THE ISSUE: It’s Friday, the day we take a few moments to highlight the good news in Lancaster County and the surrounding region. Some of these items are welcome developments on the economic front or for area neighborhoods. Others are local stories of achievement, ingenuity, perseverance, compassion and creativity that represent welcome points of light as we struggle to deal with grim and unsettling matters in our nation. All of this inspirational news deserves a brighter spotlight.
Leading off, LNP | LancasterOnline's Jade Campos wrote an inspiring article earlier this month about a local community's response to homelessness.
The article explains how Amos Stoltzfus, director of Tenfold’s SoWe neighborhood group in Lancaster city’s southwest quadrant, created a Culliton Park working group "to bridge the gap between people who live in the park and officials who maintain it."
It's an impressive collaborative effort, crossing the lines of many organizations. The group includes Lancaster city representatives, local residents and members of Tenfold, Water Street Mission and Lancaster County Food Hub.
“We want to try to find ways to support folks that stay at the parks, recognizing that, in a lot of cases, they don’t have other places to go, but also trying to ensure that the parks remain a welcoming space for neighbors and families,” Stoltzfus said. “It’s one of the most active parks in the city.”
The results of its efforts have included portable bathrooms in the park, lockers in which belongings can be safely stored and regular cleanup outings.
And it's fostered new trust between local residents and those who are unhoused.
“These efforts often help meet the needs of our most vulnerable while also providing benefits to all park users, as they have directly improved conditions at the park and the overall park experience,” Craig Walt, the city’s health bureau chief and a member of the working group, told LNP | LancasterOnline's Campos via email.
As this editorial board wrote last month, homelessness is a complex issue. It will require action, collaboration and building personal relationships — not politicking — to solve. We applaud those who are working in this section of Lancaster city to take such action and improve life for everyone. Every such step is important.
In other good things:
— Millersville University is opening a new Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program station, aimed at increasing awareness of an access to SNAP benefits for students, the university reported in a news release this week.
The station is located across from the student affairs suite in the upper seating area of the galley in the Student Memorial Center.
“So many of our students are in need, and many of our students qualify for SNAP benefits but don’t know it,” explained Mary Beth Williams, vice president for Student Affairs at Millersville University. “This project, funded through the PA Hunger Free Campus Grant, is intended to feed students in the short term while providing them information about resources that can help them meet their basic needs for the long term.”
Food insecurity is indeed a serious problem for many college students, so this initiative at Millersville is very welcome. We can only hope that SNAP itself, and similar benefits aimed at combating hunger, are not targeted by the Department of Government Efficiency or any official federal agencies.
— For a terrific and heartwarming read, check out the feature story that LNP | LancasterOnline's Jason Guarente wrote about the Zeiset family in Manheim.
Benji and Lyndell Zeiset have nine children, all of whom they adopted.
“We both said we wanted a big family,” Benji Zeiset told Guarente. “There was always a need. At some points we kind of felt selfish saying no.”
Indeed, their approach to family has been one of selflessness and love.
"What it came down to for the Zeisets is there was always a reason to say yes," Guarente wrote. "There was always space for one more."
With that philosophy, they have done incredible good for the children they have brought into their family. Read Guarente's full story and see the gallery of photos here.
— Another inspiring article comes from LNP | LancasterOnline correspondent Karyl Carmignani, who wrote about a Lititz teenager who is quite the entrepreneur.
Aubrianna Muller is a small business owner who sells handmade jewelry, bookmarks and other accessories at three Lancaster County stores as That’s Sew Aubrianna.
She's 14.
Her tools of the trade include a sewing machine and an embroidery machine. She's also a "people person" who loves interacting with customers and building relationships.
“She brings so much joy to people,” says Aubrianna’s mom, Becky Muller. “It is interesting to see her in action.”
Read more about Aubrianna and learn where you can find her wares in Carmignani's article.
— Finally, if you're looking for something to do this weekend, LNP | LancasterOnline's Mickayla Miller has a rundown of six local events that may interest you. They include the award-winning LGBTQ+ musical "Falsettos," a reimagining of a Shakespeare play, an "Exhibits & Elixirs" event at the Lancaster Medical Heritage Museum and a Sunday concert at Tellus360 that will benefit Church World Service Lancaster, which had to furlough 65 staffers following changes in federal policy. The Sunday afternoon concert is a great way to have some fun while helping an important organization.
