About Us
Who We Are
Good Works is a Christian nonprofit organization, founded in 1988, and dedicated to repairing homes and restoring hope for low-income homeowners in Chester County, PA. Our service is fueled by our Christian faith and encouraged by the verse in scripture that says "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." (Ephesians 2:10).
Good Works believes it was raised up by God to extend His love in a tangible way to families living in substandard housing by working with them to make their homes warmer, safer and drier. The repairs we provide include roof repair, plumbing installation and repair, electrical rewiring and code compliance, heating installation and upgrades, insulation and drywall work, window and floor repair.
Who We Serve
We assist low-income families and individuals who are below 150 percent of the federal poverty level and reside in Chester County, Pennsylvania. Applicants must own and live in their homes. They are screened carefully through an application process including an initial intake form, a home visit by a volunteer, verification of all income sources, and a credit check. Most of the homeowners we assist are elderly females, single parents, and individuals with physical disabilities.
A profile of the homeowners we assisted during the past five years looks like this:
- 59% live in Coatesville
- 59% are African American
- The average annual household income is $16,000
- 54% are elderly and 20% of the households are single females with children
Our Mission and Vision
Our mission is to extend God's love to families living in substandard housing; to make homes warmer, safer, and drier; to replace hopelessness with the hope of Jesus Christ. Our vision is to eliminate substandard housing in Chester County.
Organizational Type
Good Works, Inc. is a 501 (c)(3), nonprofit organization founded in the state of Pennsylvania in 1988. We are governed by a Board of Directors, presently consisting of 15 members.
Impact
In 2007, we had our most successful and productive year ever -
- 1700 volunteers
- 188 workdays
- 31,200 volunteer hours
- We completed work on 41 homes
- We assisted 142 families
The impact the work of Good Works has on individuals, homes and neighborhoods is far-reaching. Houses and hearts are transformed. Hope and dignity are restored. We receive many letters and notes of appreciation from homeowners and there is a common theme that is woven through them - appreciation and hope. As one Good Works homeowner, Carolyn, wrote, "Sometimes it is possible to sink so low that you can no longer lift yourself up by your bootstraps; someone else has to do it for you. In my case it was Good Works." Read more homeowner testimonies »