Chester County Connect Care (CCCC), formerly known as Chester County Women's Services, will hold its second annual Summer Picnic and Silent Auction for Life on Saturday, Aug. 6, from 4 to 7 p.m. at Gateway Church's Cowan Park, 160 Cowan Road, Parkesburg. Admission to the family-friendly event is free.

Food trucks on hand during the day will include Rita's Italian Ice and Gourmet Jerk Shack, which serves barbecued jerk chicken. Free children's activities will also be offered. "There will be food trucks set up in the parking lot area. We will also have yard games and face painting and live music," said Nicole Crist, CCCC development director. "The silent auction will be also set up outside."

Silent auction items will include gift cards to businesses in the towns where each of the agency's offices is located. "We will have A Taste of Coatesville, A Taste of Kennett Square and A Taste of West Chester gift basket," Crist said. "There will also be a camping basket and a Taste of Italy basket."

All bidding will be done online through Handbid, a mobile bidding app. Participants will notified via the smartphone app when others have made bids on the items they had previously bid on. The silent auction will close at 6:30 p.m. on Aug. 5.

To register for the silent auction or for more details, visit https://events.handbid.com/auctions/chester-county-connect-care-auction-for-life-2022. A link to register is also available at http://www.facebook.com/ccconnectcare by choosing "Events."

CCCC is a local nonprofit pregnancy care medical center. After being known as Chester County Women's Services (CCWS) for 37 years, CCWS changed its name during its annual Celebration of Life fundraiser this past spring.

Crist said that the new name reflects the agency's effort to provide assistance to all family members, not just mothers. "When we had women in the name, (people believed) it was for women alone. We are about men and children (as well)," said Crist. "We want to make sure (our name reflects) what we are doing for the community."

CCCC offers limited ultrasounds for expectant mothers and provides basic pregnancy care such as prenatal vitamins and free nurse consultations throughout the course of the pregnancy. Parenting classes are offered, as well as Bible studies and peer counseling. Families can use the points they earn from attending classes to "purchase" parenting essentials from the CCWS Parenting Boutique. All services are free and are offered in both English and Spanish.

"Although our name has changed, our mission remains the same," said Crist. "The response (to the change) has been wonderful and fully accepted, and our hope is to impact more families in our community."

Crist encourages local families to attend the upcoming picnic. "There were over 300 attendees last year, and we are anticipating 500 this year," she reported. "It's a really fun family event."

To learn more about CCCC or to schedule an appointment, visit the previously mentioned Facebook page or http://www.ccconnectcare.org, call 610-383-0930 or email helpforyou@ccconnectcare.org.