The Chester Community Coalition started when volunteers from Heeding God’s Call to End Gun Violence noticed the heavy burden of grief carried by Chester residents impacted by gun violence at the t-shirt demonstrations they organized. Sr. Jean Rupertus, of The Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia learned of a grant from Catholic Health Initiatives (now CommonSpirit Health) focused on violence prevention.

Through the Sisters, a group of volunteers, including cofounder and current Advisory Board member, Frances Stier, applied for, and received funding to provide trauma-informed counseling to children and parents who had lost a loved one to violence.

Additional funding from Congregation Ohev Shalom, The Foundation for Delaware County, The Community’s Foundation, and Swarthmore Presbyterian Church allowed us to add groups for teens, an art group for children 4 to 7 and a support group for people healing from violent assault and their caregivers. More recent funders include the Sisters of St. Francis Mission and Ministry Fund, the Scattergood Foundation, and the Green Family Foundation, who have helped us expand to hospital-linked violence interruption and strengthen our outreach capacity. With a commitment to client-centered care and community-informed decision making, Chester Community Coalition continues to provide trauma-informed therapy, case management, and training services through a diverse, culturally competent, well-trained, and dedicated team.