Brandywine Valley Active Aging
Get Busy Living
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
One-size-fits-all options that cater to an increasingly elderly America are no longer an option. The aging population is the largest demographic shift business leaders, policy makers, health care providers, and service providers will face in the next few decades. For the first time in US History, older adults are projected to outnumber children by the year 2034 (US Census); we share a responsibility to provide the same environment and services we would want for ourselves for those we serve. Decades ago, senior centers catered exclusively to the bingo and blood pressure screening demographic. Sure, these programs are still important (and offered), you might also find a beer and wine tastings, an active gardening club, art and dance classes, history and language classes, and even a stand-up comedy show after dark. Our programs span five decades of interests, ability, and needs. No matter the need, BVAA is committed to staying relevant for those who want to remain active and healthy.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
BVAA-FIT
BVAA-FIT (Fitness Improvement Today), Brandywine Valley Active Aging's signature health and wellness program, follows evidence-based research and provides group exercise, private personal fitness planning, and health education opportunities. Led by Health & Wellness Director, Rob Brown, a certified personal and group trainer. Rob has a Bachelor Degree in health sciences and combines his love for health and fitness with his passion for community activism.
Nostalgia Kitchen by BVAA
Nostalgia Kitchen by BVAA ensures access to nutritious foods five days per week by providing home-cooked breakfasts, a continental breakfast bar, congregate noon meals, 'to-go' soups, jellies, and jams, and weekly fresh produce distribution. In addition, Nostalgia Kitchen by BVAA engages guests through cooking demonstrations as well as leading culinary and baking clubs. Nostalgia Kitchen by BVAA is a teaching/learning kitchen and partners with local schools to provide one-on-one food service training to students as well as providing training opportunities for adults 55+ who are unemployed or underemployed.
Information, Assistance and Benefits Counseling (I&A)
The Information, Assistance and Benefits Counseling program (I&A) provides one-on-one support with program applications (PA Property Tax and Rent Rebate, Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and more) as well as providing referral to available community-based services (government, nonprofit and more) and complimentary/low-cost notary services.
Housing Stability and Homeless Case Management
Provides intensive case management support to individuals 60 and older who are at-risk for homelessness and/or experiencing homelessness. A pilot program in its first year, the program collaborates with the Chester County Department of Community Development and the Chester County Department of Aging Services. Program eligibility is adults 60 and older whose last known address was within the Coatesville Area School District or Downingtown Area School District and with no minor children in the household.
Where we work
Awards
Community Partner of the Year 2019
YMCA Greater Brandywine (Brandywine Branch)
External reviews
Videos
Goals & Strategy
Reports and documents
Download strategic planLearn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
At BVAA, we're turning the traditional senior center model on its head. In a positive way. As an ever-increasing number of baby boomers become age-eligible for service, senior centers are at at risk for extinction. 'Senior Center' can be a turn-off to those who feel young at heart. That's why BVAA is working to change the game!
Some fear the baby boomer population may choose not to use senior center programs and resources until they're much older; but at BVAA, we know that is not because the programs are not valuable. Not only do we work with 5+ decades of interests and abilities; our programs and services must appeal to individuals of varying financial circumstance, medical conditions, mental health diagnoses, and more.
For one person, BVAA may provide the only nutritionally balanced meal in a day. For another, our fitness programs may provide a comfortable, safe space to stay active without fear of judgment or injury.
No matter the need, BVAA is committed to staying relevant for older adults who want to stay active and healthy.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
GET SUPPORT: BVAA provides much-needed information and support to area seniors about the multitude of services available right here in their community. Our trained staff encourage clients to take better care of themselves to maintian financial independence and to learn how to ask for help when they need it. Additionally, trained case managers provide intensive support to those who are at-risk for homelessness and/or homeless.
GET ACTIVE: Staying active as you age is extremely important to good health. Weekly fitness classes improve mobility and strength while increasing flexibility and balance. BVAA has a unique Fitness Program, BVAA-FIT (Fitness Improvement Today), that ensures all participants have access to an outcomes-based-approach to staying fit and healthy.
GET CREATIVE: Making art is just a small part of being creative. Engaging in the creative process activates the mind and the body. BVAA curates a wide-range of artistic projects geared towards maintaining or improving fine motor skills, generating new ideas, and discovering new talents.
GET INFORMED: BVAA offers several educational opportunities that encourage respectful interactions with like-minded people. The wide range of topics leaves participants no shortage of opportunity to stay engaged and sharp.
GET CONNECTED: Throughout the year, multiple events are scheduled to bring together those we serve and their community leaders. These events afford seniors the chance to stay informed about their community and help them to feel safer in their homes and neighborhoods.
GET NOURISHED: BVAA has a comprehensive nutrition program. From feeding the community breakfast and lunch five days per week to encouraging healthy eating through our culinary and baking clubs, our nutrition programs seek to feed and teach. A strong partnership with the Chester County Food Bank ensures that our guests have access to fresh produce, and income-qualifying individuals are kept well-stocked throughout the year.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
BVAA has been a cornerstone of the community for more than 40-years. Strong board and staff leadership coupled with and a dedicated team allows BVAA to embrace a culture of transparency that permeates every aspect of our work. The natural collaboration between paid and volunteer staff is second to none and ensures that BVAA works effectively with guests while also working behind the scenes to remind everyone, including service providers, funders, and the government, that their commitment to working for the welfare of older persons is important- whether their interest is in ending hunger and poverty, improving neighborhoods, or increasing access to medical care and treatment.
In January 2021, Brandywine Valley Active Aging was born through the thought leadership of the former Coatesville Area Senior Center. Amending their Articles of Incorporation to expand their service area to include the communities served by the former Downingtown Area Senior Center, Coatesville Area Senior Center would rebrand as Brandywine Valley Active Aging (BVAA), acquire the contract for services for the Downingtown area, and open a new Downingtown location. Now referred to as campuses, BVAA manages the Coatesville Campus, the Downingtown Campus, and the Virtual Campus (inspired in resonde to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Virtual Campus continues to serve homebound residents and guests reluctant to return to a physical campus due to ongoing threat produced by Covid-19).
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
Despite the Covid-19 pandemic, BVAA has experienced unprecedented growth across all programs and services. Having grown attendance by 130% over pre-pandemic levels, BVAA has also experienced a 180% increase in the demand for food and continues to welcome nearly 2,000 ndividuals each year.
In 2022, Brandywine Valley Active Aging:
- Had more than 68,000 visits by more than 1,600 individuals
- Provided more than 578 activities including more than 500 hours of low-cost group exercise training where more than 82% of individuals maintained or improved their functional fitness (or activities of daily living (ADL)).
- Served more than 58,000 noon meals to more than 940 guests. Brandywine Valley Active Aging is the ONLY Chester County Senior Center to plan, source, and produce their noon meal program.
- Distributed more than 111,000 pounds of fresh produce, dairy products, and other grocery staples
- Had more than 32 individuals visit the pet food pantry
- Answered more than 9,800 requests for Information & Assistance; supported more than 1,000 individuals with one-on-one assistance, and provided case management support to more than 140 Hurricane Ida Survivors.
- Grew philanthropic support by more than 180% to grow the operating budget in alignment with program service demands.
While there is much to celebrate, we know our work is not done yet! BVAA recently launched a community needs assessment and is eager to learn from that assessment our role in providing a safe and welcoming environment for our LGBTQ+ older neighbors.
Additionally, the BVAA team is committed to working side-by-side with our community partners while ensuring continued advocacy for older adults as the City of Coatesville braces for revitalization.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We take steps to get feedback from marginalized or under-represented people, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We look for patterns in feedback based on demographics (e.g., race, age, gender, etc.), We look for patterns in feedback based on people’s interactions with us (e.g., site, frequency of service, etc.), We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive, We tell the people who gave us feedback how we acted on their feedback, We ask the people who gave us feedback how well they think we responded
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
It is difficult to get the people we serve to respond to requests for feedback, It is difficult to find the ongoing funding to support feedback collection, Staff find it hard to prioritize feedback collection and review due to lack of time
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Brandywine Valley Active Aging
Board of directorsas of 03/08/2023
Mr. James Terry
Owner, James J. Terry Funeral Homes
Term: 2023 - 2024
Lindsay Myers
Golf Association of Philadelphia
Jacqueline Motyl
Fox Rothschild, LLP
Karol Collins
Community Member
Marie Lentz
Retired Interpreter for Hearing Impaired
Nick Hoffman
CPA/Partner, Boylston Hoffman
Linda Kerr
Retired, SEI
Kelly Mest
Operations Manager, Elite Therapy Solutions
Darya Sabocsik
Vanguard
Amber Little-Turner
Coatesville Downtown Manager
Rick Bates
Owner, Lexington Ltd.
Jeanne Bryan
Executive Director, Personal Care Boarding Home
Lori Deckman
Fraud Prevention
Lisa Gordon
Vanguard
Sasha Kryst
Accounting, Nonprofit
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Transgender Identity
Sexual orientation
Disability
We do not display disability information for organizations with fewer than 15 staff.
Equity strategies
Last updated: 02/13/2023GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race.
- We ask team members to identify racial disparities in their programs and / or portfolios.
- We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
- We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
- We use a vetting process to identify vendors and partners that share our commitment to race equity.
- We have a promotion process that anticipates and mitigates implicit and explicit biases about people of color serving in leadership positions.
- We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
- We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.
- We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
- We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.