A Place in the Conversation

04/07/2026

Juan Tafolla runs a digital literacy program with RSVP Volunteers in Kennett Square, and his approach is simple: he doesn't fix the problem for you. He shows you how to fix it yourself.

His five to six week workshops cover email, password management, Microsoft Word, Google Docs and online safety. They serve Hispanic community members, seniors and anyone who needs a hand with the basics. The first cohort walked away with their own laptops to keep.

When you know how to get online, you apply for assistance programs, contact your elected officials and show up more informed at the polls. Juan sees digital access and civic engagement as the same thing.

Spanish-language sessions are running now at Mighty Writers in Toughkenamon through late December. English sessions start in early 2025.

Register at [email protected].

When a student can't access a school report card because it's online, or a parent can't apply for food assistance because the form requires a login, digital literacy stops being a convenience and starts being a barrier. Juan Tafolla is working to lower that barrier in the Kennett Square area, one wo...

04/01/2026

Nancy said something at dinner she'd never said out loud before: "I failed. I failed at caregiving. I failed Dan." She spent 8 years doing everything she could for her husband, finding doctors, researching treatments, making sure all he had to do was exist while they waited for a cure. And he still died.

Her friend stopped her mid-sentence and asked, "Just how powerful and important do you think you are?" That question cracked something open for Nancy. She knew logically she didn't control whether Dan lived or died, but emotionally she was still holding onto the weight of a goal she never had the power to reach.

If you've ever cared for someone and quietly blamed yourself for how things turned out, Nancy's latest journal entry is worth watching:

In this caregiver journal entry, Nancy shares a moment from a dinner conversation that caught her off guard. A year and a half after losing her husband, Dan,...

03/31/2026

For-profit prisons use 3rd grade reading scores to decide where to build their next facility.

Jan Michener learned that and couldn't let it go.

In this episode, she shares how that fact shaped Arts Holding Hands and Hearts (AHHAH), the organization she founded to bring arts, literacy and mindfulness to incarcerated youth in Chester County. What started inside a detention center grew into 100+ pop-up lending libraries and a local chapter of the Dolly Parton Imagination Library.

85% of incarcerated youth are literacy deficient. 75% of incarcerated adults read below a 4th grade level. Jan works on both ends of that gap, with toddlers and teenagers alike.
She starts the same way every time. Create safety. Ask what happened to you, not what did you do.

Listen here: https://tinyurl.com/bddspv77

To learn more or support a book drive, visit ahhah.org.

For-profit prisons use 3rd grade reading scores to decide where to build their next facility. Jan Michener learned that and couldn't let it go.In this episode, Jan shares how that single fact shaped the work of Arts Holding Hands and Hearts (AHHAH), the organization she founded in 2013 to bring arts...

03/30/2026

Music opens doors that nothing else can.

Nick Goble joins Nancy and Nick Everhart to share how his journey in music led him back to faith and community. It's a conversation about belonging, creativity and what happens when you let yourself be heard.

Listen here:

In this episode, A Place in the Conversation explores the deep connection between music, faith, and community. Hosts Nancy Nicewonger and Nick Everhart sit down with Nick Goble, a musician and member of the Kennett Square community, to discuss how his journey in music led him to rediscover faith and...

03/27/2026

Good healthcare isn't just about appointments and diagnoses. It's about knowing your neighbors and showing up for them.

Kate Wickersham from LCH Health and Community Services joins Nancy and Nick to talk about the vital role LCH plays in the Kennett Square community. This is what local care looks like when it's done right.

Listen here:

In this episode of A Place in the Conversation, Nancy Nicewonger and Nick Everhart talk with Kate Wickersham of LCH Health and Community Services about the vital role LCH plays in supporting the Kennett Square community. Key Highlights: LCH’s Mission & Growth – Founded in 1973, LCH has expan...

03/27/2026

1 in 3 Americans says they're lonely. One community in Maine decided to do something about it: gather around a table. Simple. Consistent. Effective.

A couple of cooks in Maine are bringing strangers together for a pot-luck, hoping to build relationships by sharing a meal and talking about their lives.

03/27/2026

A physician and death doula are making the case that dying deserves more than medical management. It deserves presence, meaning, ritual and peace.

This article is worth your time:

Demedicalize dying by choosing dignity-based care over medical interventions. Learn how dignity doulas and spiritual support can transform end-of-life experiences.

03/27/2026

Transformation doesn't usually happen in a single moment. It happens in the slow, steady work of showing up, listening and staying in the conversation even when it's hard.

That's what this community is built on.

03/27/2026

NPR asked people across the country what they're longing for right now. The answer was almost universal: connection, community and a sense of place.

That's exactly what we're here for.

NPR Member stations spoke with people around the country as part of our series Seeking Common Ground. A range of people and political views share a longing for places to create a sense of community.

03/27/2026

A garden in Kennett Square became something no one expected: a meeting place for neighbors of every age and background.
In this episode, we explore how growing food together grew community. It's a quiet story with a big impact.

Listen here:

Sometimes, the smallest plot can grow the biggest connections. In this episode, we sit down with Steve Denno, manager of the Kennett Community Garden, to explore how a shared green space has become a hub for diversity, friendship, and giving back. From its humble beginnings inspired by the novel See...

03/27/2026

Most people avoid the conversation about end of life until they can't.

Caring Conversations is a safe, supported space to think through what matters before crisis arrives. For you and for the people who love you.

Start the conversation here:

Caring Conversations Uncomfortable But Essential Questions To Help You Navigate Life's Biggest Disruptions   by: Daniel & Nancy Nicewonger   Chaos and disruption are a part of life. Having the conversations that allow us to navigate seasons of disruption is a skill that can be learned. Available o...