Give T/E Selects Berwyn Fire Company for Fall Give

Press release from Give T/E:

Oct. 22, 2020

On September 29, more than 60 members of Give T/E met via Zoom for the organization’s second meeting. Give T/E’s inaugural meeting, held just before the pandemic shut down was announced, resulted donations totaling more than $12,000 from Give T/E members to Community Volunteers in Medicine. Give T/E is a local organization created to give Tredyffrin/Easttown women a chance to make a huge charitable impact in a short time. Each member commits to giving $100 twice a year to a local charity selected by majority vote at a one hour meeting.

At this fall’s meeting, Give T/E members heard five-minute presentations from three charities: Berwyn Fire Company, Chester County Food Bank and Tredyffrin Township Library Foundation. All three made their presentations virtually via Zoom. Following the presentations, members voted using Zoom poll, and the charity selected by the majority was Berwyn Fire Company. Therefore, each member will give $100 to Berwyn Fire Company. With 124 current Give T/E members, we expect the donations to BFC to total more than $12,000. (Give T/E members give directly to the charity, which allows for tax-deductions and matching gifts.)

Berwyn Fire Company will use donations from Give T/E members to support fire and EMS operations at the main station and the new sub-station, and to assist with purchase of new Automated External Defibrillator (AED) lifesaving devices. Chief Eamon Brazunas, along with Tom Torreson, BFC President, and Michael Baskin, EMS Captain, attended the virtual meeting. Berwyn Fire Company’s presentation, which included a video in which Seth and Jenn Sirover recounted how the EMS team saved Seth’s life this past June, was informative and very moving. (It can be seen on the Give T/E website.) Chief Brazunas said, “The donation from Give T/E will enable us to purchase updated AEDs that will help save lives. Our personnel have met many challenges this year and this support goes a long way in ensuring we can accomplish our mission.”

Give T/E members are very enthusiastic about directing their donations to BFC. Member Nicole Didizian, Devon resident and founder of Main Line Family Education, said: “As a registered nurse and CPR educator, I know how important it is for our local first responders to have access to the most up-to-date equipment. I was excited to hear the BFC would use their Give T/E donation to purchase and upgrade AED machines.”

Give T/E was formed in March 2020 by six women who were inspired initially by 100 Women of Phoenixville, a similar group. Give T/E is a member of the 100 Who Care Alliance, an international organization that facilitates idea and resource sharing among groups like Give T/E. Members join Give T/E to enhance the impact of their individual charitable giving by joining it with others, and to meet like-minded women in the area. Give T/E’s membership is diverse in age, ethnicity, and background. Member Lizzy Schlax, Wayne resident and attorney at Susanin, Widman and Brennan, said about joining Give T/E: “I became a member of Give T/E because I am new to the community and love learning about all the wonderful local charities - it inspires me to volunteer in my community, and is a great way to give back while meeting new friends at the same time!”

In less than one year, Give T/E has directed more than $25,000 into the Tredyffrin/Easttown community. (Many members choose to give additional donations to the charities that present but are not selected at each meeting.) The next Give T/E meeting will be on Tuesday, March 9, 2021. For more information and to join, please visit: https://www.givete.org/join-give-te.html and follow Give T/E on Facebook.

This press release was produced by Give T/E. The views expressed here are the author's own.