Dear Reader,
Today is day five of my hunger strike. I am continuing because the deeper I go into this, the clearer it becomes that what is happening in Valley Township is not an isolated code issue—it is part of a much larger pattern of policies that undermine food security in a community that has already struggled for decades.
I want to begin by thanking every single person who has written, shared, forwarded, posted, or reached out. The response has been overwhelming. Every day, more neighbors join this email chain, more families speak up, and more people ask what they can do to help. Please keep it going—every call and every forward adds pressure, and pressure is what brings change.
Online petition has been started, please start sharing far and wide to let Valley Township let us be heard on updating the chicken laws.
Why I’m Still on This Food Strike
My hunger strike is meant to expose a simple truth:
families are being punished for trying to feed themselves.
Valley Township’s decisions don’t exist in a vacuum. They sit on top of a long history of food scarcity in our area—a history that cannot be ignored.
Coatesville Was a Food Desert Until Last Year
For years, Coatesville had:
No full grocery store
No consistent access to fresh produce
No affordable, nutritious food options within walking distance
Families relied on:
Dollar stores
Gas stations
Corner stores
Fast food
These were the only accessible options—high in salt, sugar, and ultra-processed ingredients, and low in fresh food. This contributed to:
Higher rates of obesity
Higher rates of diabetes and hypertension
Worse outcomes in maternal and child health
Shortened life expectancy
These were not individual failures. These were infrastructure failures.
So when Coatesville finally gained a grocery store after years without one, it was a monumental step forward.
But even with a grocery store, food insecurity remains pervasive. Poverty is high. Transportation barriers persist. Prices are rising. And many families still rely on school meals, donated food, and neighbors helping neighbors.
Which is exactly why removing small household flocks and discouraging homegrown food is so harmful.
Connecting the Dots
When a region:
Has a 25% poverty rate,
Has 75% of children dependent on school meals,
Just lost major federal meal funding,
Spent years as a food desert,
AND still has dozens of convenience stores but very limited affordable fresh food…
…the last thing Township officials should be doing is eliminating one of the few sources of reliable, nutrient-dense, locally produced food.
Each household flock represents:
Eggs
Protein
Stability
Resilience
Community care
It represents freedom from unhealthy convenience-store diets and freedom from total dependence on failing systems.
My hunger strike is a protest against policies that increase hunger instead of reducing it.
Please Keep Speaking Up
Your voices matter. People are paying attention. The Township is hearing from more residents each day. Please continue emailing, calling, and forwarding these updates to neighbors, churches, parent groups, and local organizations.
Ask Valley Township officials directly:
What are you doing to support food access in a community still recovering from life in a food desert?
Why are you eliminating small-scale food production that helps families survive?
You can reach any Township office through the main number: 610-384-5751
Janis A. Rambo – Township Manager/Secretary, Right-to-Know Officer
610-384-5751 ext. 101 | jrambo@valleytownship.org
Code Enforcement Department
Codesofficer@valleytownship.org | 610-384-5751 ext. 402
Kyle Bendler – Building/Codes Officer – 302-266-9057
Joy Hurst – Codes Coordinator – 610-384-5751 ext. 401
Dave Porter – Zoning Officer – 610-356-9550 x217
Township Solicitors
Andrew D.H. Rau, Esq. – arau@utbf.com | 610-692-1371
Amanda J. Sundquist, Esq. – asundquist@utbf.com | 610-692-1371
Unruh Turner Burke & Frees, 17 W. Gay Street, West Chester, PA 19380
Supervisors / Officials
Linda Baugher – 610-384-5751 ext. 505 – lbaugher@valleytownship.org
Casey Max Leidy – 610-384-5751 ext. 503 – cleidy@valleytownship.org
Kris Lenhart – 610-384-5751 ext. 201 – klenhart@valleytownship.org
LeRoy Goldsmith – 610-384-5751– lgoldsmith@valleytownship.org
Sharon Yates – 610-384-5751 ext. 504 – syates@valleytownship.org
Please keep sharing, forwarding, and elevating this message.
This is bigger than backyard chickens.
This is about survival, community health, and basic human dignity.
Thank you for standing with me.
Sincerely,
Stephanie N. Shermer