Published May 2019
The Molinellis have called Chester County, PA home for nearly 30 years. Their formative years were spent in Illinois, where John and Sharon were high school classmates. Thanks in part to the values they learned from their mothers, John and Sharon have been generous community members, supporting education and health care endeavors in communities in Pennsylvania, Illinois, and other locales that are near and dear to their hearts.
John's professional career at AMETEK also reinforced the values of "giving back" through a corporate culture that encouraged employees to support their local community through the United Way. John chose to designate his United Way gifts to Chester County Hospital and began a long and loyal tradition of giving. Over time, the Molinellis became more engaged in activities at the hospital and John was invited to join The Board of Directors. John and Sharon have enjoyed the friendships and camaraderie they have developed through hospital events and Board endeavors.
In reflecting on the hospital, John shared, "Our membership in The University of Pennsylvania Health System has exceeded our greatest expectations. A community hospital with a connection to a top-notch, world-class teaching hospital is very rare. We are quite fortunate! We are lucky to be in a community that has put such an excellent health care facility at our doorstep."
The Molinellis' loyal giving has helped support many projects and services at the hospital, including the construction of Lasko Tower and the 2018 NICU renovation. Over time, John's and Sharon's philanthropic priorities have evolved to focus on educational scholarships to help individuals thrive in their academic pursuits and to support community organizations that will demonstrate an immediate impact through their funding. For the Molinellis, philanthropy "has great personal meaning when we can see the money go to work in the communities and institutions that are near and dear to us." Recently, John learned about the Nurse Extern program at Chester County Hospital. He and Sharon agreed that it would be the perfect additional endeavor for their philanthropy - supporting individuals pursuing a nursing degree, and helping to develop the next generation of excellent nurses to care for patients at Chester County Hospital.
The Extern Program helps nursing students gain valuable hands-on experience and expands their clinical knowledge during a full-time schedule in the summer and part-time during their senior year in nursing school. The experience is intended to lead to full-time employment at the hospital after graduation. It is a highly desirable externship and allows the hospital to be very selective in choosing students to participate, thus strategically preparing the pipeline for new top notch nursing employees once they have completed their studies.
In a fitting tribute to their families and Sharon's mother, the Molinellis have worked together with The Chester County Hospital Foundation to establish The Sharon Molinelli and Betty Mielke Nursing Extern Fund to provide the resources to enable three nursing students to participate in the nurse extern program at Chester County Hospital for each of the next three years. The Molinellis take pride in perpetuating the values of education and nursing that were instilled in them by their families, all the while benefiting the nursing program and patients at Chester County Hospital.
The Chester County Hospital Foundation is grateful for John and Sharon's loyal and forward-thinking philanthropy and their commitment to the health and well-being of our family, friends, and neighbors at Chester County Hospital.