Emily Fox, the new coordinator at the Shippensburg Community Resource Coalition(SCRC), brings a mix of nonprofit leadership, community organizing and macro social work expertise to the SCRC of Shippensburg University.
“I’m passionate about work that allows me to create spaces for people to come together, solve problems and discuss what’s going on in the community,” Fox shared.
She earned her MSW at Boston University and has previous leadership experience from her time as the Executive Director at the Asheville Poverty Initiative. While in Asheville, she was involved with food security programming for individuals living with HIV and briefly served as a Ryan White Cares Act HIV medical case manager at the Western North Carolina AIDS Project. In 2023, she moved back to PA and worked at the Ryan White clinic in Chambersburg as a Case Manager for Keystone Health. Now, Fox brings her passion for advocacy work to the SCRC.
The coalition strives to provide quality social services and youth programs that are accessible, safe and recognize the dignity and worth of every person. By providing university resources and community partnerships, the coalition addresses food and housing insecurity, as well as youth mental-health concerns.
Fox highlighted Dr. Liz Fisher, the Director of the SCRC, as well as Dr. Tiffany Weaver, the coalition’s youth mobilizer. Weaver and Fox work alongside one another to coordinate the annual Leaders-In-Training and Summer Learning Program. Leaders-In Training Camp is a four-day on-campus program for rising sixth through 12th-graders and begins in June, followed by the Summer Learning Program, a free seven-week camp for students entering first through 12th grade.
“The cool thing about SCRC is that we’re doing macro-level work. We’re discussing housing data, eviction statistics, food security data and important issues that have a huge impact on the community. We’re also conducting direct practice work related to mental health in local schools,” Fox said.
Students are essential to the SCRC’s mission. Graduate Assistant Kierra Hinkle, MSW interns Desiree Lane and Tania Munoz Cervantes and English intern James Jaisingh are gaining practicum experience while connecting community work to their studies. Fox encouraged students across majors to consider working with the SCRC, noting that the coalition has opportunities in a variety of fields, not just social work.
Fox also encourages supporters to participate in the coalition’s Silent Auction fundraiser set for April 24 at the H. Ric Luhrs Performing Arts Center, benefiting youth programs. Donations of items and baskets are still being collected, and more information at shipresources.org.
In addition, the coalition’s Youth Advisory Council (YAC), led by Weaver, staged three teen-oriented events funded through a social-isolation grant provided by the Partnership for Better Health and is scheduled to participate in a youth summit in Harrisburg this May. The summit is then followed by a presentation at the Commonwealth Prevention Alliance Conference in June.
Weaver highlighted that she enjoys working for the SCRC and the university because she gets to play an integral part in helping students learn and grow. “My favorite part of the work I get to do is learning from students and understanding how they see the world,” she said.
Shippensburg welcomes Fox to the SCRC and continues to celebrate the honorable community, fundraising and learning initiatives that staff, faculty and students remain dedicated to serving at the SCRC and the university as a whole.
