Mission

We are on a mission to build resilience in the local community by connecting people with each other and with nature.

What We Do

Phoenixville Area Transition (PAT) , 25 miles NW of Philadephia, came to life in 2018, as many people became convinced that the Global Industrial Growth Society based on petroleum is not sustainable and that instead we need to encourage localization and work with, not against, nature. We are on a mission to build resilience in the local community by encouraging interdependence between people and groups and nature.

Our group has operated mostly on the philosophy that Rob Hopkins, the founder of International Transition Towns, articulated: "whoever shows up are the right people". We have done a lot of "going where the energy takes us", as long as a project seemed to fit the mission. We gradually formed our current operating system of a Core group made up of representatives from various "Working Groups." Our Core group has seven members: Jane, Rodney, Megan, Shanlee, Maria, Tara, Sally and Dana. We have working groups: Films, Inner Transition, Living Landscapes, Media, Plastics, and Open Spaces. We also have a Community Group that meets quarterly and is a larger group of interested and participating individuals from the community.
Partnerships & networking is an important component of a transition community and we focus on engaging the community in all aspects of the work as it is the community that energizes the work.
We have developed a monthly Resiliency Report that provides information, educational opportunities, links to various environmental activities and events, etc.
We are one of many transition communities engaging with Transition USA which is a not for profit organization. Phoenixville Area Transition is not a not for profit and much of our work is dependent upon community engagement rather than monetary support - yes, a bit challenging but we are 4 years in with our work.