Safe Harbor of Chester County, dedicated to helping the homeless in Chester County, is expanding and revitalizing a community garden at the Melton Center in West Chester, thanks to two transformative partnerships.

A ribbon cutting ceremony with a Safe Harbor kickoff fundraiser campaign for the garden’s naming rights will take place April 24, 6 to 8 PM, at the Charles A. Melton Arts & Education Center, 501 E. Miner Street in West Chester. Rain date is Thursday, April 25.

The evening will feature a BBQ grill with participants invited to bring a side, dessert or drinks, along with a fire pit and games.

Find out more about the April 24 event.

Safe Harbor is working with the Charles A Melton Arts & Education Center and Two Fish and Five Loaves Cafe, Inc.

The Charles A Melton Arts & Education Center will provide land, an existing community garden and a dedicated manager to oversee operations.

Two Fish and Five Loaves Community Cafe will offer chef services, including culinary expertise nutritional classes and charitable meals to Safe Harbor.

Safe Harbor will be:

• Constructing more raised bed gardens,
• Installing new fencing, extending existing fencing
• Enhancing the irrigation system for sustainable water use,
• Acquiring a garden shed and supplies
• Acquiring a mushroom shed to diversify produce offerings
• Create a mobile greenhouse for year-round gardening and educational activities.

The public has opportunities to contribute and provide funds for this exciting project.

A fundraising campaign is underway to support the garden and café initiatives.

You can donate to Safe Harbor online or make a pledge by emailing Ruby Abouraya, Safe Harbor Director of Development at ruby@safeharborofcc.org.

The three are collaborating on a garden and café to facilitate community engagement, create sustainable practices, and holistic well-being.

Safe Harbor residents and the community will be able to enjoy locally grown produce while enjoying the enhanced beauty of the garden.

The hope, too, is to strengthen community bonds through shared activities.

The garden/café project will provide Safe Harbor residents with improved physical fitness, holistic skill development, mental health support, healthy lifestyle promotion, empowerment through education, community engagement and transition support, social integration, personal and community resilience and economic empowerment.

Volunteers will be working on the project and new volunteers are always welcome.  Volunteers will have a chance to collaborate with the community and develop their gardening skills.

There is currently a need for:

• A Lead Gardener to oversee the garden activity
• A Garden Caretaker to handle planting and harvesting
•  A Companion Gardener to pair up with residents new to gardening to share knowledge and grow plants together.
• Wellness Program Coordinator to combine the benefits of nature and well-being to develop and lead wellness activities in the garden.
• Infrastructure Maintenance Crew building and maintaining everything from fencing to irrigation systems.
• Community Outreach Ambassador and Fundraiser to act as the voice for the garden in the community by spreading the word and engaging with potential supporters to secure resources.

You can find out more about volunteer opportunities by emailing Chaleena Boggs, Volunteer Manager, at chaleena@safeharborofcc.org

Safe Harbor, the Melton Center, and Two Fish and Five Loaves Community Café are committed to fostering a thriving and sustainable space that benefits residents, volunteers, and the wider West Chester community.

:Safe Harbor is a compassionate beacon of hope for the homeless, with a mission to provide shelter, support, resources, and a pathway to stability for individuals experiencing homelessness.

The goal of Safe Harbor is to break the cycle of homelessness, foster resilience and provide a foundation for a brighter future. 

The primary mission of the historic Charles A. Melton Arts and Education Center is to provide civic, arts, recreation, and education (CARE) programs and services to underserved individuals and families in the West Chester area.

Two Fish and Five Loaves Community Café is a faith based non-profit with a mission to heal the community by providing holistic services at reduced or no cost to underserved and disenfranchised individuals and families, including historically underserved youth, returning citizens, seniors, individuals with disabilities, economically disadvantaged persons, and other marginalized populations without regard to their ability to pay.