The Chester Housing Authority’s (CHA) Ruth Bennett Community Farm will distribute more than 100 free boxes of food and fresh produce to residents on November 19 from 12:00PM to 2:00PM to help families prepare for the Thanksgiving holiday. The boxes will include a variety of items and will be portioned out to a one family serving size, in accordance with local health officials’ recommendations to limit the size of holiday gatherings.
Residents from the Bennett Homes and senior citizens will be prioritized, with families invited to take one box per household. Pick-up procedures will follow strict social distancing rules, with workers wearing facemasks and all attendees being asked to stand six feet apart.
This will be the final food distribution as part of biweekly installments that began in April in response to Covid-19. In the spring, farm manager Natania Schaumburg and her cohort of youth workers quickly shifted efforts to set up this biweekly food distribution as both a way to decrease crowded grocery store visits and ease financial burdens for residents. They have been utilizing emergency funds from the Foundation for Delaware County to finance their efforts. The Thanksgiving distribution is part of CHA’s efforts to provide relief to residents during this difficult time. The housing authority has also been working with residents to adjust monthly rent payments as needed, standing up rapid results testing sites and sharing information on resources located in Chester and Delaware County on its social media pages. Additionally, it launched a weekly video series titled “Building Community” where CHA Executive Director Steve Fischer and Project Manager Ulysses Slaughter bring together community members and local experts in areas such as health and family issues to discuss topics of relevance to Chester residents each week. Who: Steven Fischer, Chester Housing Authority Executive Director Natania Schaumburg, Ruth Bennett Farm Manager Ruth Bennett Farm Youth Workers CHA Residents When: November 19th from 12:00PM-2:00PM Where: Ruth Bennett Community Farm 1318, Carla’s Ln, Chester, PA 19013 (near basketball court)