WellSprings is a thriving community with many wonderful teams. While each team has an important role to play within WellSprings and our surrounding communities, we’d like to highlight one team hard at work every year: The HeartWorks Team. The mission of the HeartWorks Team is to commit to heartfelt acts of conscious service grounded in compassion and respect. Through life’s endless cycle of giving and receiving, we connect with each other and with the Sacred.
Led by Sandy Tucker, this team does incredible amounts of good for the WellSprings community and our neighbors. A robust group of volunteers* make up the core foundation of the team, but throughout the year WellSprings members and visitors are able to contribute to the works done by the team. Invitations to volunteer or contribute to HeartWorks projects are always shared in our Weekly email, and in Sunday morning announcements – there is almost always an active project, with a way for you or your family to get involved. The HeartWorks Team lends support to WellSprings congregants throughout the year, helping with meals and support during any season of life. When not serving members of WellSprings, the team is actively supporting groups in our neighboring communities.
* Current Members of the Team: Anne Gayl, Kimberly McGarvey, Susan Havens-Lang, Paula Bower, Jim Sterchele, Barb Sterchele, Pat Whitfield, Sheila Van Valkenburg, and Phyllis Ballester.
Feeding others is a common need and one HeartWorks seeks to assist with frequently. Currently, the team is collecting canned goods every Sunday to support the local food pantries. This is an ongoing project to help those fighting food insecurity. Cans collected are donated to the following food banks: Phoenixville Area Community Services (PACS), Chester County Food Bank, West Chester Food Cupboard, and “You Are Worth It” Food Pantry. Another current project for the summer is tending to our community garden. Located at Frazer Mennonite Church, this garden is tended by volunteers throughout the summer with all harvests being donated to local food banks. So far this summer, 322lbs of fresh produce has been donated to local food banks. Twice a year, HeartWorks sponsors a week of meals for St. Mary’s Franciscan Shelter for Homeless Families. With help from congregants, the team provides a hot dinner meal for five days.
Fighting food insecurity is not the only problem the HeartWorks Team seeks to support. Another issue in our community is unhoused individuals. The team provides support through Better Days Ahead, supporting them in their mission to provide survival gear and clothing to the unhoused population in our local area. HeartWorks has held a drive each year to collect and distribute clothing, tents, sleeping bags, and other necessary items to these individuals. HeartWorks also receives a grant to distribute Bombas socks to local organizations in need. Every Christmas season, HeartWorks seeks to spread joy through an angel tree for residents at Kate’s Casa. Congregants donate holiday gifts to families in need.
The HeartWorks Team relies on the support of members of the congregation. However, not all projects can be completed with donations and so funding is required. As of the 2024-2025 fiscal year, the budget for HeartWorks is funded solely by the proceeds from the Cash for Causes Giant Grocery Card program. What is the Cash for Causes program? This program allows you to purchase a grocery card to be used at Giant Food Stores. Giant donates 5% of every grocery card purchased to HeartWorks. You receive the full value of your grocery card. You can make a one time purchase or make an automated monthly purchase through Realm.
We hope you will continue to support the efforts of the HeartWorks Team, whether through participation in a donation drive, volunteering in the garden, or purchasing a Giant Grocery card. Every little bit helps to support their mission. Anyone is welcome to join the team. They meet bi-monthly over a Zoom meeting, but communicate frequently via email. Email Beth Trandahl, Community Engagement Coordinator, for more information on Team meetings and how to get involved.