Get Ready for the 9th Annual Community Champions
On October 2nd, let's come together as the KenCrest family to celebrate the 9th annual Community Champions Awards.
By Sydney Kerelo
Photos by Aubrey Hoffert
KenCrest is celebrating its 9th annual Community Champions Awards this year on Wednesday, October 2nd, at the RiverCrest Golf Club in Phoenixville, PA.
Every year, KenCrest celebrates those within the community who go above and beyond for the KenCrest family. Whether it’s other organizations that have helped those we support thrive or individual people, we recognize them—not for their size of monetary contribution but for the profound impact of their actions and their sincere desire to serve others without expectation.
Whether they are individual volunteers, business partners, or advocates for members of our community, they are Champions in their own right.
It truly takes an entire community, including you, to bring KenCrest’s mission—to support community development by exploring possibilities, mobilizing resources, and empowering dreams—to life. Our Champions, including those we will honor at the 9th Annual Community Champions Awards, are leading the way.
Last year, 10 organizations and individuals helped KenCrest further its dream of creating inclusive communities.
Here is how they became Champions:
Trevor Kelliher is the founder of All Friends Network, a nonprofit that helps individuals with disabilities connect with each other. His dedication to helping with KenCrest’s Daysharing program’s virtual components has fostered meaningful connections among participants and volunteers.
Kelly Connor was one of the first volunteers to sign up for Daysharing. She connected with two women, one in her 70s and another in her 20s. Her personality complements them and she seamlessly supports them in the activities most meaningful to them.
For more than 30 years, Beatrice Davis has served as Hakeem Horton’s Lifeshairng provider and has become his chosen family. Hakeem and Bea are inseparable and have shared many family vacations, served at their church together, and even volunteered every Wednesday. They have truly become a family.
Pastor Dawn Lare of the First Church of the Brethren has always had an affinity for supporting people with disabilities. When she stepped up to serve as pastor, she wanted to lead an inclusive congregation as one of her priorities. She’s since developed a strong relationship with those in her congregation with disabilities including members of KenCrest’s Lifesharing program and remains a strong advocate for the community.
Representative Joanna McClinton has been a champion for little learners throughout Pennsylvania for some time now. She is a staunch advocate for early education and has been a true partner to KenCrest’s Early Learning community. She has brought awareness to the challenges, including lack of funding, increased expenses, and rampant staffing shortages. She has been an unwavering voice for more significant equity.
Andrea Newtown is the store manager at a local Montgomery County Panera Bread, where she works with an individual supported by KenCrest. As a parent of a child with a disability herself, she has gone above and beyond to foster an environment where neurodiversity is valued in the workplace. She assists with this individual's schedule and training, advocates for his inclusion, and helps him feel confident in his abilities.
IDD Deputy Administrator for the Pennsylvania Delaware County Human Services division, Aleasha Redden-Revell, is firmly committed to serving the children and families in her community. When KenCrest created SWIFT Support Services, she partnered with the organization to ensure children could stay in school. Aleasha helped the program obtain funding from the behavioral health program in Delaware County. Making DelCo the first county to fund this work.
For over 16 years, Anne Mauro has been a Lifesharing provider. She oversees the Handicapped Crusaders, an organization that provides social and educational experiences for adults with intellectual disabilities. Anne creates positive experiences for so many; she comes to know each person she supports intimately, and they become an extension of her family.
Goldie Smith has dedicated most of her adult life to supporting people with disabilities. Not long after retiring from working as an aide at Pennhurst, she became a Lifesharing provider to a young woman who was a previous resident. She supported her for 27 years before she passed away. She then went on to support another woman for 17 years. Each person has become an extension of Goldie’s family.
Lastly, Willits Pharmacy has become an exceptional partner to KenCrest. KenCrest has relied on them for their excellent customer service and dedication for many years. Ken Karle and the Willits Pharmacy team go above and beyond to deliver the medications of the men and women the Agency supports. They have a deep understanding that medical concerns can limit independence and privacy.