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

Anneka Vanderveen, LSW
Therapist

Lashira Council, LPC
Therapist

Natasha Serrano, LCSW
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