At their recent annual meeting at the Desmond Hotel, the Greater West Chester Chamber of Commerce (GWCC) honored the Sammarone family as the 2024 Citizens of the Year, and Home of the Sparrow (HOS) as Community Service Organization of the Year!
For Mark and Tracy Sammarone and daughter Chelsea Sammarone McGovern, service isn’t a hobby, it’s a family affair. “It’s a way of life,” says Mark. “You don’t start volunteering when you retire, you make time for it or you don’t. You have obligations, but if it’s a priority, you find a way to make it happen.”
Mark and Tracy met while working retail jobs at the New Garden Shopping Center. By1988, they were married, and knew West Chester would be their home for good. When Mark moved from retail into the insurance business, he joined the GWCC to network.
Gearing up for its bicentennial celebration, Mayor Clifford DeBaptiste, along with Coordinator of the West Chester Bicentennial Celebration, Jackie Van Grofski, were looking for volunteers. Before they knew it, Mark and Tracy were in charge of the first quarter of the year-long celebration, organizing a parade, kid-friendly events and endless details.
Their young daughter was watching. “I was four and remember being at the parade. I have an appreciation for knowing that these events don’t just happen. My parents work hard and surround themselves with good people who want to do good things,” says Chelsea.
And the volunteering continued. Tracy became chair of Up on the Roof, the West Chester Downtown Foundation’s signature fundraiser. From a small gathering, now more than 400 people climb to the rooftop of the Chestnut Street parking garage each September. The event, which Tracy has chaired for 24 years, has raised over $350,000 to beautify the borough. She has chaired the Downtown Foundation’s Community Grants Committee, served on the West Chester YMCA Board of Advisors, and helped the Rotary and the Chamber with everything from spring cleanups to hanging holiday greens downtown.
Meanwhile, Mark also was busy volunteering. He chaired the Chamber board, served as president of the Rotary Club of West Chester, as treasurer of West Chester University’s Student Services Inc., and chaired the board of the Community Warehouse Project. Once a month, he volunteers with Good Works to repair homes for low-income neighbors.
The next generation of Sammarones also volunteers. After graduating from Duquesne, Chelsea joined the West Chester Area School District (WCASD) in 2020 and helped launch its cyber school program. She founded the Rotary’s Passport Club and was named a policy fellow with TeachPlus, working alongside teachers statewide to shape education policy.
Whether it’s a parade, a fundraiser, or a community cleanup, chances are a Sammarone is behind the scenes making it happen.
“When asked to donate or serve, they step up,” said Kyle Rheiner, President of the Rotary Club of West Chester.
Not a big national charity, Home of the Sparrow (HOS) is based in Chester County, and its efforts are targeted at helping women and children in the community. Founded in the mid-90s by a group of neighbors, it has become one of the most respected charities in Pennsylvania, serving 900-1,000 women and children each year. HOS’s mission is to end homelessness by focusing on core principles like resiliency, adaptability and compassion. Like countless towns and cities across our nation, homelessness is a challenge for many in Chester County.
“Women and children are the most impacted by homelessness. It's a growing population that needs services,” according to Matrie Johnson, Director of Programs at HOS.
“We help women and children on the brink of homelessness avoid actually being homeless, and lead them on a path towards stability, both financial and with housing. It's fulfilling work. Being recognized by the chamber elevates us further in the community,” says Michelle Venema, CEO, HOS.
“It's important because it honors and recognizes not only the work we do, but it honors and recognizes a diverse population and so many women. It says that what we're doing matters. It makes a difference,” added Johnson.
With a few thousand dollars, HOS can find that apartment or help pay that overdue bill that allows a mother and her children to stay in a home. HOS guides women into one of 6 different programs: Eviction Prevention, Pre-Senior Housing, Shared Housing, Supportive Housing, the Women Reentry and Assessment Program, and the Graduate Outreach Program. Every woman who interacts with HOS is facing challenges, and these programs help address those needs.
One woman, whose upbringing wasn’t easy and without much direction, ended up in jail. With HOS, she has begun a career as an electrician and is taking classes at a local community college. Today, she is on a path to success and making a better life for herself and her 2 young sons.
“Home of the Sparrow has been great to me. I want to become the best I can be, financially, emotionally, and physically, so that I'm able to help give back in the future,” she says.
To make women’s dreams of stability a reality, the organization relies heavily on the generosity of the community. HOS receives some governmental funding, but approximately 85% of the organization’s budget comes from foundation, corporate, and individual donations. Part of that fundraising effort entails hosting 3 big events a year that help offset costs. HOS held their annual Walk for Women event at the Rajent Corporation in Great Valley Corporate Park, an annual golf outing, and the always popular fashion show hosted at the Desmond Hotel each fall.