Great Valley Community Org. Outreach Efforts

The current pandemic has forced many volunteer organizations to make significant changes in community service activities and outreach. Social distancing restrictions are particularly challenging for youth volunteer groups, who often can provide the most benefit to the community by sharing their time and talents. The key is to adapt and make the best of the situation.

The Great Valley Community Organization (GVCO) Caring Hands Program was established to empower local high school students to support their community by raising funds for individuals or families experiencing hardship, tragedies, or catastrophic events. In addition these high school students are organized by the group’s student leaders to volunteer at numerous events throughout the year. In past years Caring Hands has been able to deliver an average of about $10,000 a year in financial support to the Great Valley Community.

At the outset of the pandemic Caring Hands focused efforts to support our local health care workers by donating almost 400 special headbands with buttons. These creative and colorful headbands helped to alleviate irritation around the ears for these local heroes who were required to wear masks for long shifts. It was inspiring for the Caring Hands students to hear how these headbands provided relief during these very difficult times.

In the fall of 2020 the student volunteer efforts focused on two outreach efforts:

• Donations to Cradles to Crayons – Almost 60 bags of clothing, shoes, school supplies and games were collected, sorted, and delivered to Cradles to Crayons Philadelphia
• Holiday Cheer for Local Seniors – 800 wrapped Christmas gifts were distributed to area seniors in Great Valley, as well as the Phoenixville and Surrey Services Senior Centers

In recent months the community focus of the Caring Hands program has pivoted to addressing food insecurity challenges within our local senior community. In December 2020 Caring Hands delivered $1,000 in Giant Food Store gift cards to local senior families, and the donation of Giant gift cards has continued into 2021. If you are aware of any seniors in the Great Valley community currently facing difficulties putting food on their tables, please contact Caring Hands at community@gvco.org.

In December 2020 GVCO was awarded a grant of $1,000 in gift cards by the Giant Company, and this generous donation enabled Caring Hands to support even more seniors in our community. Stong Plumbing in Malvern donated $500 in February 2021 to Caring Hands for additional Giant gift cards for our local seniors. It is wonderful to see these local companies, along with other community donors, giving back to the community and helping the Caring Hands student volunteers to help more of our neighbors in need.

Are you interested in helping the GVCO Caring Hands Program assist even more neighbors who could use some help during these trying times? Tax-deductible donations to Caring Hands can be made online at Donate to Caring Hands, or checks can be mailed to

Great Valley Community Organization

51. N. Bacton Hill Road

Malvern PA 19355