagnani@yahoo. com or tessatree76@gmail. com or call Nick at 610-2129888, Rose at 610-5054599 or Pasquale at 610-283-0461.
Tickets on sale for 1824 Ball to benefit Chester Historical Preservation Committee
An 1824 Ball, celebrating the 1724 Chester Courthouse, will take place 5-9 p.m. on Sunday, May 4 at the Lazaretto
Ballroom, 99 Wanamaker Ave., Essington.
The event will feature a silent and live auction, with a mural and 3D models of the courthouse, dinner, music and dancing. Colonial or formal attire is recommended.
Tickets cost $65 each or $120 per couple and all proceeds will benefit the Chester Historical Preservation Committee.
For more information or to purchase tickets, call 610-872-4497 or visit http:// chestepreservation.org.
Delco Strong Summer Camp Solution program now available for job seekers
Delaware County Council approved the Delco Strong Summer Camp Solution program for 2024 last week, providing $50,000 to Delaware County parents and caregivers looking to return to the workforce.
The program, first launched in 2021 by the Delaware County Office of Workforce Development and the Delaware County Commerce Center, provides unemployed residents up to $1,000 in financial credit towards the cost of a child’s summer camp — which can be applied toward attendance fees and other fees charged by the
camp — so that parents and caregivers are better able to focus on their search for employment and return to work.
The program allows unemployed caregivers seeking employment and transitioning back to the workforce the peace of mind knowing their children are safe and in a positive environment. The program not only benefits caregivers, but also the children who are provided with rewarding and enriching summer experiences.
As of April 5, participating summer camps include Boys & Girls Club of Chester, Chef Dad’s Table, Colonial Plantation, Darlington Fine Arts Center, Delaware County Community College Kids Camp, Media Arts Council and the YMCA of Eastern Delaware County, with camps at the Lansdowne, Ridley and Springfield branches.
Additional camps are expected to participate in the coming weeks.
Unemployed residents of Delaware County with children under the age of 15 can register for the assistance.
To register for a camp, visit the “Delco Strong Summer Camp Solution” page on the PA CareerLink Delaware County website at https://pacareerlinkdelco.org/summercamp,
and review the list of camps.
Caregivers are responsible for contacting camps, confirming dates and times, and completing the registration process.
Once registered, the Delco Strong Summer Camp Solution program will work directly with the camp to cover attendance costs and other related fees, up to $1,000 per caregiver. Caregivers may only participate in the program one time; residents who participated in previous years are not eligible.
Camp organizations throughout Delaware County are encouraged to participate.
To become a participating camp, send an email to Delaware County Workforce Development at WorkForceCamp@co.delaware.pa.us and a member of the team will be in contact to discuss program details.
For additional information of interest to job seekers and employers, visit https:// pacareerlinkdelco.org.
Penn State Extension Master Gardeners sponsor local garden contest
The 33rd Annual Penn State Extension Master Gardeners
of Delaware County Garden Contest, open to all county gardeners, will be held this spring and summer.
Both novice and advanced gardeners can enter the contest. Gardens will be judged by gardeners’ good gardening practices, design, plant variety, and environmental impact and will recognize winning gardens for their merits. Penn State Master Gardeners will personally visit all gardens entered in the content.
On the judging days, entrants meet with a panel of Master Gardeners, who will not only judge the gardens but also answer gardeners’ questions.
Award ribbons and certificates for each category will be awarded at the Penn State Extension Master Gardeners’ annual Fall Fest, which takes place at Smedley Park in Springfield on Sept. 28.
In addition to home gardens, all Delaware County community gardens are welcome to enter, whether the garden is part of a school, senior center, or any other kind of group garden.
The contest has the following three judging dates: The first judging date of May 17 is for ornamental gardens that have spring ephemerals such as azaleas, bulbs, and peonies. The deadline to enter is May 13.
If a garden is full of annual flowers and early summer flowering shrubs and trees, the judging date is June 21 and the deadline to enter is June 17.
On Aug. 2, Penn State Master Gardeners will judge vegetable and community gardens throughout the county. Last year, many community gardens entered for the first time, mostly from churches, schools and senior community gardens. The deadline to enter is July 29.
If interested
in entering the garden contest, visit https://pennstate. qualtrics.com/jfe/form/ SV_4ZKsuYttlUmrSho.
Swarthmore Public Library to hold annual Nosh and Knowledge
The Swarthmore Public Library will be hold its third annual Nosh and Knowledge, presented by King’s Automotive, from 7-9 p.m. on Thursday, May 2.
The community is invited for a night of trivia, food, and drinks at Ship Bottom Brewery, 5 Park Ave., Swarthmore.
Advance tickets, available now online or in the library, are $25. Tickets at the door will be $30.
Registration is individual, but teams may have up to four people. Each event ticket will include one raffle ticket, one drink ticket, and Renato’s pizza. The team with the highest score will win a prize.
Raffle baskets are currently on display in the library. Purchase your raffle tickets now; winners will be drawn at the event.
The library thanks its sponsors King’s Automotive, Harvek Oak Mercantile, Ship Bottom Brewery, Renato Pizza, Head Room, EZ Composting, Boedco Inc., and Perri Evanson Homes. This is a Delco Gives Day event. All proceeds benefit the Swarthmore Public Library.
For more information or tickets, contact the library at 610-543-0436 or visit http://swarthmorepubliclibrary.org.
Pennsylvania Horticultural Society celebrates Earth Day with local events
The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS) will celebrate Earth Day by planting
trees throughout the Greater Philadelphia area from April 19 thrugh 21, with assistance from more than 75 of its PHS Tree Tenders groups, neighborhood volunteers, and community organizations.
Over 1,100 trees are to be distributed and planted over one week.
PHS is on a mission to build the Philadelphia region’s tree canopy and promote healthier, greener communities through this semiannual initiative.
Tree canopy, or the amount of land shaded by trees, has been scientifically proven to improve health and well-being outcomes in communities, including leading to a decline in heatrelated illnesses and lower rates of violence, the society says.
A healthy tree canopy coverage is thought to be 30% of the total land area. The city of Philadelphia only has 20% coverage overall, and in certain neighborhoods, tree canopy is as low as 2.5%. These startlingly low figures have prompted PHS to commit to increasing tree canopy throughout the region, especially in areas with few trees and higher than average temperatures.
There are two opportunities where volunteers can assist. Volunteers are needed to sort and distribute trees from April 16 to 19 and to plant trees from April 19 to
21. To learn more, visit http:// PHSOnline.org/programs/ tree-programs/get-involved.
During the first dates, volunteers, led by PHS staff, will help unload 1,100 bare root trees, sort, and assist in distributing these trees to neighborhood Tree Tenders groups. To sign up to volunteer during a Tree Distribution Day, visit https://phs. volunteerhub.com/vv2/lp/ phstrees.
Delaware County tree planting events include:
• Media Tree Tenders: planting 12 trees, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 20
• Swarthmore Street Tree Committee: planting 12 trees, 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, April 20.
• Chester Shade Trees: planting 12 trees, 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, April 20
• Glenolden Shade Tree Committee: planting eight trees, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, April 20
• Springfield Tree Tenders: planting 13 trees, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday, April 19
• Radnor Township: planting 30 trees, 9 a.m. to noon Sunday, April 21
• Tree Tenders of Upper Darby: planting 10 trees, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, April 20.
No prior expertise is necessary for volunteers to participate in the tree planting process, which usually takes three hours at the specified location.
A PHS Tree Tenders group leader will be present at all planting sites to guide and encourage volunteers.
Everyone is asked to bring hand sanitizer, gloves, closed-toed shoes, a water bottle, and, if they have one, a shovel.
Planting tools such as shovels, pickaxes, brooms, garbage bags, and other items will be supplied onsite.
Participants are also advised to dress appropriately as plantings will take place, rain or shine. Visit https:// phsonline.org/tree to sign up for a planting event.