Fundraising Goal: $60,000

August 21 until September 18, 2022

Background:

In 2020, the elders and staff identified the continued development of our culture of service as a goal for the upcoming year. A team was formed to develop ways for our congregation to get involved in local service opportunities.

As the team reflected on ways to serve our local community, we recognized the many organizations in our community are already doing amazing work. We created the Community Sharing Project as a way to bless our neighbors through the financial support of local organizations.

In April 2021, Neffsville Mennonite Church raised $58,280 that was donated to eight local organizations as part of the Community Sharing Project. We selected eight local organizations that focus on providing food, housing, clothing, and utility support to the community. The initial goal of the project was to raise $40,000, and we were blown away by the generosity of the congregation, who came together to surpass that goal and raise over $58,000. It was very helpful to receive some matching funds ($15,000) which helped bring in additional giving. This allowed us to donate $7,285 to each organization. We received many letters of thanks from these organizations for supporting the work they are doing locally.

This year, we would like to challenge the congregation to continue their financial support of the good work that is happening in our community. As we reflect on all that has happened since April 2021, we recognize that there are still many of our neighbors who need support in the categories of food, housing, clothing, and utility support. We also want to highlight other important needs that have continued to be present in the last year, including the need to support refugee families arriving in Lancaster and the need for mental health support. We have decided to expand our list of community organizations to include ten organizations. You will hear the names of many of the same organizations as last year on the list, as well as several organizations we have added that focus on supporting the refugee resettlement process and providing mental health services. We continue to recognize the beautiful diversity of our community, and we aimed to choose organizations that reflect that diversity.

We realize that our list of organizations is nowhere near inclusive of all of the wonderful work happening in our community. However, we are very excited about the organizations we have chosen and the opportunity to partner with them through financial support.

We have chosen 10 organizations:

1. Church World Services

Church World Services Lancaster works with refugees, immigrants, and asylum-seekers, helping to welcome them to the United States and assist in getting them established in a new community. Church World Services provides assistance during resettlement that includes help with finding housing, food, clothing, case management services, and language services.

Website: https://cwslancaster.org/resettlement/

2. The Mix at Arbor Place.

The Mix works with local students and their families, providing an after-school program, sports programs, a summer program, and meals. 

Website: https://arborplace.org/programs/sports-recreation-programs/

If you would like to support The Mix while playing golf, check out this opportunity: https://themixlancaster.org/media-and-events/events/

3. Lancaster County Homeless Coalition

A network of organizations and individuals working together to provide all people experiencing homelessness within our community with shelter and a place to stay. Donations would support their shelter supply fund and their mobile hygiene/shower truck.

Website: http://lanccomyhome.org/

4. Tenfold 

Tenfold’s (a merger of Tabor Community Services and Lancaster Housing Opportunity Partnership) mission is to help strengthen the Lancaster County community by giving people the tools and inspiration to meet their housing and financial challenges and by revitalizing our surroundings. Their programs help individuals and families with rent/mortgage and utility needs.

Website: https://wearetenfold.org/

5. Lancaster County Food Hub

The Food Hub distributes food and clothing in Lancaster City, runs the Wheels to Work program to help individuals afford vehicles needed for commuting to work, and runs a women’s winter shelter in Lancaster.

Website: https://lancasterfoodhub.org/

6. Parish Resource Center

The Parish Resource Center organizes the Lancaster Community Meal Program, which is a network of organizations and churches that together provide three free meals a day to those in need in Lancaster City.

Website: https://parishresourcecenter.org/community-initiatives/poverty/

7. Bright Side Opportunities Center

Bright Side Opportunities Center provides services and resources in southwest Lancaster City, including an elder and family food gift card distribution program and fitness programs.

Website: https://www.brightsideopportunities.org/about/our-misson

8. Plaza San Juan Bautista Youth & Cultural Center

A church in Lancaster City that organizes food and clothing programs for community members in that area of the city, with particular outreach to Spanish-speaking community members.

Website: https://www.plazasjb.com/

9. TeenHope

TeenHope, sponsored by Samaritan Counseling Center, is a program that screens Lancaster County students for depression and suicide risk, trying to identify at-risk students who are flying below the radar before a crisis situation occurs.

Website: https://scclanc.org/mental-health-wellness/teenhope/

10. Lone Oak Animal-Assisted Therapeutic and Educational Services

Lone Oak uses horses to provide a variety of services to marginalized groups that have experienced trauma, including children and veterans.

Website: https://www.loneoaktherapeutic.org/

Fundraising Goal: $60,000

Logistics:

To give a donation: write a check to Neffsville Mennonite Church and designate on the memo line: Community Sharing Project. If you give electronically, please designate in the Notes section: Community Sharing Project.

All donations will be split evenly among the ten selected organizations.

If you are interested in helping with a matching gift this year, please contact one of the team members: Brianna Moyer, John Bomberger, or Phil Hostetter.

We will be collecting money from August 21 until September 18, 2022, at which time we will announce our grand total and distribute the money to the local organizations. We are hoping that these organizations will be joining us for our Missions Sharing Sunday on October 30th to let us know how they plan to use this money.

Thank you for being a part of this exciting project and partnering with these wonderful organizations in our community who are showing love to our neighbors each and every day