We choose the path forward ✨
+ 👣 walking club update + 🎃 trunkers needed + 👖 dressing with dignity + 🐦 birds + more
Happy Friday Friends! Lots to cover today. Start with the fun stuff and scroll down to find something a little more serious. 💛
👣 Come walk with us!
The Chadds Ford Walking Club has been a great success so far. We’d love to have you join us when you can. We had an excellent turnout for the first three walks. Check the CFWC page for upcoming walk dates.
We are making little adjustments as we learn what works best for the community. We will be adding some more walks in October and November (look for those next week).
🚶🏻♀️ Are you up for being an ambassador?
We’d love to add evening or weekend walks. To do that, we need ambassadors for those walks. With kids and other commitments, those times are tough for me to attend.
As an ambassador, you simply need to show up at whichever walk(s) you committed to attend. We want to be sure no one shows up without a neighbor to meet and move. I will help pick times and locations (with your input), share reminders on social media, and so on.
We’d love to have a handful of ambassadors. If you’re interested, please let me know in the comments or send an email to jen@honestlymodern.com. Thanks!
All the deets here! 👇🏻
🥗 Connect with kids at Chadds Ford Elementary
Lunch is so important. Right now, there aren’t enough employees to help feed all the kiddos at Chadds Ford Elementary. Consider applying for a job in the school cafeteria! It’s just a few hours a day, and the spry little ones will keep you young.
Trunk or Treat still needs “trunkers”
Is “trunkers” even a real word? I probably made it up, but you know what I mean. I shared this last week, but I really want this to go off without a hitch! Witches, maybe, but not hitches. 🧙🏻♀️
The Chadds Ford Township Residents Association, host of the event, still needs more residents to dole out candy and goodies from their trunks to make the event a success. You can do as little or as much as you’d like, from just providing candy, treats, or giveaways to decorating your trunk or even dressing in costume.
🎃 If you’re interested, sign up here: Trunk Host Sign Up and Host Instructions
👗 Help our neighbors dress with dignity 👖
Our neighbors in Kennett Square need clothes, and your closet might have the answer! The Wardrobe is a nonprofit organization that aims to eliminate clothing insecurity for everyone in the workplace and beyond. While they have a resale store you can visit if you want to shop for yourself, they are currently in desperate need of donations (particularly menswear).
They accept all attire and more, including formal, professional, casual, comfort, accessories, footwear, and toiletries. Please stop by their Kennett location (345 Scarlet Rd, Suite 11, Kennett Square) on Monday through Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. to drop off donations or shop.
Here are a few more guidelines about their donation process. Now go clean out your closets and find a new home for the good stuff that is ready for a new king or queen to wear. 👑
🍚 P.F. Chang’s is ready to cook for you
Skip dinner prep and let P.F. Chang’s make you dinner on September 29 or 30. They are hosting a Dine and Donate event to benefit the Rachel Kohl Library.
Wrap up dinner for the night with some of their most popular dishes, such as lettuce wraps, sesame chicken, and fried rice. Don’t miss their Great Wall of Chocolate Cake! 🍰
Stop by on one of those two nights and let them know you want to support the library; no specific forms or codes are required. Details below.
🧘🏻♂️ Stretch those hammies!
Got a young athlete who could use some stretching and “cool” yoga? You’re in luck. The Yoga Space is hosting a series of yoga classes for young athletes. Details below!
🦅 Tweet, tweet with the township
Chadds Ford township is considering becoming a Bird Town as part of the Bird Town PA initiative. The organization promotes community-based conservation actions to create a healthier, more sustainable environment for birds, wildlife, and people.
Chadds Ford has a couple of volunteers to help them run the program, but they need a few more hands before committing. If you’re interested in working with fellow neighbors to preserve our green space in a way that benefits wildlife (especially the birds 🐦), reach out to the township and let them know.
Many of us are looking for ways to take action and build stronger communities. This is a great way to get involved!
We have a new PEMA expert in town!
Did you know that Chadds Ford Township has an appointed Emergency Management Coordinator (along with many other appointed officials)? Now you do. 👍🏻 You may have seen Phil Wenrich, our local Emergency Management Coordinator, pop into community Facebook groups from time to time to offer updates on community circumstances. He’s been around for a while, but he’s got a new PEMA certification to show off.
At the Board of Supervisors workshop on Wednesday, township manager Lacey Faber noted that Wenrich earned his Associate Certification from the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA). Congrats to him, and we're lucky to have a local leader with the expertise to handle unexpected situations.
We are the power; we choose the path forward 💛
I’ve had several conversations over the last few weeks with friends across the political spectrum who are deeply concerned about the direction our country is heading. Their reasons vary, but recent polls confirm this is a broad sentiment felt by Americans of all political stripes.
The conversation often ends with some form of “but I have no idea what to do about it.” I don’t have all the answers (nor do any of us). I know, though, that it begins by showing up in community with one another. Let me give you a few places to find inspiration.
I love the idea of finding an activity to make a habit and that offers tangible progress toward a meaningful goal. Maybe it’s community gardens. Perhaps it’s attendance at our Chadds Ford Walking Club. Might you start or host an anti-fascist book club (or a fiction book club; there’s interest in our community)? Volunteer regularly at KACS or another local food pantry (the need is growing). You might be surprised how much these types of activities fill your cup and help foster hope of a better future.
Are you passionate about how our local community develops in the future? There’s a bipartisan grassroots group working to ensure resident voices are heard regarding the development of a new strip mall on Ridge Rd and 202. Check it out if that’s an area where you feel called to speak up and connect with like-minded neighbors.
Go for a walk with a friend who you know votes differently from you. Get curious. Don’t expect them to change their mind. Listen. Ask follow-up questions. It’s ok if it’s uncomfortable; that’s normal. Sit with it, and say, “Let me reflect on that later.” Exchange articles, books, and social media posts that help articulate each other’s positions without being shameful. It might foster hope (even if they don’t change their mind, and they probably won’t, especially right away). The goal should be for both to step away, saying, “You’ve given me something to think about.”
Resist together
Small acts of peaceful resistance add up, and attendance at events helps you find community with people who also seek ways to take action against an increasingly authoritarian government.
I try not to make this newsletter too explicitly political or partisan (though, of course, I write from the bias of my own perspective). The primary purpose of the newsletter is to enhance transparency and accuracy in our discourse, while also fostering common ground with our neighbors.
We have so much to share, even when we don’t agree on political policy, religion, school curriculum, or the best place for mushroom soup in the Brandywine Valley (btw, it’s none of them because mushrooms are gross 🤣, so I’ll let the rest of the mushroom lovers weigh in on that one).
I hope we can all take a step back and consider the risks associated with consolidating federal power and its impact on state sovereignty, freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of the press, freedom of movement, and other fundamental rights.
What’s currently happening is not good for any of us. Even if it’s leaning in your favor today, eventually it won’t. The violent rhetoric tone is coming from the top (and elsewhere, but the tone from the top should be held to the highest standard of leadership). It’s harming all of us. The resistance to quell it will only come from the bottom: me, you, us.
Here is a compelling example of what that might look like. Here are two collective acts of resistance in our local area that might inspire you to take action (West Chester and Delaware County).
I’d love to hear your suggestions for countering hate, violent rhetoric, ruthless corruption by political leaders, and division. Fair or not, it has to start with us.
👣 Hike of the Week 🥾
Send in your recs and photos! (details below)
Sandy Hollow (Brandywine Battlefield)
📍Sandy Hollow Heritage Park (Google Maps)
👣 Paved trail. One mile loop with a bit of elevation.
💚 The Chadds Ford Walking Club visited Sandy Hollow this week. We endured a bit of drizzle. The path is a loop, so you can make the walk as short or as long as you’d like. It’s dog-friendly if that’s your jam. There are about a dozen parking spots in an easy-to-find parking lot right off New St. Find an old canon or two hiding in the trees. 💣
Details to send in your recommendations and photos!
I’d love to get your recommendations and see photos of your hikes around the Brandywine Valley (or anything within about 60 minutes or so of Chadds Ford). If you’re willing to share your ideas and/or photos, reply to this newsletter to email them to me (jen@honestlymodern.com). If you send along photos, I’ll assume you’re ok with me sharing them in this newsletter unless you say otherwise. Thank you!!
Want to see all the hikes I’ve shared? Check out the curated and growing list of Chadds Ford hikes that have been featured as the Hike of the Week. FYI: It’s behind a paywall.
Looking ahead
Here are a few other events you might want to add to your calendar. Several require registration in advance. Double-check dates and times in case they’ve changed since I shared.
Weekend Plans
Sound Bath (meditation/relaxation) | Fri. Sept 26 from 5:30 - 7 pm at The Yoga Space
Brandywine Roadside Clean-Up & Ranger Hike | Sat. Sept 27 from 9:30 - 12:30 pm at Penns Wood Winery (check site for more specific details)
Block Party Opening Celebration | Sat. Sept 27 from 4 - 7 pm at Brandywine Museum of Art
Delco 10-Miler | Sun. Sept 28, starts at Rose Tree Park
Mark Your Calendars
A few more exciting and important events to put on your calendar now so you don’t miss this!
Webinar: Commonwealth & Superior Court Candidate Forum | Tues. Sept. 30 at 7 pm (hosted by League of Women Voters and others to learn more about upcoming candidates and be informed voters)
Fluid Motion: Yoga & Art | Fri. Oct 3 from 5 - 7 pm at The Yoga Space
Barks and Brews | Sat. Oct 4 from 12 - 4 pm at Brandywine Museum of Art Courtyard
Plant BINGO | Sun. Oct. 5 from 2 - 4 pm at Rachel Kohl Community Library (fundraiser for the RK Seed Library)
Senior Citizen Expo | Thurs. Oct 9 (save the date, hosted by Concord Township)
Kennett Bike Fest | Sat. Oct 11 from 1 - 4 pm at 600 S Broad St, Kennett Square
The Great Pumpkin Carve | Thurs - Sat. Oct 16 - 18 at Chadds Ford Historical Society
Trunk or Treat | Sat. Oct 25 from 4:30 - 6:30 pm at Chadds Ford Elementary (parking lot)
Bourbon & Brix | Sat. Oct 25 from 6 - 9 pm at The Inn at Grace Winery (fundraiser for KACS)
Roadside Cleanup, Recycle Day, + Tree Giveaway | Sat. Nov 1 from 8 am - 12 pm at Chadds Ford Township Building (10 Ring Rd)
Veterans Day Flag Retirement | Sat. Nov 8 at 2 pm at Brandywine Battlefield Park
Holiday Tree Lighting | Sat. Dec 6 from 4 - 6 pm at Chadds Ford Township Building (10 Ring Rd)
Explore the comprehensive event calendars of our top event hosts in the community.
Rachel Kohl Community Library (weekly events like yoga, knitting club, storytime, Mah Jong club, and more)
Other events to add?
In the comments, feel free to share any other events happening in and around Chadds Ford that you think our neighbors will enjoy!
