Community news of Delaware County
Twenty-one dogs that were in the path of Hurricane Helene's destruction are making their way to Providence Animal Center in Upper Providence.
The dogs, who were homeless when the storm hit, are coming in on Sunday, Oct.6.
The dogs are being transported north by Animal Aid USA from rural southern Georgia shelters as those shelters work to rebuild and clear space to help animals who became homeless as a result of the storm, PAC said.
One shelter that suffered severe devastation is Brother Wolf Animal Rescue in Asheville, North Carolina.
Brother Wolf is a dedicated partner in PAC's Fido Fixers program, a mobile spay and neuter initiative that provides accessible low or no-cost surgeries to pets in need. Brother Wolf's shelter and their mobile spay/neuter van that PAC leases to them are both completed flooded. Fortunately, all people and animals were able to get to safety.
"We are grateful that Brother Wolf and the other shelters we are supporting were able to save the lives of the people and animals," said Jo-Ann Zoll, PAC's CEO. "Being far from the destruction, it's easy to feel helpless, but here at PAC we're doing what we can to help."
PAC continued:
In an effort to make space at the lifesaving shelter's campus, the shelter is asking for the public's help through adopting or fostering, either a dog currently at PAC, or one of the forthcoming hurricane dogs, which range from puppies to adult dogs of varying sizes.
Fostering a hurricane rescue would typically be a 14-day commitment.
Fosters would have the first opportunity to adopt should they fall in love with one of the evacuees. For more information about fostering or to get started by filling out an application, visit Providenceac.org/Foster. Text 610-566-4575 with questions.
To view the Hurricane Helene rescues upon their arrival, visit PAC's Facebook page at facebook.com/ProvidenceAnimalCenter.
To support PAC's lifesaving rescue efforts, visit ProvidenceAC.org/Donate . To learn more about or support Brother Wolf's road to recovery, visit bwar.org.
Providence Animal Center is a lifesaving animal welfare nonprofit located at 555 Sandy Bank Road. Services include adoption, veterinary care and dog training. Learn more at ProvidenceAC.org .
AMVETS announce bingo, flea market
AMVETS Post 118, 211 N. Morton Ave., Morton, will hold a bingo event on Sunday, Oct 20 from 2 to 4 p.m.
Cost is $15 for 10 games and is payable at the door. Additional cards cost $1 per game.
The event is a BYOF, and there is a cash bar at the post. A 50/50 drawing will also be held. For questions, contact the post at 610-543-9551.
The AMVETS will hold a flea market at the post, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 19. Cost is $15 per space or two spaces for $25.
Vendors must bring their own table. All vendors can pay on arrival. For more information, contact Renee at 484-461-4286.
Havertown's Skatium celebrates 50 years today
The Haverford Skatium, 1002 Darby Road, Havertown, is celebrating its 50th milestone birthday, a half century of skating, laughter, and community fun, beginning with a free public skate event from 2:30-4 p.m., today, Oct. 5 during Haverford Township Day.
Throughout the month, the Skatium will host special events and promotions to honor 50 years of cherished memories on Friday nights from 7-8:30 p.m., and on Sunday, Oct. 27 from 12:15-1:45 p.m.
Haverford Township residents are invited to enjoy a 50% discount on public skate passbook purchases in October. This offer is limited to one passbook per household. For more information, call the Skatium at 610-853-2226.
Aston Seniors Club to hold craft fair today
The Aston Seniors Club will hold its annual craft fair today, Oct. 5 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Aston Community Center, 3270 Concord Road, Aston Township.
Crafters, lunch, baked goods, raffles, 50-50, and more will be available so shoppers can start Christmas shopping early in a relaxing environment.
Electronics recycling collection comes to Rose Tree Park
Pennsylvania Resources Council will hold an electronics recycling collection on Thursday, Oct. 31 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Rose Tree Park, 1671 N. Providence Road, Media.
The event will provide residents with a convenient and cost-effective method of responsibly disposing of televisions, computers and other electronic equipment.
At no cost, individuals can drop off laptops, tablets, computer towers, phones and various electronic devices. For a fee, individuals can recycle televisions, computer monitors and printers.
"PRC provides residents with numerous options to conveniently and cost-effectively dispose of a wide variety of materials not accepted in curbside pick up," according to PRC Executive Director Darren Spielman. "It's important to divert these materials from landfills since many contain toxic elements that can leach into our waterways or introduce dangerous toxic chemicals into our environment, while others contain valuable recyclable resources."
Registration is currently open. Participants must register in advance by calling 610-353-1555 x3 or online at
The event is sponsored by Delaware County Parks in partnership with County of Delaware, DELCO Sustainability and Reworld.
Hop on the Cheers Trail in Chester County's Brandywine Valley
With watering holes holding titles such as "the most award-winning brewery east of the Mississippi" and "the best craft gin distillery in the country," Chester County's Brandywine Valley is home to many home-grown brewing, distilling and fermentation establishments.
Chester County Tourism has made it even more fun to sip and stir your way through the region with the Chester County Cheers Trail. The interactive pass helps visitors explore more than 40 participating breweries, wineries and distilleries in the region, and get rewarded for it.
Visitors and locals are encouraged to visit brandywinevalley.com/cheers to register to earn points towards free merchandise.
Users do not need to download an app to be a part of the promotion. They can just save the page to their home screen or browser and, when at participating locations, check in to earn the points. With more than 1,000 subscribers and 2,000 check-ins, visitors are likely to sit next to someone wearing one of the Cheers Trail hats!
As for the rewards, each location is worth 100 points.
So, users can save up those points for prizes like Cheers Trail Pint or Wine Glass, 700 points; Cheers Trail T-Shirt, 1,400 points; pick-your-own Cheers Trail hats, 2,000 points; and Cheers Trail Hoodies, 2,700 points.
Many of the participating locations are located within walking distance of hotels.
To review a complete list of properties, some with package discounts like tickets to Longwood Gardens, visit
Contracts awarded for reducing maternal health disparities
The Delaware County Health Department announced this week that it has awarded two contracts to help reduce maternal health racial disparities in Delaware County.
"Addressing racial disparities in maternal health is a critical public health priority for Delaware County," said interim Health Director Lora Siegmann Werner. "These programs will help ensure that we are providing culturally and congruent community-based support during pregnancy and childbirth."
Funding was awarded to The Foundation for Delaware County to implement the Delaware County Perinatal Doula Program: Growing and Diversifying the Doula Workforce project.
Doulas are trained professionals who provide physical, emotional, and informational support to mothers before, during and after childbirth. They offer guidance on medical procedures, emotional and physical labor support, postpartum care, and infant care, helping to advocate for the best health outcomes for both mother and baby.
Under this three-year project, the foundation will establish the Delaware County Doula Collaborative, with the primary objectives of recruiting and training doulas, supporting their state certification, and establishing a directory of practicing doulas.
Community-based doulas become trusted members of their communities, offering vital support to underserved populations. The training provides participants with valuable education and certification, creating a pathway to rewarding careers and growing and diversifying the doula workforce across Delaware County, the health department said.
This perinatal doula program is offered in partnership with the Delaware County Health Department and is grant-funded through the Employment and Training Administration of the U.S. Department of Labor. The award provides 100% of total costs and totals $600,000.
The foundation's maternal and child health programs including WIC, Healthy Start, and Nurse-Family Partnership have been delivering supportive services in the Delaware County community for more than thirty years.
"We know that it takes a village of support to have a healthy pregnancy and good maternal and birth outcomes," stated Joanne Craig, chief impact officer. "Providing a platform that offers a directory of doula services will help Delco families find doulas who understand the unique challenges, experiences, fears, and concerns faced by birthing people and their families. We are grateful to the Delaware County Health Department for recognizing this need and look forward to launching the directory in early 2025."
Nursing students have a role in mitigating bias and social determinants of health in caring for birthing people and their families. Labor support has been shown to reduce the risk of cesarean sections up to 39%, reduce the need for pain medication, improve Apgar scores, improve the birth experience, and shorten labor by an average of 41 minutes, the department said.
This academic birth companion program is offered in partnership with the Delaware County Health Department and is funded by a grant from the Employment and Training Administration of the US Department of Labor. The award provides 100% of total costs and totals $200,000.
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