The Chester County Food Bank serves more than 120 partner agencies in the county, and through this vast network, it distributes more than 3.2 million pounds of food to people with limited or uncertain access to adequate food.

Considering the weight of these facts, it’s hard to imagine Chester County without a central hunger relief organization like the Food Bank. However, that was precisely the case as recently as 2009, when a multitude of food cupboards, hot meal sites, and shelters existed as independent entities and operated without any sort of infrastructure tying them together.

Back then, Larry Welsch and an intrepid group of board members, donors, and employees opened the doors of the Chester County Food Bank. One of them was Phoebe Kitson-Davis, who recently announced that she would be leaving her position as Director of Agency & Community Partnerships later this month.

“The winds of change are upon me, like the scene in Mary Poppins when the weather vane moves and she knows it is time to leave,” said Kitson-Davis, an ordained Presbyterian minister who is returning to her pastoral ministry. “It has been my honor and privilege to be a part of this meaningful work. Whether it was raising awareness about food insecurity or addressing the root causes of poverty for our neighbors, I have done my best to honor those who struggle, create bridges of opportunities for those who want to help, and find those lasting partnerships that allow ‘all ships to rise’ by raising everyone’s opportunities to succeed.”

In 2009, following the Great Recession, Kitson-Davis was asked by the Chester County Commissioners to participate on a commission that explored food insecurity in the county and what could be done to address it. Her involvement led to her being offered the position of Program Manager when the Food Bank officially opened its doors on Jan. 1, 2010.

In the decade since, the Food Bank, which initially operated out of a two-car garage on Main Street in Parkesburg, has become one of the most innovative and well-regarded food banks in the country.

“I continue to be in awe of what the Food Bank has done, is doing, and will do in the future,” said Kitson-Davis. “It is an organization that will be close to my heart, always.”

“Phoebe’s heartfelt passion in her work as Director of Agency & Community Partnerships has been key to our success as a Food Bank,” said Welsch, the Food Bank’s Executive Director. “Her reputation as a community builder is unmatched. Phoebe was our first staff member, and we will all miss her.”

Kitson-Davis’s announcement has prompted an outpouring of affection for her commitment to her work on behalf of the approximately 50,000 people in Chester County who struggle with food insecurity.

“I truly have never met anyone so enthusiastic to help others in need,” said Betsy Billie, Executive Director of the West Chester Area Day Care Center. “Phoebe would do whatever it took to get the job done, and her passion showed in everything she did.”

“Phoebe was the hands and feet of Jesus and ignited his heart of love for people at the Chester County Food Bank,” said Charlene Fitzwater, Director of the Good Samaritan Food Closet in Paoli.

“Phoebe’s work in Chester County and at the Food Bank has propelled our work in fighting food insecurity in this county in immeasurable ways,” said Beth Harper Briglia, Executive Vice President of the Chester County Community Foundation.

“Although the Food Bank is losing an employee, it is nonetheless maintaining an ally in the fight against food insecurity,” said Dan Wilson, Executive Assistant of the West Chester Area Senior Center.