You’re in Luck: St. Patrick’s Day parade, race return to downtown Harrisburg

March 1, 2022 | by Maddie Gittens

A past St. Patrick’s Parade

Whether you’re Irish or just enjoy any excuse to celebrate with a beer, Harrisburg will have plenty of St. Patty’s Day festivities this year.

The Harrisburg Downtown Improvement District will host a St. Patrick’s parade on Saturday, March 19, featuring music, dance groups, floats and more.

“We are pleased to be hosting this year’s St. Patrick’s Day parade and are excited to show off more of our downtown business community,” said Todd Vander Woude, executive director of the Downtown Improvement District. “We invite you and your family to join us for a great day downtown.”

Starting at 2 p.m., the parade will travel from the Market Street Bridge and on to 2nd Street, where it will continue until turning left on North Street. Then it will proceed on Front Street until it meets up again on the Market Street Bridge.

The parade will feature eight Irish pipe and drum bands, fire trucks, animals, festive floats, Star Wars characters, Irish dance groups, and local bands, among other entertainment.

Sponsors for the parade include Cargill, Ace Distributing, McGrath’s Irish Pub, Strawberry Square, JB Lovedraft’s MicroPub, Café Fresco, Bourbon Street Saloon, Zembie’s Sports Tavern, Mosquito Joe, Fleet Feet Mechanicsburg, JP Lilley Virtual Event Production, and SP+ Park Harrisburg.

Before the parade, the day will kick off at noon with the annual Lucky Charm Race, a four-mile run through downtown and City Island, sponsored by Fleet Feet Mechanicsburg. Registration for the race costs $45 and is open through March 13. In past years, the race has included both a 5k and 10k run.

Free metered street parking is available for four hours on Saturday by downloading the Parkmobile app and using the code “LUVHBG” at checkout. Additionally, the Market Square parking garage (Second and Chestnut streets) will be offering $10 event parking all day. Free parking is also available after 5 p.m. in the downtown district.

For more information on the Harrisburg St. Patrick’s Parade, visit their website.

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Historic Zembo Shrine off the sales market, organization opts to keep building, focus on events

February 28, 2022 | by Maddie Gittens

Zembo Shrine

Harrisburg’s historic Zembo Shrine is no longer for sale, as the fraternal organization has decided to keep and restore the building.

According to the Zembo Shriners, the group plans to retain its 92-year-old building and focus on reviving it as an event space for the Harrisburg area.

“The Zembo Shrine has always been a big part of the city, and we are interested in keeping it a part of the city and keeping that heritage alive,” said Seth Anthony, a Shriner board member. “We want to bring the building back to its former state as a premier events venue.”

The 62,621-square-foot building, at N. 3^rd and Division streets in Harrisburg, was put on the market in 2017. The group determined that keeping the large building would be too difficult, considering declining membership and the increasing costs of taxes, maintenance and utilities.

Over the five years that it was for sale, the building received three offers, according to Mike Smith, potentate of the Zembo Shriners. It was originally listed at $950,000 and most recently lowered to around $700,000. One potential buyer came very close to purchasing the building, but all offers eventually fell through.

“We were left at the altar three times,” Smith said. “We were tired of that. We needed to focus on what we do.”

The Moorish Revival-style building will continue to serve as a meeting place for the Shriners and as an events venue.

Anthony said that some restoration and updates are needed, such as work on the roof of the building, which will take a few years to complete.

But overall, David Morrison, executive director of Historic Harrisburg Association, said that the building is in great shape.

“It’s been very well maintained,” he said. “I’m very optimistic that what they’re planning is very do-able. This building is one of a kind in Pennsylvania, not to mention Harrisburg.”

Morrison was happy to hear that the Zembo Shrine was pulled from the market.

“Retaining ownership is so much better,” he said. “They know their own building.”

According to Anthony, the Shriners have received increased interest in rentals of the event space. He believes that some of that is due to a “post-COVID bounce back” of people looking to host and attend events, he said.

Anthony also announced that the Zembo Shrine Circus will return to the building’s auditorium from March 24 to 27 after a pandemic break. There will be no animal acts in this year’s show, he said.

As the Zembo Shriners set off in a new direction, Smith hopes to find ways to generate revenue for the group in order to maintain the building. Membership dues will not continue to sustain the organization, Smith explained.

They are currently beginning the process of registering the building with the National Register of Historic Places, which would allow them to apply for grants.

“We are so excited and I’m so admiring of what they want to do,” Morrison said. “I know they’ll succeed.”

Zembo Shrine is located at 2801 N. 3^rd St., Harrisburg. For more information, visit their website.

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What’s new at the Broad Street Market? Burgers, Thai, health food, skincare vendors open

February 28, 2022 | by Maddie Gittens

Owners Nicole and Cody Prickett of Capitol Burgerz

Cody and Nicole Prickett talked about becoming a vendor in the Broad Street Market, but the timing was never right—until now.

Two weekends ago, they opened Capitol Burgerz, fulfilling the couple’s long-time dream of owning their own business.

“I’ve always been very entrepreneurial,” Cody said. “I’ve been in the restaurant industry for 10-plus years. It’s been a long time coming.”

Capitol Burgerz, located in the stone building, puts its spin on the classic sandwich, adding toppings like pineapple relish, crispy onions, glazed ham and their “capitol sauce.” They specialize in smash burgers, compressed patties with crispy edges and a juicy interior. They are much quicker to cook, perfect for the market setting, Cody explained.

They source their beef from R.G. Hummer Meats and Cheese, another market vendor, and make their buns from scratch.

“I’m extremely passionate about cooking,” Cody said. “Whether you’re the first or last order of the day, I’m going to put care into it.”

The market looks a little different these days, as a few popular vendors left and several new ones have set up shop. Along with Capitol Burgerz, a handful of vendors have recently opened, offering a variety of foods and products for market-goers.

For those in search of a lighter snack, Honeybush Raw Smoothie Bar opened this past fall in the brick building of the market.

Owner Lhayana Dallas of Honeybush Raw Smoothie Bar

Owner Lhayana Dallas, also the co-publisher of the Harrisburg-based publication Black Wall Street PA, has always been interested in health, nutrition and fitness. Before opening her smoothie business, she sold health and skincare products online. But Dallas was ready to take the next step and open her own stand.

“I took a chance,” she said. “It’s a beautiful hub of diverse businesses, and I felt like it would be a good start for me.”

Honeybush’s smoothies are crafted from fresh, not frozen, fruit and superfoods.

Like Capitol Burgerz, she utilizes other market vendors’ products, purchasing fruits and veggies from Veg Out and spices from Green Ridge Acres for her smoothies.

One of the most popular smoothies is the “Green Queen”—kale, dandelion leaf, celery, green pepper, avocado, kiwi, sugar kelp, keylime juice, blue agave and coconut water. What can’t she fit in her blender?

Additionally, she sells açaí bowls and various sea moss gels that have numerous health benefits, she said.

“People are excited, and I feel like there was a need for it,” Dallas said. “I just want people to be healthier.”

Just a few steps away is another new vendor, also focused on all-natural ingredients. However, his product is not about what you put in your body, but on it.

Owner Cebrum George of NūBorn Skin

Cebrum George II, owner of NūBorn Skin, has been making his skincare products for almost 15 years. What started as an experiment to find a product that addressed his children’s acne, while remaining gentle on their sensitive skin, grew as people took notice of the positive results.

George officially started his business six years ago, and, for the past few years, has operated a stand in the Broad Street Market courtyard on Saturdays. But as his customer base increased, the market offered him a spot inside. NūBorn Skin opened in late February.

NūBorn’s products include a face cleanser, the most popular product, along with lip balm, beard cream, face serums, body scrubs and body cream, among other items.

George collects water, rich in minerals, from a spring in the Carlisle area. This special ingredient, he said, is what sets his products apart.

“The natural way is the way to go,” he said.

George plans to occasionally offer free or free with purchase, on-site services, such as facials or hand treatments.

Once you’re all moisturized and glowing, pop back over to the stone market, and you’ll find another new market vendor—Tri Asian Taste.

Owners Nyunt and Than Win of Tri Asian Taste

You may remember owners Nyunt and Than Win and their business from their former Mechanicsburg location. Due to COVID and staffing shortages, the Win’s decided to try out the Broad Street Market, recommended to them by the owner of Tep’s Fresh Seafood, a former customer and now neighboring market vendor.

Market regulars Sorita Nhim and Ricky Wijaya slurped noodles and soup from Tri Asian Taste on a Friday afternoon. The pair said that they appreciated the additional Asian cuisine option and the different flavors they bring to the market.

“It’s really good,” Nhim said of her “Tom Kha” soup. “We’ve been here before. We haven’t tried the whole menu…yet.”

Tri Asian Taste offers Thai and Burmese dishes including various curries, Pad Thai, Thai fried rice, mango and sticky rice, shrimp rolls, fried noodles and sushi.

“I like it here,” Nyunt said of the market. “We are making progress. We are thinking about staying here for many years.”

While Nhim and Wijaya enjoyed lunch on Friday afternoon, the market bustled around them. People gathered around the bar at Zeroday Outpost for a beer. Others shopped for produce. Some ordered vegan dishes from Ward of Health. The scene looked far different than the days of take-out and social distancing during the pandemic.

According to Josh Heilman, executive director of the Broad Street Market Alliance, the effects of the pandemic on the market, however, are not in the past.

Their overall customer count is still down, Heilman said, adding that it could be from people having less expendable income or regularly working from home. Additionally, staffing issues and the rising cost of goods both impact vendors, he said.

All things considered, Heilman feels positive about the state of the market.

“Overall, we are positioned to continue to be successful,” he said. “The market is not doing bad by any stretch. It’s just a new world we are living in.”

In the past few months, the market said goodbye to vendors Phyllo, which offered Greek cuisine, and Pikowski’s Pierogi Place. COVID played a small role in their departures, but according to Heilman, it was mostly just time for both to move on.

But for many of the new vendors, their experience at the market is just beginning.

Dallas said that she already has many regular customers who come weekly for her smoothies at Honeybush. Nyunt echoed that, adding that customers of his previous Mechanicsburg location of Tri Asian Taste have followed them to the market. All of the businesses expressed their love for the diversity of the market, camaraderie amongst vendors and friendly customers.

“We want to be a brand that’s rooted in the community,” said Cody, of Capitol Burgerz. “You can’t get any more community-based than this. As long as this building is standing, we will be here.”

All of the businesses mentioned are located at the Broad Street Market, 1233 N. 3^rd St., Harrisburg. For more information, visit their website.

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Nonprofit Focus: WebFX & Chesapeake Bay Foundation

February 28, 2022 | by Admin

WEBFX

Why do you feel it’s important for your business to support our area’s nonprofits?

As a company, we lead by example, work with integrity and aspire to leave the world a better place—both in and outside, our neighborhood. In our hometown of Harrisburg, we host regular meetups, support local businesses and more. It’s not only our company, though. Our team members dedicate time outside of work to the local area, volunteering at local nonprofits and more. By supporting our area’s nonprofits, our company and our team can create a further impact to improve the community we love to live, work and play in. We’re passionate about doing what we can to help make the area we love a better place for everybody. Nonprofits make an enormous difference in quality of life for all, and they are doing so many creative, high-impact efforts in Central PA. The region wouldn’t be what it is without their efforts.

Why do you support this particular nonprofit and what does your business do to benefit the organization?

We’re goal-driven at WebFX—always looking to make a difference for our team and in our local community, while driving results and creating impact for our clients and their businesses. The Susquehanna River is just outside the front door of our Harrisburg office and provides us with a fantastic creative backdrop and an outlet for weekend recreation. As this river system is the biggest feeder into the Chesapeake Bay, we feel a collective responsibility to protect and nurture the waterways we use so often. We love how the Chesapeake Bay Foundation takes a holistic approach to cleaning up the bay and works to solve root issues with the 50 rivers and streams that flow into the bay. WebFX donates to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s Keystone 10 Million Trees Project to plant a tree each time we hit a client goal. To date, we’ve donated 2,500-plus trees along the Capital Area Greenbelt and surrounding areas and have been able to help plant the trees each year. A single deciduous tree can intercept from 500 to 750 gallons of water per year, reducing runoff and pollution going into the Chesapeake Bay.

CHESAPEAKE BAY FOUNDATION

Describe your organization and the importance of corporate support to further your mission.

The Keystone 10 Million Trees Partnership is a collaborative effort of over 215 national, regional, state and local agencies, conservation organizations, outdoors enthusiasts, businesses and citizens committed to improving Pennsylvania’s communities, economy and ecology by planting 10 million trees in priority areas across the Commonwealth by the end of 2025. Sustaining the partnership by providing wideranging resources and assistance is key to its long-term success through 2025. This is why the partnership continues to provide free trees to all partners across the Commonwealth based on a regional priority request system. Tree shelters and stakes are also available in critical regions, at no charge, as funding is available. The Chesapeake Bay Foundation coordinates the partnership in support of Pennsylvania’s efforts to reduce pollution in local rivers and streams and meet its commitment to the regional Chesapeake Clean Water Blueprint. Today, over 27,000 miles of Pennsylvania’s rivers and streams are damaged by pollution. The Clean Water Blueprint calls for 96,000 acres of forested buffers to be planted statewide from 2015 to 2025. Meeting this massive restoration challenge will take many hands—landowners willing to plant trees, volunteers willing to help, conservation partners connecting them, and funding to make it all possible.

For 2022, what is your greatest need?

The partnership works to enlist, energize and mobilize volunteer groups and individuals to team up with larger partners and help with plantings in their local communities. The partnership is planting nearly 500,000 trees by 2022. The successful planting and survival of 10 million trees is critical to the overall success of the program and requires funding for tree protection and stewardship. Through this investment, Pennsylvania’s economy will be stimulated and the partnership strengthened to grow and plant trees to reach the 10-million-tree goal by 2025. The partnership is accelerating the number of forested buffers alongside streams, particularly alongside farmland and urban and suburban settings. We are seeking funding to reach out to 19,000 landowners who would be willing to restore riparian buffers on their property by the end of 2025. This blend of target areas for trees will have a direct link to human health, strong communities, vibrant farms and a legacy of clean water for all. With your support, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and the Keystone 10 Million Trees Partnership will help save the bay. Our goal is to reduce pollution locally and create dramatically cleaner waters in Pennsylvania’s rivers and streams and ultimately the Chesapeake Bay. Thanks to WebFX and all of our Chesapeake Bay Foundation members in the Harrisburg region!

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Nonprofit Focus: LINKBANK & Brethren Housing Association

February 28, 2022 | by Admin

LINKBANK

Why do you feel it’s important for your business to support our area’s nonprofits?

At LINKBANK, we are thrilled to be catalysts of positively investing in building strong communities and championing a greater community impact. LINKBANK’s mission is to positively impact lives through community banking. The founding shareholders desired to create an avenue for continually evaluating and supporting the greatest needs in our region. In response, The LINK Foundation was established as a separate legal entity and with a distinct Board of Directors, with a focus and drive to positively impact the communities across Central and Southeastern Pennsylvania. The LINK Foundation is proud to support and engage organizations and projects towards positive and measurable impact, helping to grow a vibrant Pennsylvania region. The Foundation’s funding initiatives are focused on three pillars: developing future leaders, promoting financial literacy, and fortifying personal growth—pillars that emulate the shared mission of LINKBANK. The LINK Foundation has given $252,500 to 19 local nonprofits since its first grant cycle in May 2020. [LINKBANK is a division of The Gratz Bank.]

Why do you support this particular nonprofit and what does your business do to benefit the organization?

It’s our joy for The LINK Foundation to partner with Brethren Housing Association (BHA), supporting their holistic program of stable housing, supportive services and loving relationships to individuals and families who are experiencing homelessness. Stories of impact are what moves us to collaborate with Brethren Housing to help individuals become self-sufficient. For over 30 years, BHA has been providing transitional housing for single moms with children. They offer classes from parenting to financial literacy to job readiness. It’s the stories of transformation that move us to support them as they positively impact their community, building futures filled with hope, promise and stability.

BRETHREN HOUSING ASSOCIATION (BHA)

Describe your organization and the importance of corporate support to further your mission.

Brethren Housing Association is a bridge housing program for single mothers and their children experiencing homelessness. In FY 2020-21, we were able to serve 134 individuals (47 families). Through loving relationships, stable housing and supportive services, our families are successfully able to transition from homelessness to permanent housing. Despite all of the challenges that COVID presented, 74% of our families were able to move into permanent housing! None of this could be possible without the support of corporations and foundations. And while the success speaks for itself, the financial efficiency and how BHA stewards donor funding is also impressive, with $.85 of every dollar going directly to the program and support of our families. In addition to the direct impact on families, BHA is also at the center of change in our community. Since 1989, BHA has helped to transform the block where we are located by purchasing distressed and abandoned properties and rehabbing the houses into apartments. These apartments are used to serve the single mothers with children in the Transitions Program. BHA has invested over $1.5 million dollars into Hummel and Mulberry streets and has been called the catalyst for the improvements that have taken place in our area of South Allison Hill.

For 2022, what is your greatest need? In 2022, our focus is on growth and addressing the affordable housing crisis.

We’re looking at creative ways to serve our families during these challenging times. BHA is expanding into permanently affordable housing—this means providing housing to families at a rent they can ACTUALLY afford. It’s hard enough being a single mother, but trying to afford “affordable housing” at a time where $1,242 for a 3-bedroom is what’s considered fair in our area, makes it almost insurmountable (especially when coming from homelessness). So, the greatest need on that end is a) real estate and b) financial support. Another need we’re currently experiencing is help with our youth program! We offer a weekly youth program, while mom is attending life skills classes. This program is able to exist because of volunteers looking to engage with our young folks. A variety of lesson plans are taught to encourage self-esteem and support the children as they are developing self-regulation and conflict resolution skills. If you’re interested in volunteering, please visit www.bha-pa.org.

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Nonprofit Focus: Crescent Strategy & M28 Ministry

February 28, 2022 | by Admin

CRESCENT STRATEGY, LLC

Why do you feel it’s important for your business to support our area’s nonprofits?

Crescent Strategy has worked with many of the area’s nonprofits to build their brand recognition, increase their fundraising prowess, and attract new volunteers to support their causes. Frequently, we select which organizations to work with based on their mission and the positive impact they have on their communities. We want to do good for our clients as they do good for society and believe in living our values by giving back to each of our clients whenever possible—sponsoring their charity events like gala dinners and golf tournaments and donating our time as a board member or event volunteer. We know the importance of being good stewards of not just our clients’ branding, but of central Pennsylvania’s image as well. As a woman-owned small business located in uptown Harrisburg, we recognize the challenges and opportunities in the Capital region and applaud the myriad organizations working to make this a great place to live, work and play. From city beautification efforts to support for individuals working on their sobriety to feeding the hungry, local nonprofits fill the needs that society requires to thrive. As our business continues to grow, we look forward to finding new ways to support these change-making nonprofits and encourage other business owners to do so, too.

Why do you support this particular nonprofit and what does your business do to benefit the organization?

The mission of M28 Ministry resonates with Susan Ewing, owner and founder of Crescent Strategy. She lost both her father and sister to addiction, so she knows how drugs can impact more than just the individual. It makes waves that ripple through every level of a community. That is why our business works so closely with M28, as they provide hope and support to those in substance use disorder recovery. Susan sits on the organization’s board, where she uses her digital marketing expertise to elevate M28’s visibility and uncover new ways for them to fundraise and find volunteers. In addition, we have provided financial support to them through event sponsorships and other donations. Crescent Strategy also uses its local partnerships to connect M28 with other business leaders and community pillars.

M28 MINISTRY

Describe your organization and the importance of corporate or foundation support to further your mission.

There have been many negative consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic: job loss, overwhelming stress, and a higher cost of living, to name but a few. These can weigh heavily on anyone, but to someone struggling with a drug or alcohol addiction, they can be fatal. Sadly, the pandemic has increased both the number of individuals using substances and those who overdose from them. Some treatment centers have had to close due to staffing shortages and the challenges that come from trying to house people in close quarters while trying to maintain social distancing. M28 Ministry is a faith-based, community-focused movement of people who help individuals in drug and alcohol addiction recovery. Our mission is to stand alongside those who want to help themselves. We partner with the region’s substance use disorder treatment and recovery centers, as well as with other nonprofits, faith organizations and government agencies, to build transformational relationships for those in recovery, as well as for their families. Like any nonprofit, M28 relies on the generous support of individuals and businesses to continue our vital work. Last year, we had our first-ever charity fundraising gala, and more than a dozen local organizations stepped up to support our mission through event sponsorships, auction item donations and financial gifts. At this year’s gala, we expect even greater success! We continue to work with Crescent Strategy to identify other opportunities to improve our fundraising strategy and connect with other local, socially minded business owners looking to help those in need.

For 2022, what is your greatest need for corporate or foundation support?

In 2022, we begin the second year of our Assisi Program, which is a housing and whole life transformation assistance program that prioritizes providing long-term housing to people trying to rebuild their lives, thus ending their homelessness and poverty. Graduates of the program learn how to pursue their personal goals (finding a career, securing a place to live, rebuilding relationships, etc.) and improve their quality of life. We welcome corporate and foundation support to be able to offer the Assisi Program to more individuals seeking guidance on the road to recovery. This can be through financial support, or as a volunteer mentor who will provide guidance to program participants throughout their one-year journey toward independence. New this year is a partnership between M28 and Jewish Family Services of Greater Harrisburg to help resettle several Afghan refugee families in central Pennsylvania. Through our House2Home Project, we provided furniture and other household goods to these families to make them feel more comfortable as they start a new chapter in their lives. These donations have left our warehouse rather empty, so we are looking for generous support to help us restock our furniture and home goods supplies (either through direct donations or funds) so that we can provide these at no cost to others in need in the coming year. You can learn about these and other opportunities to give on our website.

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Nonprofit Focus: Pavone Marketing Group & Caitlin’s Smiles

February 28, 2022 | by Admin

PAVONE MARKETING GROUP

Why do you feel it’s important for your business to support our area’s nonprofits?

Throughout our three decades of work in Harrisburg, we’ve always known that providing pro bono marketing, messaging and volunteer hours for worthy causes was a key part of our business philosophy at Pavone Marketing Group. We’ve been committed to supporting a variety of organizations in Central PA, and as we expand with office locations outside of this area, that philosophy remains the same. It goes without saying that local businesses are made up of local people. And those people are the area’s community. When we share our expertise with worthy nonprofits, we all benefit.

Why do you support this particular nonprofit and what does your business do to benefit the organization?

In the case of Caitlin’s Smiles, we first heard of their founder’s mission nearly 16 years ago while attending an awards show. We were deeply moved by Cheryl’s story of Caitlin and her channeling of that experience into the creation of an organization that is focused on children in the same circumstances. Her commitment to those children and their families is evident as she works to provide arts and crafts materials and activities that serve as both a comfort and a distraction to them. Over time, our relationship and commitment to the cause has both strengthened and broadened. We’ve felt privileged to help touch so many lives. Anyone who has the opportunity to observe first-hand the joy this organization brings to children can’t help but share in that joy. We created and maintain their website and provide copywriting, social media, marketing and PR support, and strategic direction for Caitlin’s Smiles. Our staff has served on their board, and one of our partners currently serves as its president. We attend and assist with all of their fundraising events, serve as kit-making volunteers, and help secure donations of art supplies.

CAITLIN’S SMILES

Describe your organization and the importance of corporate support to further your mission.

Caitlin’s Smiles was founded in 2004 by Caitlin’s mom, Cheryl Hornung, in memory of her daughter Caitlin. Caitlin lost her battle to a brain tumor at the age of 7. Caitlin was diagnosed at 4 years old. For Caitlin, arts and crafts were a very positive distraction from her hospital treatments and stays. She spent her next 3½ years in four children’s hospitals in four different states for her surgeries, radiation, chemo, stem cell transplant and blood transfusions. In her memory, Caitlin’s Smiles has donated over 2.2 million arts and craft supplies to children in area hospitals, medical facilities and medical camps over 18 years. Powered by a passionate group of volunteers, Caitlin’s Smiles encourages children with serious health challenges to explore their uniquely creative talents by taking part in arts and craft activities. While creating feelings of self-worth and instilling confidence in these children, the efforts ultimately put smiles on the faces of everyone involved. Caitlin’s Smiles depends on the support of local businesses to help spread smiles to children in hospitals and medical facilities. These corporations help raise funds through creating and marketing special events, writing grants, collecting donations of supplies, donating expertise to website development and newsletters, volunteering time to work special events and assemble kits, creating publications and giving overall executive guidance on the board.

For 2022, what is your greatest need?

The hospital can be an intimidating place for children. Add the presence of COVID to the mix, and it can be downright scary. COVID has changed the way that pediatric units in medical facilities function by limiting visitors, shuttering playrooms and restricting art carts. Plus, COVID has increased the needs of other facilities that we have not served much in the past. Now, there is a need for us to provide more of our activities to kids in behavioral health units and to medically fragile children who attend virtual medical summer camps. Our greatest need is for corporate partnerships. What we really need is for corporations to fully partner with Caitlin’s Smiles, as Pavone has done. We can use additional hands on help with developing new fundraising ideas, grant writing and outreach projects. Additionally, providing reciprocal social media, event participation and conducting supply drives/donations would help in spreading the word about our mission to a larger audience. While there are many businesses that offer these services, small to medium-sized charities like ours cannot afford to pay for them, and we struggle to develop new ideas due to budget and time constraints. Input from new partners can help us spread smiles to more hospitalized children.

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Nonprofit Focus: Gunn-Mowery, LLC & Robin’s Way

February 28, 2022 | by Admin

GUNN-MOWERY, LLC

Why do you feel it’s important for your business to support our area’s nonprofits?

When Gunn-Mowery was in its formative years, a lot of people and businesses stepped up to support and do business with us. That support meant the world to us, and we want to give back in a way that supports the communities we are active in. We walk hand-in-hand with our clients and partners to give of our time, talent and money to help advance the needs of our communities. One of the key ways we define our success is giving back to our communities in a significant way. While we can’t always give as much as we would like to, we do what we can to help those in need. It’s our “why” and why we do what we do everyday.

Why do you support this particular nonprofit and what does your business do to benefit the organization? (Answered by G. Greg Gunn)

My wife, Val, and I had a very close friend, Robin Scaer, who passed away in 2020. Robin was the Executive Director of the YMCA of Carlisle and was passionate about the services provided by its Rape Crisis Center. Robin often expressed her concern that funding to the Rape Crisis Center had severely decreased. It touched her deeply. When Robin passed away, we reached out to her friends and talked to her husband Bob about how best to honor her. With Bob’s blessing, we gathered a committee and created Robin’s Way to sustain critical funding for the Rape Crisis Center. Thankfully, we had a caring committee of friends and family working with us to make this happen, including Jewel Cooper, Anthony and Carolyn Worrall, Diane Tokarsky and many others. To keep administrative expenses to a minimum, Robin’s Way is administered by the YWCA of Carlisle and our good friend, Maddie Young. Maddie and Robin were friends, so Maddie also takes this effort as personally as Val and I do. All of us were fortunate to have Robin in our lives, and she inspired us to make a lasting difference in our community. Robin’s Way is our way of continuing to honor the extraordinary spirit of Robin Scaer and, especially, her passion to lift up others in need.

ROBIN’S WAY

Describe your organization and the importance of corporate support to further your mission.

The YWCA Carlisle & Cumberland County’s mission is to eliminate racism, empower women and promote peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all. Our services include programs devoted to youth empowerment, social justice and racial equity; a full functioning preschool; and sexual assault awareness and advocacy through Sexual Assault/Rape Crisis Services of Cumberland County (SARCs). The Robin’s Way memorial fund was created in honor of our late executive director, Robin Scaer, and goes directly to supporting the quality and efficacy of SARCs. Robin championed the services and programs of the YWCA and was especially dedicated to SARCs. Caring and providing compassion for those in crisis is work that is never done, and corporate and foundation funding allows us to continue to offer a variety of services through SARCs, including prevention education; empowerment counseling for adults; body safety counseling for children; survivor support groups; individual advocacy; in-person accompaniments to hospitals, court and police settings; and a 24-hour hotline for anyone in crisis. Last year, we were able to serve 7,183 people across all our programming because of corporations dedicating money specifically to racial equity programs, our Empower & Equip and After the Bell Youth programs, and to Robin’s Way.

For 2022, what is your greatest need?

This year, our greatest need for corporate and foundation support is for our youth programs and support groups dedicated to people who have been victimized. Funding in these areas will help us continue to strengthen our current programs, while giving us the resources we need to expand our offerings to even more people in need. For example, we are developing a new program, STEAM Queens, for female-identifying high-schoolers interested in careers in science, technology, engineering, art and math (STEAM). Girls and women are systematically tracked away from science and math throughout their education, limiting their access, preparation and opportunities to go into these fields as adults. Our program aims to fight this trend by guiding students in building confidence as they explore and contribute to a male-dominated field by learning and experimenting alongside women working in STEAM. For our support groups, our goal for 2022 is to expand the Sexual Assault/Rape Crisis services that Cumberland County provides by building programming dedicated to human trafficking awareness and prevention, an area we have seen a great need in, but previously have not had the resources to aid. It is through the generous donations of corporations and foundations that we will be able to continue developing in these two areas and work to provide further support to all who have been marginalized within our community.

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A Home in Harrisburg: Afghan refugees are resettling in central PA, with the assistance, collaboration of local groups

February 28, 2022 | by Deborah Lynch

Church World Service volunteers. Photo by Dani Fresh.

Moving is not for the weak—even if it’s just a move across town. It involves a lot of upheaval and strength, both physical and mental. Add to that the need to relocate to a new country and culture for safety, and the task of moving becomes almost overwhelming.

That’s where a myriad of Harrisburg-based organizations and agencies are drawing together, collaborating to help relocate Afghan refugees to new homes and services in the area. Without this cooperation involving armies of volunteers and outreach, the move would be next to impossible.

Igor Drucker is one small part of this force. A refugee himself, he arrived here in 1990 from Kyiv, Ukraine, part of the exodus of Soviet Jews.

He will offer several of the apartments he owns through his commercial real estate business to Afghan refugees resettled by Jewish Family Service, which also sponsored his move here. In the past, he has helped house African and Nepali refugees through Catholic Charities.

“As much as I can help folks to give them a chance to start over in this great country, I’ll be happy to do so,” Drucker said.

Through the years, many organizations have helped resettle Soviet Jews in the Harrisburg area, as well as Vietnamese, Laotians, Bhutanese, Nepalese, Syrians and now, Afghanis.

“A lot of people who have grown up in the area, unless they are connected to a program like ours, they don’t get a sense of how diverse our Harrisburg area is,” said Sara Beck, ESL Services Manager for Catholic Charities. “When I say I have people from 40 countries—they just can’t wrap their heads around it.”

Many of those who have come before have added not only to the diversity of the region, but to its core values of working hard to get ahead. For example, Derry Street now houses a stunning strip of Nepalese businesses and restaurants.

In recent years, as many as 30,000 people from Bhutan and Nepal have settled in the Harrisburg and Lancaster areas.

“They are a really entrepreneurial group,” Beck said. “So many people have bought houses. It’s so cool to see how far they’ve come in a relatively short time.”

Among those working to achieve their American dream is Dinesh Bhattarai, who was 17 when his family was resettled from Nepal to Harrisburg. Now a sophomore majoring in biology at Penn State Harrisburg, Bhattari shows his gratitude to Catholic Charities by volunteering as an aide for the agency’s ESL classes.

Dinesh Bhattarai. Photo by Dani Fresh.

“If you come here without knowing anything, it can be difficult,” Bhattarai said. “After you get used to it, you are going to feel you can have more opportunity here in this area.”

Working Together

In all, some 90,000 Afghan refugees are expected to resettle in the United States, with a small portion coming to the Harrisburg area. They’ll arrive through some of the nine nationally approved organizations.

Catholic Charities has a contract to resettle 20 Afghan refugees in the area. Three other organizations also have resettlement contracts—Jewish Family Services will resettle 50 to 70, the International Service Center is resettling more than 113, and Church World Service is opening a Harrisburg site to resettle as many as 20 refugees. Some of the Afghanis have already arrived, with more still coming.

Catholic Charities has been helping to resettle refugees in the Harrisburg region since 1980.
According to Beck, the refugee resettlement program is a “crazy kind of big web that trickles down to essentially our office here.” Refugees are identified and registered, interviewed, and then go through clearance with the U.S. State Department before being approved for resettlement.

Catholic Charities, like most of the other organizations, will help new refugees for 90 to 180 days after arrival or provide further case management to give them a path to self-sufficiency. This help may include finding and outfitting a home, employment services, classes in English as a Second Language and referrals for other needs.

Most of the resettlement organizations partner with other agencies and programs for services they can’t provide, such as mental health services, food assistance and legal services. The new director at Catholic Charities, Kelly Gollick, arrived last November from CONTACT Helpline, which is a part of the referral services of Catholic Charities.

“Because our contract is limited, it compels us to work in partnership, which is a happy place for us,” said Steven Schauder, executive director of Jewish Family Service of Greater Harrisburg. “The team working on resettlement in our agency is comprised of a Christian, a Jew, a Muslim and a Buddhist. We’re our own UN working on resettlement.”

The large influx of Afghan refugees prompted the opening of a Harrisburg sub-office of Church World Service.

Site director Alex Swan said that a lot of the work, such as finding housing, occurs before the refugees arrive. A hot welcome meal of food from their home country is provided for the first night in their new house, and the refrigerator is stocked for the first few days. Referrals to clothing and food banks are made, and help is provided to enroll children in school and families in health care programs and ESL classes.

“We rely heavily on community members to step up and form a welcome team,” Swan said. “They’re our boots on the ground.”

International Service Center, which is based out of Market Square Presbyterian Church in Harrisburg, has been involved in refugee resettlement since 1976, helping people from such countries as Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Cuba, Haiti, Iran, Mexico, El Salvador and Ethiopia. Last year, it began its Afghan Assistance Placement Project.

Truong Phuong, executive director of International Service Center, said that a great need right now is finding landlords willing to provide homes.

“Because of the magnitude of arrivals within a historically short timeframe, we are in desperate need to secure affordable housing for many newly arrived Afghan refugees,” Phuong said.

Other support agencies include M28 Ministry, which is teaming with Jewish Family Service. M28’s House2Home Project helps furnish the refugee homes with everything down to forks and knives. For M28, this is the first time working with a resettlement project, as their main focus usually is helping people in drug and alcohol recovery.

“It is kind of a cool thing to see charities from all faith backgrounds and nonfaith backgrounds working together to help people as they transition here,” said Jimmy Schambach, director of M28 Ministry.

Moving Forward

Getting the refugees resettled requires lots of organization and collaboration. But, once they’re settled, then what?

That’s where organizations like Camp Hill-based PACRI—Pennsylvania Center for Refugees and Immigrants—come in. A former refugee, Alishine Osman started PACRI to help his fellow Somalis find services and connections when they came to the Harrisburg area.

Osman knows the journey that these newcomers face. His organization helps connect immigrants and refugees with area services such as transportation, education, finding employment and referrals to other services and agencies.

“We are the yellow pages basically,” Osman said.

Others offering services and referrals include Trinity Presbyterian Church, which offers ESL classes, Tri-County OIC, which also offers ESL as well as a special intensive culinary training and English for Special Purposes program, and the Pennsylvania Association of Immigrant and Refugee Women (PAIRWN).

PAIRWN has programs designed to offer ongoing support for newcomers, including a Family Advocacy Program to provide homework help for immigrant and refugee students. It also offers one-on-one interpretation services for parents.

Perhaps most importantly, PAIRWN offers fellowship for women seeking a home in their new country. The Story Circle program meets monthly, allowing members to tell their stories, make friends, and learn to know their new community.

According to resettlement organizations, the Harrisburg area has much to be proud of, with a strong history of supporting refugees, as well as employment opportunities for them.

“Historically, this area has been really amazing for refugees because of the good, family-sustaining, entry-level jobs,” Beck said. “We have lots of warehouses and places for people to work—and they’re able to advance at those work sites, too.”

And, Swan said, data shows that refugees have been “overwhelmingly successful in integrating into our communities—filling jobs, bringing their cultures and foods.”

Lending a Hand

Would you like to learn more about the organizations mentioned in this story or get involved in helping Afghan refugees?

Catholic Charities programs: www.cchbg.org

Church World Service: [email protected] or call 717-358-9351.

International Service Center: 717-236-9401 or email [email protected]

Jewish Family Service of Greater Harrisburg: www.jfsofhbg.org

M28 and its House2Home Project: www.m28.us/projects/house2home

PACRI: www.pacri.org

PAIRWN: www.pairwn.org

Tri-County OIC: www.tricountyoic.org

Trinity Presbyterian Church: www.trinityhbg.com

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Working Overtime: Harrisburg’s two new City Council members pledge visibility, engagement within the community

February 28, 2022 | by Maddie Gittens

Jocelyn Rawls

Education runs in Jocelyn Rawls’ blood.

Her dad was a teacher in the Harrisburg School District for 35 years, and her mom served as a nurse in the district. Rawls grew up to become a teacher herself, working in New York City before coming to Ben Franklin Elementary School in Harrisburg. For the past six years, she has worked for Central Dauphin School District as a third-grade teacher.

It’s been a challenging couple of years for Rawls, as it has been for all teachers during the pandemic. But she has learned a lot, she said, such as how to be more tech savvy in the classroom and how to promote health and hygiene. But there’s also been plenty of repeatedly reminding kids to pull their masks over their noses.

At home, there are more kids. She and her partner have five children in the blended family of seven. Even after the school bell rings and her workday finishes, Rawls is often back in a school gym watching her children’s sports games.

This year, she heaped another large serving onto her already full plate and took a seat on Harrisburg City Council.

The 2021 election season in Harrisburg was one full of eager candidates. In the primary election, 13 hopefuls ran for four seats on council. In the end, two incumbent council members, Shamaine Daniels and Ausha Green, were re-elected and two newcomers, Rawls and Ralph Rodriguez, won seats for the first time.

Rawls and Rodriguez may be new to council, but they’re not new faces in the community. Both have been active in caring for and educating the Harrisburg area for years. Recently, as they took their seats on the council dais, they shared how they plan to continue those efforts.

Ralph Rodriguez

Fight or Flight

What Rawls hopes to accomplish on council isn’t too different from what she does as a teacher. Her goal is to promote communication and education between the city and its residents.

Rodriguez also draws on his years of experience working in the community. Like Rawls, Rodriguez is already juggling a lot of responsibilities, between running a nonprofit and raising five kids with his wife Cierra Ross. But this is his home, his passion.

After moving to Harrisburg in the mid-1990s, Rodriguez lived on Chestnut Street in Allison Hill and attended Harrisburg High School-John Harris Campus.

“When I think about the good old days, that’s what I reference,” he said. “I just remember neighbors coming by, and it really was, ‘Hey does your mom have sugar upstairs?’ ‘Can I borrow a cigarette?’ It was so much love.”

He loved the sense of community he felt—the neighbors, the cookouts.

But life wasn’t always carefree for Rodriguez who, at 3 years old, lost his father to drug use. At age 9, he entered a juvenile placement facility, due to neglect, he said, and remained in the system until he was 17. Two weeks before Rodriguez’s high school graduation, his mother died.

These experiences drove him to care for others in similar situations.

“I understand how it feels to be left and neglected,” he said.

About a decade ago, Rodriguez, a certified life coach and intervention prevention specialist, started All You Can Inc., an organization that provides emergency services to at-risk families in central Pennsylvania.

Over the years, he’s hosted gun safety courses, holiday toy drives, school supply drives and community Thanksgiving dinners. All You Can also organized a protest after the killing of George Floyd and helped distribute a quarter-of-a-million pounds of food to families in need during the pandemic.

In a lot of ways, moving into a political position with City Council was a natural next step for Rodriguez, although he’s never considered himself a politician. He prefers “public servant” or “advocate.”

“When I have 200 to 300 people looking at me like—‘Ralph, what are we going to do? What’s the plan?’—it’s either fight or flight, and I’ve never been good at running,” he said.

Fresh Eyes

Last year, during her campaign, Rawls would get off of work then begin to walk the neighborhoods, knocking on doors, talking to residents. She introduced herself, listened to questions and shared her vision for Harrisburg. These were long days, but Rawls was determined to make herself visible in the community, rather than using volunteers.

“I’m going to be in the seat, so why should I have other people doing the work for me?” she said.

On council, Rawls now chairs the Parks, Recreation and Enrichment Committee, a perfect assignment for someone who wants to enhance youth programming in Harrisburg. Other goals include updating infrastructure and improving communication within the city. In the process, she wants to help educate the public on the workings of the local government, which she considers to be key to her work, as well.

Rawls admitted that she didn’t always know much about the way city government functioned. As a city resident, she often didn’t know what to do or who to call when she had a question. Her goal now is to help people who also feel that way, she said.

Once Rawls started learning about the importance of participating in local government, she had to be a part of it.

“Sitting on city council, I have a larger voice,” she said. “I know what the city can be. It has so much potential, but it needs warriors.”

Rodriguez never imagined that he would be one of these “warriors,” making big decisions on behalf of the public.

“As a teenager, I used to sit at my window and wonder where I’d be someday,” he said.

Rodriguez now is confident that he’s in the right place, bringing “fresh eyes” and a “new perspective” to council.

Some of his priorities overlap with those of Rawls—better communication with constituents and additional educational opportunities for kids. Others include focusing on recruitment and retention efforts within the police and fire bureaus and promoting transparency within city government, things that fall under his purview as chair of the public safety committee. However, Rodriguez said that his first year on council will include a lot of time learning.

He’s also dedicated to being visible and present in the community and noted that walking the streets of Harrisburg and talking to residents shouldn’t stop after election season.

“I need to show these citizens that there is someone working overtime for them,” he said. “Our work doesn’t stop in the council chambers.”

Both Rawls and Rodriguez eagerly shared what they see as the most beautiful parts and aspects of the city—the Susquehanna riverfront, the state Capitol complex, Italian Lake and the diverse and delicious restaurants. They already love their city, but envision it becoming even greater.

“I’m really hopeful for the future of Harrisburg,” Rodriguez said. “I would love to see Harrisburg come back to the ‘Miss Jones, do you have any rice I can borrow?’ My hope is that we have the right council and administration that is homegrown, from the area, and willing to put in the overtime.”

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