Second annual Delco Gives raises nearly $2M for local nonprofits

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Wet grass and muddy puddles weren’t enough to dampen the closing celebration of Delaware County’s largest marathon of charitable giving.

The second annual Delco Gives has already garnered $1.9 million in donations for the 306 participating nonprofits, eclipsing the inaugural benchmark.

The Foundation for Delaware County, host of Delco Gives, threw a party Friday at Rose Tree Park in Media to acknowledge the hard work of the community, as donations continued to pour in.

“Well over 10,000 donors stepped up and we’re just thrilled that we’ve been so successful with everything going on in our community right now,” said Frances Sheehan, president of the foundation. “I think folks really stepped up and recognized that we really need … a nonprofit  community [as strong] as possible going into these uncertain times.”

Delco Gives festivities kicked off Wednesday at Dining Under the Stars in Media, with a string of dance and musical performances from local troupes. The online donation portal opened Thursday as volunteers organized community tailgates across the county to spread the message.

The closing celebration attendees cheered at the announcement of the donation tally.

“This is just the beginning,” Sheehan said. “We’re going to grow from here.”

The jamboree served another purpose: uplifting nonprofit organizations doing important work within county lines.

“We’re in a situation that a lot of nonprofits face today, which is that we’ve had a lot of our federal funding cut recently as a result of [Department of Government Efficiency] cuts,” said Stephanie Sena, founder of Breaking Bread Community Shelter in Upper Darby, referring to the Elon Musk-led agency that has been behind many funding cuts and large-scale layoffs at federal agencies.

“At the same time, we’re seeing the need for shelter increase dramatically,” she added.

Breaking Bread is the only pet-friendly shelter in the region, and it’s one of the main providers in Delaware County for housing services.

“We have a very high track rate of getting people housed with their pets,” Sena said. “This year, we’ve housed 50 people — and the year isn’t over. We are always looking for volunteers.”

With the sudden closure of Crozer Health, nonprofit healthcare providers like ChesPenn Health Services are stepping in to fill the gap left by Delaware County’s largest health system.

“We have federal funds that help us remain open,” said Susan Harris-McGovern, president and CEO of ChesPenn. “We are there for the community. It was a community need, and that’s what we were born out of. And as long as the community needs us, we will be there.”

Editor’s note: The Foundation for Delaware County provides support for WHYY. WHYY News produces independent, fact-based news content for audiences in Greater Philadelphia, Delaware and South Jersey.