Gene and Kathy Odato with “Ruger” from the Humane Society Horse Stable.
If you could identify anyone in the Harrisburg area as an unsung hero, who would it be and why?
For an entire year, I’ve been asking every single one of “TheBurg Podcast” guests that question. They’ve revealed ordinary people in our midst showing extraordinary kindness—and not seeking recognition—through personal, sometimes poignant, anecdotes and stories.
Except, instead of airing all these insightful audio answers, I’ve been saving them—until now. On Feb. 14, Valentine’s Day, tune into a special edition of “TheBurg Podcast” to meet all of these unsung heroes of Harrisburg—28 in total, perhaps even a few whose names you’ll recognize. It’s like an audio Valentine, as we share a little love for the Harrisburg community.
As a tie-in to the podcast, it was my honor to track down and call up several of these unsung heroes (what fun calls to make!), for this very special article that expands their stories.
What a World It Would Be
Imagine waking up on Monday morning. Chances are, the thoughts running through your head are very different from Kathy Odato’s.
“I wake up thinking, ‘Today is horse day—my day to do something fun,’” said Kathy, of Landisburg, Perry County. “For years, I’ve spent Monday mornings from 9 to noon cleaning out the horse stables, getting to know the horses so they learn to trust people. It’s basically hands-on care.”
That’s right—mucking out horse stalls is what propels her out of bed every Monday morning. But these aren’t just any horses, of course—Kathy volunteers at the Humane Society of Harrisburg Area’s stables for rescued horses.
“I’ve been around horses since I was 8 or 9, so it’s a win-win because these are animals I love,” she said. “My favorite thing is being in with the horses, brushing them and putting on their blankets.”
Kathy, 65, is a former elementary art teacher with the West Perry School District, while husband, Gene, 69, is a retired district forester with the state’s Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.
“They do more in their retirement than I think most people have done in a lifetime,” said Amy Kaunas, the Humane Society’s executive director. “Kathy is my best-kept secret.”
The list of organizations the Odatos touch is quite long. They both volunteer with Friends of Spring Township, in support of Lynn Sheaffer Dum Memorial Park, Elliottsburg. Additionally, Gene serves as vice president for the Jason Frye Memorial Center, a project underway within the park, to honor the memory of a local Marine killed in action.
Kathy serves on an American Red Cross disaster action team and is a blood donor ambassador. She previously volunteered for a number of animal therapy programs involving horses and dogs—including Canine Corps. It’s an organization that cares for dogs belonging to deployed military personnel.
“It was especially rewarding—I used to help in the kennel,” Kathy said. “When military personnel would come home after not seeing their dogs for months, then seeing those dogs look up and see their owners—it was like a scene out of a movie, watching those dogs run to their owners, especially knowing the owners were deployed and could have lost their lives.”
Animals of a much different kind factor into Gene’s retirement plans—he’s a volunteer for Waggoner’s Gap Hawk Watch and chairman of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation’s Harrisburg Chapter.
You might wonder why or how Harrisburg supports an organization based in Missoula, Mont., dedicated to elk. But as Gene explains, there’s a lot of local support, thanks to Pennsylvania’s herd centered in Elk County.
“It’s our mission is to ensure the future of elk and other wildlife, habitat and hunting—and the Harrisburg Chapter was the first chapter east of the Mississippi, founded in 1986,” Gene said. “There are hundreds of members in the central Pennsylvania area. We have a fundraising banquet in February with generally more than 200 people, and all the funds go to the national organization, but then come back to Pennsylvania as grants centered around wildlife, conservation and hunting.”
One of the highlights of Gene’s volunteerism? Being involved in the grand opening of the Elk Country Visitor Center located in Benezette, which now attracts nearly half a million visitors annually.
What inspires them to volunteer?
“These are just the things we love to do,” Gene said, to which Kathy added, “I think it was Colin Powell who said, ‘If everyone would volunteer one day a year, what a world it would be.’”
Erin Rosensteel
Prom and Purpose
Prom plans were perfectly in place, but Mother Nature had other ideas.
“It happened to be the worst weather weekend of the year,” said Erin Rosensteel.
The Derry Township High School teacher faced a heart-wrenching decision last spring—go forward with prom plans amid “torrential downpours,” or cancel? This was no ordinary prom, and she couldn’t bear the thought of crushing her students’ joy.
“Everything was in motion, so we went ahead with the original plan,” Rosensteel said. “We had a tent scheduled, and we quickly ordered sides. We had kids coming in wheelchairs, so we had to figure out how to put wood down on grassy areas.”
It was the first-ever prom for Trojan Buddies, an inclusive club that brings together special and regular education students.
“The kids showed up in their best formal wear—but with rain boots, hats and gloves—and they just danced the whole night. They got muddy, but mostly, the pictures capture their joy,” said Rosensteel, a life skills support teacher of 11 years.
Her students include those diagnosed with autism, cerebral palsy, Down’s syndrome and intellectual disabilities.
“Just seeing them out on the dance floor the entire night—my heart was so full. That’s the reason I do what I do,” Rosensteel said.
Rosensteel, 40, has a new title this year—transition coordinator, which means she matches life skills students with post-secondary job opportunities.
“I think that she is doing the good work, and not for any benefit of her own, but because her heart is with [her students],” said Nathan Reigner, Pennsylvania’s director of outdoor recreation, who identified Rosensteel as an unsung hero.
What was Rosensteel’s reaction?
“I was like, I don’t deserve that—seriously—I’m so honored, but it’s just what I do,” she said. “My career path is something I’m very passionate about, because it supports people with significant needs to help them live the most meaningful lives possible. I simply fell in love with this population of students.”
Aisha Mobley
Going Past the 5
Aisha Mobley wears many hats in the Harrisburg community.
“Yes, I do wear a lot of hats, but you know what’s funny? I actually do have quite a hat collection,” she said, with a laugh.
Her full-time job title—her main hat—is community mobilization and outreach coordinator for Christian Churches United of the Tri-County Area and HELP Ministries.
“I prayed for this job,” Mobley said. “Lord, I want a job where I can serve you and serve your people.”
Through her eyes, she sees the city’s homeless, or unhoused population, as God’s people.
“First of all, I see me in everyone. I’m going to treat everyone like their last name is Mobley, nonjudgmental, ready to help them right where they are, with compassion but also a bit of accountability,” said Mobley, who matches the city’s unhoused population with services, housing and employment opportunities.
“I’m considered a resource broker in the community,” said Mobley, 50, a lifelong Harrisburg area resident. “I love to fill in those gaps—I love to follow through with folks. Most people call my type of service non-traditional because I work all types of hours, because that’s when crisis happens. I’m that type of person who goes past the 5, in 9 to 5.”
That’s because she understands trauma, firsthand, as a survivor of domestic violence. She survived a kidnapping and rape at the age of 17.
Mobley is tough—a veteran who served as a medical specialist in the U.S. Army. Today, she’s especially proud to help homeless veterans.
“I graduated Harrisburg High School, where I was in ROTC,” she said. “In fact, I went to Rosa Parks’ birthday party in Detroit, can you believe that? My favorite teacher who recommended me is now one of my volunteers—I leverage all my connections.”
She also serves the Harrisburg Community Black Think Tank, the Compassion Action Network, and is community engagement leader for Breadcoin in Harrisburg—an innovative program that circulates tokens for recipients to redeem at participating restaurant locations in exchange for food. As lead captain and lead canvasser for One Vote Counts, she personally helped more than 1,600 people register to vote last year, with a focus on BIPOC residents. She runs the food pantry and clothing pantry for her church, Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church on 6th Street, where she’s been a member since age 4.
Thomas Sweet, retired pastor of Market Square Presbyterian Church, described her as “indefatigable in championing [homeless] causes and decisions that have to be made in their lives… I would say anyone working on our streets in Harrisburg are unsung heroes.”
Cheryl Hornung
Sharing Smiles
The ability to turn tragedy into triumph. That’s one way that Josiah Peay, owner of the Central PA Kings basketball team, defines an unsung hero.
“I came across an organization that drew me in immediately, as soon as I heard the story,” said Peay.
He’s talking about Cheryl Hornung, founder of the nonprofit Caitlin’s Smiles, named in memory of her daughter.
“Caitlin was my first-born, a girly-girl who loved dress-up, Disney pink, and arts and crafts,” Hornung said. “She started getting sick when she was 3, and we weren’t sure what was going on. She was diagnosed with a brain tumor just before her 4th birthday.”
From that point forward, Caitlin spent three-and-a-half years in four different children’s hospitals in four different states.
“We thought we had it beat several times, but the cancer kept coming back,” Hornung said. “But one thing that helped her was doing arts and crafts. Give her a new pack of crayons or a bag of beads to make necklaces, and she was a pretty happy kid,” despite having cancer.
Creating art gave Caitlin joy, but she also discovered the joy of giving those handmade projects away. Cheryl describes doctors and nurses wearing brightly colored, beaded necklaces, nurse stations plastered with coloring pages.
“She passed away when she was 7, and, at the time, I had no clue about anything, most of all how to survive,” Hornung said.
At some point, she realized she had to work through her grief.
“It was like trying to find yourself again. And I thought maybe other folks in the hospital were going through what I did, and maybe they would like our art supplies,” said Hornung, who still had backpacks filled with crayons and other supplies.
She called several local hospitals, including Harrisburg Hospital’s pediatric unit, asking if she could donate the colorful collection.
“It really exploded in a wonderful way, and I just kept reaching out,” said Hornung, who, 19 years later, is still reaching out, propelled by a volunteer force over 800 strong.
In 2022, the nonprofit Caitlin’s Smiles provided 12,000 arts and crafts bags to about 200 different children’s hospitals. The organization also provides “coping kits” for children spending time in hospital emergency rooms. An annual budget of $220,000 is powered by numerous annual fundraisers.
“What is so neat is seeing all the giving, caring people who want to help. Every day, we are just blessed by people coming or calling wanting to help,” said Hornung, from the organization’s 6th Street, Harrisburg, office.
Take one look at the organization’s social media channels and you’ll see plenty of smiles sparked by Caitlin’s Smiles.
“Studies have shown that art can be very healing and therapeutic,” Hornung said. “I think Caitlin would be proud this went so far.”
To meet more “Unsung Heroes of Harrisburg,” tune into the special Valentine’s Day edition of “TheBurg Podcast,” dropping on Feb. 14, available on all podcast apps (Apple, Spotify, etc.) as well as TheBurg website.
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