During a recent meeting of the Honey Brook Women's Club, several local nonprofit organizations were presented with a donation. Representatives from the various groups were also given an opportunity to talk about their charitable work.

Steve Kern, fire chief at the Honey Brook Fire Company, reported that the all-volunteer organization receives an average of nearly one emergency call a day. "We have been pretty busy the last couple of months," he said. "The area is continuing to grow, and our services are needed more. We also give mutual aid to 11 different fire companies."

Matt Welch, battalion chief of Elverson-Honey Brook Area EMS, spoke about the importance of offering public safety training. "We have been focusing a lot on community outreach. We had a community CPR class, and we got 30 people who learned CPR and basic first aid," he said. "We like to think that we are the first responders, but we're not. The first people that help are the friends, neighbors and family members. The more training we can get to everybody out there ... it could potentially save lives."

Jennifer Spade, director of the Honey Brook Community Library, noted that the library is currently in the initial phases of an expansion project, thanks to a $1.14 million state grant provided by Sen. Katie Muth. "We are going from a rectangle to a U (shape building)," she explained. "One part of the U will be a community room and the other side will be all children's and young adults (books). The existing library will become the adult (section). It's pretty exciting."

For more information, visit http://www.honeybrooklibrary.org.

Ivan Stoltzfus, who runs the Steeple to People ministry, explained that the program serves people in need by helping them spiritually and financially. "Last year, we helped over 100 families with their rent. Some were homeless," he said.

The organization raises funds through the Steeple to People gift shop, which is run by volunteers, including Ivan's wife, Anna. Proceeds from the shop, 4670 Horseshoe Pike, Honey Brook, also go to the Honey Brook Youth Center, which provides activities such as arts and crafts, basketball and pingpong. For more information, visit http://www.honeybrookyouthcenter.com/steeple-to-people.

Becky Zeeger, the Honey Brook Food Pantry (HBFP) volunteer coordinator, spoke about the pantry, which serves residents of the Twin Valley School District. "We serve around 140 families (at each distribution), and we serve twice a month," she explained.

HBFP volunteer Bridget Lillis added that the clients of the pantry receive more than food items during distributions. "We have a wellness tent with a dietitian, and they can get their blood pressure checked. We have an under-4 program, so we give out diapers, wipes, food and educational materials," she said.

Other services provided by the HBFP include a backpack program, which supplies extra food to children on the weekend, and a gardening program. During distributions, a Legal Aid representative is available to answer questions, and clients can choose items from the Anchored Ministries mobile clothing closet. To learn more, visit http://www.honeybrookfoodpantry.org.