Freedom Village at Brandywine, a senior living community, recently made a generous donation to the Orphan Grain Train (OGT), a Christian volunteer network.

Earlier this year, the Freedom Village community replaced 204 chairs in their auditorium, and instead of discarding the old chairs, they chose to give them a new purpose by donating them to OGT.

 OGT is an organization that gathers and ships donations, such as food, clothing, medical supplies, and other aid to people in need across 71 different countries. The organization heavily relies on volunteers. With the exception of a few employees at the main office, all the individuals involved in the organization’s operations selflessly dedicate their time and effort.

 Cliff Kraft, a current resident at Freedom Village at Brandywine, played a crucial role in organizing the chair donation process. As the manager of the Mid Atlantic Branch of OGT, located in Jennersville, Kraft oversaw the logistics of getting the chairs donated and delivered.

After the chairs were transported to the Jennersville warehouse, they were carefully loaded onto a 40-foot container and shipped to Malawi, where Bishop Harvey Chimanga handled the distribution of the chairs to those in need.

 In addition to the chair donation, many residents of Freedom Village at Brandywine actively contribute to OGT’s mission by bringing clothing and shoes to Kraft every Tuesday. These items are then sent to the Jennersville Warehouse for domestic and international shipping.

 “Freedom Village is committed to making a positive impact on the lives of others, and that’s why we decided to donate our auditorium chairs to the Orphan Grain Train,” said Danielle Geyer, executive director at Freedom Village Brandywine. “We are thankful to have residents like Cliff who are dedicated to important causes like this one. By repurposing these chairs, we have not only reduced waste but also provided comfort and support to individuals in need around the world.”

 “The chairs brought to Lilongwe to our main church are a blessing,” stated a representative from Bishop Harvey. “We are amazed and full of praise, as we never thought to have such chairs. This is a huge, huge blessing.”

 For more information or to make a donation, visit OGT.org.

Freedom Village at Brandywine is a retirement community in West Brandywine in Chester County, offering carefree living with a wide variety of residential options, a wealth of exceptional services and amenities, and a full calendar of fun, engaging activities—all just minutes from the many attractions, charming villages, and historic destinations of Chester County’s lush Brandywine Valley.

As a life care community, Freedom Village at Brandywine makes aging in place simple, where residents can seamlessly transition from independent living to personal care, memory care, and long-term care as health needs change. For more information on Freedom Village, visit fvbrandywine.com.