Grant winners from the Mushroom Festival recently gathered to accept their grants.
The Mushroom Festival awarded over $77,000 in grants to 38 local non-profit and community organizations at their annual Grants Reception last week, the Mushroom Festival Board announced today.
While the Mushroom Festival is a weekend event, the impact continues all year. Each year, the Mushroom Festival provides proceeds from the event to local charities and non-profit organizations. From simple, hyper focused needs to larger requests, the Mushroom Festival Grant Program works directly with local groups to identify clear needs that make significant impacts in the community.
Over the past 20 years, the Mushroom Festival has donated more than $1 million in funds to local organizations for things like books, playground equipment, food, transportation, healthcare services, and more.
Gale Ferranto, Buona Foods, Mushroom Festival Coordinator, explained the grant program this way. “Kennett Square is the Mushroom Capital of the World, in large part due to the support of the community. This is a way for the mushroom farming community to say thank you.”
“I want to thank our sponsors who continue to support this program through their Mushroom Festival sponsorships,” said Gina Puoci, Mushroom Festival President. “Every dollar of the Grant Program makes a difference in people’s lives.”
Grants were awarded to the following community groups:
Adult Literacy Program Kennett Library Kennett Square
ALS Association Greater Philadelphia Chapter Chester County
Arts Holding Hands and Hearts West Chester
Avondale Fire Company Avondale
Boy Scouts of America Chester County
Camp Dreamcatcher Kennett Square
Canine Partners for Life Cochranville
Carasmark Landenberg
Domestic Violence Center of Chester County West Chester
Family Promise of Southern Chester County Kennett Square
Friends Home Kennett Square
Friends of Anson B Nixon Park Kennett Square
Good Neighbors Home Repair Kennett Square
Good Samaritan Services Kennett Square
Hero Hunts Foundation Delaware
Housing Partnership of Chester County Downingtown
Kennett After School Association (After the Bell) Kennett Square
Kennett Area Food Cupboard Kennett Square
Kennett Area Senior Center Kennett Square
Kennett Collaborative Memorial Day Parade Kennett Square
Kennett Fire Company No. 1 Kennett Square
Kennett Heritage Foundation Kennett Square
Kennett Underground Railroad Kennett Square
LCH Health and Community Service Kennett Square
Longwood Fire Company Kennett Square
Meals on Wheels of Chester County West Chester
Mighty Wrighters Toughkenamon
New London Counseling Center Lincoln University
Opportunity Health Center/Handicrafters Throndale
Oxford Art Alliance Oxford
Prepared to Thrive West Chester
Reins of Life Landenberg
Southern Chester County EMS West Grove
Spanish Health Ministry Kennett Square
Swayne, Campbell, Testa VFW Post 5467 Kennett Square
The Barn at Spring Brook Farm West Chester
The Garage Community and Youth Center Avondale and Kennett Square
Tick Tock Learning Center Toughkenamon
Planning is underway for the 2023 Mushroom Festival, to be held on State Street, Kennett Square, September 9 and 10. For sponsorship information and more, visit www.mushroomfestival.org
