Last Tuesday, Sykes ballrooms transformed into the Good Cause Café, providing students with the opportunity to browse through various collections of donated books, with all proceeds of the sales benefiting the local program, Project One. The used books were donated by Second Reading Used Book Stores, Kennett Square Resale Book Shoppe, Grove United Methodist Church, and Chester County Library. West Chester University has hosted this event for 11 years, giving students the chance to help local organizations, while also updating their book collections with titles ranging from political, non-fiction, biography, and other various categories.
Project One, a program of Family Service of Chester County, provides services for people living in Chester County who are living with HIV/AIDS. The mission of Project One is to “provide a safe, confidential, warm, and nurturing environment for those facing the challenges of living with HIV/AIDS in Chester County.” The program provides care to individuals in the area in ensuring that they understand the medications that they need to take and the possible side effects. It also serves as a safe haven for those infected, as well as their families, to talk to counselors about coping with the disease. In addition, Project One acts as a support system for those with HIV/AIDS and gives people the opportunity to connect with others in the community.
Events like The Good Cause Café make many of the programs that Project One offers to their clients possible, by providing additional funds for these services and support groups. The used books ranged in price from twenty five cents to one dollar, which made it affordable and easy for college students to participate and help local members of the community.
Family Service of Chester County helps families in the community with programs that promote positive well being through counseling and building support systems.
Although the Good Cause Café has ended for the year, Project One and the overall Family Service organization always accept help from anyone who may need volunteering hours for collegiate clubs or who simply want to act as a powerful force of change in the community, by providing support to local Chester County residents in need.
Eryn Aiello is a fourth-year student majoring in communication studies. She can be reached at EA694104@wcupa.edu.