The April meeting of the Makefield Women’s Association is the organization’s most important gathering of the year.
Each year, through a nominating and voting process, MWA members select a group of local nonprofits as Annual Beneficiaries. The MWA hosts fundraising events and collects donations for the year and each April, the proceeds are distributed to the beneficiaries to support their continued service to the community.
The 2026 recipients are A Woman’s Place; Yardley-Makefield Fire Company, Family Service Association, Bucks County Homeless Shelter; Pennsbury Kids; and Women’s Animal Shelter.
A Woman’s Place is Bucks County’s only domestic violence response and prevention agency. Founded in 1976, AWP provides a full range of programs and services to individuals experiencing domestic violence, their children and the community.
“We are very grateful to the Makefield Women’s Association for their generosity,” said Jennifer Locker, the executive director of AWP. “It really does make a difference to those people who we serve in the community, and we don’t just serve women. We’re here for all who need support.”
Yardley-Makefield Fire Company is the sole provider of fire protection for the businesses and residents of Lower Makefield and Yardley Borough and is completely composed of volunteers. The company was represented by firefighter/EMT Lt. MacKennzie Crain.
“We appreciate being selected and this money is going to help us continue to serve the community,” she said.
The company brought on three new members last month and the funding will contribute to their training and equipment. The company had a burn training recently, where members practice going inside in full gear.
“I had the honor of seeing those kids see fire for the first time and to describe how fire grows and how it reacts inside of rooms and how to go about fighting it. I got to see in their eyes that they realized they could be firemen and we’re so grateful that with this funding we’ll be able to help them achieve that goal.”
Family Service Association, Bucks County Homeless Shelter is based in Levittown and provides homeless families with critical services. In addition to the homeless shelter, the FSA has locations in Langhorne and Quakertown which provide outpatient mental health and substance abuse services, as well as outpatient counseling. There is also a food pantry.
“We are one of the only 24/7 emergency homeless shelters in the county and we are able to have up to 90 people at a time,” said Anne Marie Richards, the Associate Director of Development for the FSA. “The sad part of that is that about half of those people are children.
“We are so grateful to the Makefield Women’s Association and not just for the funding. There’s the holiday party, and just how invested they are in us. It really makes a difference.
Pennsbury Kids provides lower income and at-risk Pennsbury students the opportunity to fully engage in the school community alongside their peers.
“We are so excited to receive these funds,” said Keller Arnold, who represented the organization. “We work closely with the guidance counselors in the district to bridge the gap so that kids can fully participate. We have a wonderful school community but things cost money, and some kids don’t have it so we step in. We want every kid to be excited to go to school.”
Women’s Animal Shelter provides shelter for stray and surrendered animals, as well as veterinary services that are available to the public and a pet food pantry. The organization also goes into schools to teach students about animal care, compassion, and kindness.
“We also help people who are struggling financially with discounted vet services, so they are able to keep their pets,” said Karen Lash, the Director of Development and Communications. “This contribution will help us buy food, medicine and vaccines.”
MWA meets the first Wednesday of each month at 7 pm at the Lower Makefield Community Center, 1550 Oxford Valley Rd. in Yardley, and invites any woman in the local area to join them in serving the community. You do not need to live in Lower Makefield to join. To attend a meeting or for more information, email them at president@makefieldwomensassociation.org.
