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Director's Message
As we have reached the holiday season, GVCO is very thankful for the many things that have happened in just the past couple of months. And we are very eager for what's in store as we finish the year and begin 2024.
Just after Thanksgiving the annual day of giving, "Giving Tuesday" occurred. As GVCO has done for the past several years, we have messaged to the Great Valley Community to reach out to other organizations, non-profits and causes and offer to help them on this annual day of giving. We message this because we ask the GV community all year round for their time, energy and resources. Through volunteering, to providing a service, to contributing financially to an initiative or our own GVCO organization. In essence, everyday of the year is "Giving Tuesday" for GVCO and the Great Valley community.
Below are some of the most recent examples of the generosity by our outstanding community. The extraordinary thing for me, having been involved for a couple of decades with GVCO and the community, this level of "Giving Back" has been going on since the beginning. I've told many of the stories through numerous publications through the years. Nearly all of what you see, what the community enjoys and utilizes through our GVCO organization, has all been a byproduct of the Great Valley community. Take the time to read a few of these recent "Feel Good" stories about some of your friends and neighbors.
-Keith Walsh, GVCO Executive Director
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The Great Valley Community Gives | |
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GVCO is collecting coats for the Devereux Foundation. Devereux is committed to helping families in need and help provide assistance in behavioral health.
Donations will be accepted through 12/23.
The annual coat drive is a partnership amongst GVCO, GV elementary schools and the Devereux Foundation.
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Our senior interns dropped a car full of donations of at Home of the Sparrow and we thank all those who contributed!
A special shout out goes to Engage Personal Training in Malvern for donating many, many items.
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Throughout the past 20 years, GVCO has worked with a number of the local Boy Scout troops and more specifically a number of Eagle Scouts trying to earn their Eagle Scout badge. This year, GVCO partnered with Owen Li of Troop 78 of Willistown. Read Owen's extraordinary bio who was a GVHS junior when the project started.
Owen's came to GVCO last spring and asked if there was a project to complete at the new facility that would allow him to receive his Eagle Scout designation. We outlined to Owen the project's vision and over the next six months he planned, designed, scheduled and installed a wonderful retaining wall that is now the backdrop to our playing field at the new GVCO Community Center Complex.
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One Eagle Scout project prerequisite is that the organization provides the materials. The costs for the hardscaping block, mortar, & adhesives needed were substantial so GVCO reached out to a potential donor with an interest in helping GVCO and Owen.
Within minutes of meeting Owen, the Zubyks were convinced that this would be a fantastic opportunity to support the community. Read the Zubyk Family Response to our funding request.
Lastly, Owen needed a mentor for the project who could provide some technical experience and advice to complete the project. Todd Cappelli of Cappelli & Sons is a hardscaping expert who eagerly agreed to help as he has assisted in several Eagle Scout projects in the past.
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The Cappellis are long time participants and volunteers in our GVCO programs, and the business has been in the area for decades. Todd used his connections at Fizzano Bros. to secure the materials plus he and his sons assisted with much of the labor involved in getting the hardscaping in place.
This is a fantastic example of when many of the community's residents, organizations and businesses gather their resources combining for a powerful community outcome. We wanted to share this exceptional story as a testament to how Giving Tuesday is an impactful day, but GVCO and the community are so fortunate that the Giving occurs year-round here in Great Valley.
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Tree Planting
Check out the slide show from tree planting!
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Sam Brown Nursery in Malvern graciously donated 24 10' trees to GVCO's new complex and Chester County Bamboo delivered them! Planting all the trees was quickly done thanks to Cappelli Property Services and GVCO volunteers.
Huge Shoutout to Katie AND Sam Brown Nursey
A HUGE shout out to Katie Arena, horticultural expert from Sam Brown Nursery, and a terrific mom from Sugartown. Katie graciously directed and lent her expertise throughout the entire tree planting project.
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"Our grown kids participated long ago at GVBL. We love the Malvern community. Donating the trees to the new complex was a great way of 'Giving Back' to GVCO and the community"-Andy Schenck, Sam Browns Nursery | |
Challenger Gym is a recreational community gym program for school age kids from first grade through high school who have extra challenges. It is a fun hour of play where friendships are forged, and games and activities are adapted to make everyone feel successful. For many years, Challenger Gym has allowed those who may not find success in traditional community sports programs to laugh, run, jump, throw, make friends and shine! | |
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Challenger Gym has wrapped up their 6 week fall session.
Wendy Morris, PT, put together a wide variety of games to accommodate all skill levels whether it was negotiating a hula hoop trail, throwing bean bags, or manipulating a parachute with friends. The room is filled with delight, cheering, clapping and looks of pride and happiness.
We are looking forward to a gym full of smiles and more laughter at our Spring semester. Stay tuned to GVCO to be a part of it!
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Do you like to make new friends and learn new skills and have lots of fun while you’re doing it? Then you have come to the right place! An integral piece of the Challenger Gym program is our Volunteer Buddies. They accompany our participants on every step, hop, roll, run and slide all while playing, encouraging, and generally having fun. The Spring signup is coming.
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Have you enjoyed watching a game at the new GVCO Community Center from one of our brand new bleachers? | |
The Bradbard family has been involved with GVCO programming for a number of years. Prior to opening, they reached out and asked how they could make an impact. We mentioned that we had no current solution for seating during our GVBL Youth basketball games due to the cost of a complete set of bleachers for the court spaces.
At the end of that meeting, the Bradbard family let us know that they felt strongly about supporting GVCO and would gladly donate the bleachers for the entire community to enjoy for many years to come. Giving Tuesday actually occurred way back in October for GVCO, with a gift that will be giving back to the Great Valley community well into the future.
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Or did you sit at one of our new blue picnic tables and take in a K-2nd grade Flag Football game this past fall?
The new picnic tables were made possible by a wonderful contribution by a family who is heavily involved in our GVCO organization. Stef Robinson and Chuck Jacobson also wanted to do something that the whole GV community could use.
Stef has been instrumental in helping lead the GV Cheerleading group for many years and GVCO suggested something that would impact the fabulous Cheer programming. And what a better way than to give the community a place where parents and friends could sit and enjoy the youth cheer and flag football program each and every fall? Giving Tuesday was also in September for GVCO this year!
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When we needed to switch out the basketball rims a couple of weeks ago, we reached out to long time program supporter, volunteer coach and handyman extraordinaire, Dan Giandonato. Dan spent a couple of hours putting up the breakaway rims at the new GVCO Community Center. | | |
Long time program supporter, volunteer coach and local contractor Steve Mazzone built two sturdy white boxes for the scoreboard controllers. These can be found at the scorers tables at the Center. | | |
The list goes on! Everyday is Giving Tuesday around our Great Valley community. | |
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High School Interns
Fall 2023 - Spring 2024
Several high school juniors and seniors assist GVCO with programming and administrative responsibilities during the school year. Interns work anywhere from 2-5 hours per week between 3pm-5pm Monday through Friday.
GVCO internships have flexible scheduling around academic and extracurricular responsibilities.
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GVHS Community Exploration Internship
Each year, we invite Great Valley High School seniors who have completed enough credits for graduation to apply for the school district's "Work Release" program. Along with being compensated for their work, they are also awarded some graduation credit through the Community Exploration Experiences Program.
Students will leave during the school day either after 4th or 5th period. This is our first year with two seniors: Maddy Camp and Caroline Prevost. The internship builds skills in management, marketing, and collaboration - experiences that are beneficial for their resumes and future roles.
Applications will open in the late Spring for the 24-25 school year.
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Save the Date: Wednesday, March 6th 2024 | |
The donation process from the time you arrive until the time you leave takes about an hour. The donation itself is only about 8-10 minutes on average. | |
January's project is creating care kits for the homeless. Look for more details about personal care products needed and easy food items. | | |
In Ian's Boots is a Pottstown based organization dedicated to providing footwear to those in need. Caring Hands will be collecting gently used shoes and winter boots in February. | | |
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In February and March, we will ask for food and personal care items for the People's Pantry at Church Road.
The People's Pantry is a Malvern based non-profit supporting those with food insecurity in the local community.
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Details are coming for the 2024 March Madness fundraising event. | | | |
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Financing the New GVCO Community Center | |
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It's time for everyone in our Great Valley community to GIVE BACK. The community's support over the past six years has been tremendous [Donor List (11/30/23) ]. Let's finish what we started, paying off the debt and moving forward with the next phase of the project. To do this, the support must continue and be more broad based.
We are asking for help from the entire Great Valley private, public and business community.
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Your copy should address 3 key questions: Who am I writing for? (Audience) Why should they care? (Benefit) What do I want them to do here? (Call-to-Action)
Create a great offer by adding words like "free" "personalized" "complimentary" or "customized." A sense of urgency often helps readers take an action, so think about inserting phrases like "for a limited time only" or "only 7 remaining"!
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Rendering of the 1st Phase of the
GVCO Community Center.
See the vision of our new Great Valley Community Center when all phases are finished. Find out some of what we plan to offer at a fully completed complex.
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More Ways to Support GVCO | | |
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Do You Match?
Did you know your employer might have a Matching Gifts program?
It's a great way to contribute and help GVCO complete the entire new GVCO Community Center project.
Use code #47309 for GVCO!
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