I have volunteered at Friends Association for almost a year now and I was both impressed and inspired by the people, services and programs provided to our community by this organization. There is a lot of hard work and compassion that the dedicated professionals strive to provide for the numerous homeless families that come through their door. Friends Association provides shelter for families with children find and maintain permanent housing. Although Chester County is one of the wealthiest counties in Pennsylvania the number of homeless families continues to rise. The success stories of the families that have been helped by Friends Association is truly heart warming. I am proud to be associated with such a fine organization.

Friends Association helps the most vulnerable population, homeless children and their families. The small staff devote all of their time and energy to reaching and supporting as many clients as possible, getting them off the streets, out of cars and into a stable home together. I am part of the dedicated volunteer network that aids staff, clients and the mission of Friends. The opportunities to use your specific strengths and gifts are endless and at the end of the day you can see first hand what a difference you are making. I would highly recommend supporting friends in whatever capacity you are able, because this organization ensures a lifelong impact for the better to every client, volunteer and staff member.

MLK day years ago I was looking for a nonprofit to take my whole family to participate in a "day on" and I decided to look in my own back yard - West Chester borough. When I plugged in my location Friends Association popped up and I was able to sign all of us up to help. It was a day that my family will never forget - we worked together and it was a great way for my children to see that life sometimes throws curve balls to people. Fast forward to 2018 and my children and I have gone back a number of times to help out and I volunteer on a semi-regular basis throughout the year. I am constantly in awe of the way the staff and volunteers of Friends Association live out their mission, not only on paper and big events but in the day to day workings which mean so much to so many families. Their genuine belief in the good of, and the good for, all is evident in all they do and say. They not only show respect to the clients and families but as a volunteer I always feel respected and appreciated - which is why I keep coming back.

Living in one of the richest counties in Pennsylvania, the existence of so many families in need was a rude awakening to someone living here for many years. I have volunteered with Friends Association for over ten years and am still awed by the continuing dedication & work ethic of the staff to help the families who are homeless or in danger of becoming homeless. I have met women where circumstances , beyond their control, have changed their lives & those of their children in a moment - that could be me or anyone. The impact to eumployment , schooling , social services & self esteem that Friends takes on with their mission is inspiring. I have seen the success storie, the appreciation of their clients for the opportunities given and the hope for a better future. This is what motivates volunteers like myself to help Friends make a difference for those disadvantaged families living in our midst. .

Love these people. Helping homeless families get back on their feet in Chester County, PA. Such lovely people doing such amazing work.

I love Friends Association because they have a excellent shelter where parents with dependent children have a place to call home, and not live with the stigma of being ashamed of being homeless.
The shelter is very clean and volunteers are always painting, fixing anything in the apartments and working outside in the yard to make it look beautiful. I take pride in keeping my apartment clean daily because that is how beautiful my apartment looked when I first moved in.
Staff at Friends go out of their way to Help everyone at any time and in every way that they can for All residents who live in the shelter.
Friends will forever be in my Prayers now that I am no longer homeless.

I've only been working with the Friends Association for a couple month and it has been nothing less than a wonderful experience. I never realized how uneducated I was about the topic surrounding homelessness, especially in my hometown. Through these last couple months I have not only learned a great deal about the amazing role Friends plays in helping families move out of and forward from the hard times they've been experiencing; I have also had the opportunity to help out and contribute to all the hard work the agency does day to day. During my time here, I have been able to observe the amazing passion and work ethic everyone puts toward the goal of ending homelessness.

I've been volunteering with Friends every summer since 2014 and I'm glad I did. All the people I've worked with have been amazing and I've learned so much in the past four years!

I’ve volunteered with Friends for more than 3 years, assisting in various ways and donating money and goods. Their hard-working staff is small but wonderful, and their work of addressing family homelessness in Chester County is critically needed. Their work has resulted in helping more and more families in need each year, and making a significant difference in the lives of children who have been impacted by homelessness.

I volunteer in many different positions for Friends. I love being able to help homeless families in my communities. Friends has provided me opportunities to do meaningful work in my hometown. They are a very friendly and helpful staff. I enjoy working with them!

For years, we have worked with the charity to raise funds. They are welcoming and caring for those in need. It could not be for a better cause or have better people working towards it.

The Friends Association is a very special organization surrounded by people who care about the services they provide. I work for a major paint corporation and we partner with this organization for our community paint projects because of the support they give to our local community.

I love working for Friends association. When a client calls to ask for help and I am able to offer support and a list of resources, it feels good to know that person appreciates the help and information I am able to provide. Sometimes we are the one call that made a huge impact in the person's life and sometimes we are only able to give suggestions but the clients always appreciate that we offer support in a time of need.

Friends Association does amazing work in our community. I've had the privilege of volunteering for the past 2 years and have had the opportunity to experience the behind the scenes work that goes on daily.
Families come to Friends often embarrassed about their situation and afraid of what may happen to them and their children. They are treated with kindness, compassion and respect with their immediate needs accessed and worked through whether that means a temporary hotel stay or arranging transportation.
What works best with this amazing organization is the ongoing help and education that Friends does with the families. They don't simply meet their immediate needs. They work with the families to teach them the life skills they are lacking in areas that will prevent future homelessness.
The staff is dedicated, caring and sensitive in all that they do. They are more than just employees of Friends. They are passionate about the mission and the part they each play in it. And, it shows in how they care for and sacrificially give in our community.

Friends Association for Care and Protection of Children is a wonderful organization that helps prevent homelessness! I started volunteering back in 2014 and was interviewed thoroughly by Robin Meixner (Development Director). I could tell she loved helping people and was excited for me to join her organization. I have done clerical work, cleaned the headquarters and a homeless apartment and volunteered twice for the West Chester Charity Ball with Catherine Friedman (Executive Director) and several other volunteers and staff. I look forward to upcoming volunteer opportunities.

I have volunteered for a number of organizations in the past and I have to say Friends Association is the best. It is an organization that puts their client's needs before anything else and the quickness with which they find housing and supplies for families in need is unprecedented. Their success stories are heartwarming and it makes me proud to be part of an organization whose number one goal is to keep families in tact and find permanent housing.

I came to Friends Association for the Care and Protection of Children as an Intern From West Chester University. I have had the opportunity to gain Social work experience as well as Public health experience and applying my degree to the non-profit organization I am pleased to have had this summer to intern at this amazing place.

My experience with Friends Association for Care and Protection of Children has been nothing but wonderful. Friends Association is extremely flexible when it comes to volunteer availability, which is perfect for me because I have a busier schedule during the school year.

As soon as I started working at Friends Association, I found that the staff genuinely cares about the volunteers; they are always happy to see me, they always ask how I am doing, and they truly want to connect with me as a person. I feel that the work I do at Friends Association is important and helpful not only to Friends Association but also to the rest of the community, and the staff is always appreciative of the work I do.

Working at Friends Association gives me a break from school work and gives me opportunities to grow in ways that school and other volunteer opportunities couldn't.

Friends is filled with extraordinary, persistent, hard working indivuals who show the utmost care, and compassion. They don't judge, they are truly there to help and have your best interest at heart. As far as improvements go, I really don't have anything! They go above and beyond while juggling their own everyday lives. They inspire people to do better for themselves when they are at some of the lowest points in their lives and have lost all hope.