Who We Are
The Chester Community Coalition started when 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 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.
Our Counselors
Dr. Erika Dawkins, PsyD, MEd
Clinical Director
Shakyra Morales, LMSW
Therapist
Alex Johnson, MA, ATR-BC, LPC
Art Therapist
Lashira Council, LPC
Therapist
Jessica Davis
Art Therapy Aide
Our Board
Imam Haneef Mahdi
Chair
Eric Bayne
Vice Chair
Rev. Ronald Hughes
Treasurer
Fran Steir
Board Secretary, Finance Officer
Pat Demiranda
Camp Encouragement
Sr. Marijane Hresko
The Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia
Sr. Mary Vandergeest
The Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia
Cornelius C. O'Brien, III, Esq.
Counsel to The Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia
Barbara Muhammad
United Muslim Coalition Against Violence and Crime
Brock Roben
Psychiatrist
Susanne Cianfaro
Andrew Hicks Jr. Foundation
Ofc. Terrence Taylor
Police Representative
Captain Matthew Goldschmidt
Police Representative
Elayne DeSimone
Community Volunteers in Medicine
Our Team
Alexia Clarke
Executive Director
Sr. Marijane Hresko
Program Manager
Fran Stier
Finance Officer
Diane Austin
Childcare
Carol Kazeem
Outreach Worker
Edward Mack
Case Worker