The Brandywine Health Foundation, through its Healthcare and Economic Relief Fund, has selected Better Tomorrows to be the recipient of an $8,630 grant to support their work with the Regency Park Apartments and surrounding community of Coatsville, PA.  In partnership with the Chester County Food Bank, Better Tomorrows will provide residents with an expanded food distribution program, allowing for greater access for community members to shelf-stable food and fresh produce and vegetables.

Acknowledging the new reality of the impact of COVID- 19 coupled with the fact that City of Coatesville residents have been living on the margins far too long, the Brandywine Foundation reexamined how it could best serve the community during this as well as any future health crisis.  As a responsive philanthropic organization, the Foundation launched the Healthcare and Economic Relief Fund to address the immediate impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on the Greater Coatesville community. Thanks to many generous donations and sponsorships, they have granted over $127,427 through three rounds of their rapid-release funding effort.  Better Tomorrows is one of 19 organizations to receive funding.

“We are excited about the opportunity Brandywine Health Foundation has afforded us to be able to bolster our work at Regency Park,” says Howard Tucker, President and CEO of Better Tomorrows.  This is an unprecedented time for everyone. We are grateful to be able to ensure our residents have consistent access to food for themselves and their families.”

The grant will not only expand resources for more residents, it will also have an impact on the overall operation of the food pantry, according to Crystal Lowery, Better Tomorrows Social Service Coordinator for Regency Park Apartments. “Thanks to Brandywine Health Foundation, we can grow the food pantry and make the logistics of the job much easier. This is a tough time for everyone.  We are happy to be able to support our families and show them they can count on us,” explains Lowery.

About Better Tomorrows:

Better Tomorrows is an independent 501(c) (3) nonprofit. The multi-service organization currently supports more than 25,000 low-income youth, adults, and seniors in over 120 affordable housing communities across the country. The organization provides case management services and impactful community programming to low-income adults, seniors, children, and youth.  The staff have offices located within the affordable housing developments, allowing for direct access to the populations served. Better Tomorrows’ mission is to mobilize resources to magnify opportunities for individual, community and generational transformation. For more information about Better Tomorrows, visit the website at www.bettertomorrows.org

About the Brandywine Health Foundation:

The Brandywine Health Foundation believes everyone deserves to be healthy and to grow up in a vibrant community. The challenge is that the greater Coatesville area has significant disparities in health based on race, income, ethnicity and geography. The foundation is changing lives and building a healthy community by: investing in organizations that help people live healthier lives; investing in our young people; investing in projects that help Coatesville thrive; and bringing community members together to develop new solutions and new leaders for positive and lasting change in Coatesville. The Brandywine Health Foundation has distributed over $16 million in grants and scholarships, and provides resources and leadership, bringing the community together to increase access to health care for everyone, to help young people grow up safe and successful, and to make the Coatesville area an economically viable community.  To learn more about the Brandywine Health Foundation, visit https://brandywinefoundation.org/.