More than 1,400 new COVID-19 cases statewide; total deaths exceed 100

April 3, 2020 | by Lawrance Binda

The COVID-19 pandemic shows no sign of easing, as the commonwealth today reported another record number of new cases.

The state Department of Health said that Pennsylvania had 1,404 new positive COVID-19 cases as of midnight, bringing the commonwealth’s total to 8,420 since the outbreak began in early March.

Yesterday, the department reported 1,211 new positive cases.

The health department also reported 12 more deaths statewide from COVID-19, with 102 total fatalities attributed to the virus.

Locally, Perry County reported its first death from the disease. In addition, five people have now died in Lancaster County and two in Cumberland County, one more than yesterday in each case. There remained one fatality in both Dauphin and York counties.

“The continued rise in cases combined with our increasing deaths from COVID-19 reflects the seriousness of this situation,” Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said.

The virus has now spread to 63 of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties, one more than yesterday.

Locally, Dauphin County now has 79 confirmed cases, 12 more than yesterday. Cumberland County now has 45 cases, Lancaster County has 232 cases, York County has 121 cases, Lebanon County has 54 cases, Adams County has 19 cases and Perry County has four cases.

Philadelphia County continues to have the most confirmed cases with 2,284 cases, followed by Montgomery County with 875 cases.

“We need everyone to listen to the orders in place and to stay calm, stay home and stay safe,” Levine said. “We know that these prolonged mitigation effects have been difficult for everyone, but it is essential that everyone follows these orders and does not go out unless they absolutely must.”

Statewide, 55,099 coronavirus tests have been performed, with 53,695 people testing negative, according to the state health department. Yesterday, the state reported that 54,714 people had been tested for the virus.

Of the patients who have tested positive to date, the age breakdown is as follows, according to the health department:

Nearly 1 percent are aged 0-4
Nearly 1 percent are aged 5-12
1 percent are aged 13-18
8 percent are aged 19-24
Nearly 41 percent are aged 25-49
Nearly 29 percent are aged 50-64
Nearly 20 are aged 65 or older.

Most of the patients hospitalized are 65 or older, as are most of the reported deaths, according to the state. There have been no pediatric deaths to date.

In addition, the Pennsylvania State Police yesterday issued 27 warnings yesterday for failure to comply with Gov. Tom Wolf’s order that “non life-sustaining” businesses shut their physical locations. In all, the police have now issued 163 warnings, but have not yet issued any citations.

Levine continued to emphasize that Pennsylvanians should do the following:

Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available.
Cover any coughs or sneezes with your elbow, not your hands.
Clean surfaces frequently.
Stay home to avoid spreading COVID-19, especially if you are unwell.

For more information, visit the PA Department of Health’s COVID-19 website.

Harrisburg lights up Hope Tree, a project meant to lift spirits, raise donations

April 2, 2020 | by Lawrance Binda

For many decades, a rather average-looking tree has stood at the foot of the Walnut Street Bridge in Riverfront Park.

After all these years, it’s finally ready for its close-up.

On Thursday night, Harrisburg Mayor Eric Papenfuse helped lead the lighting of the Hope Tree of Central PA, a 60-foot sycamore now decorated with 15,000 colored lights, a symbol of hope, as well as a fundraiser.

“The tree will be a source of hope during these uncertain times,” Papenfuse said. “Just like the individual lights on the tree, our community shines brighter with the support of each other.”

According to Papenfuse, Nikos and Terra Phelps, owners of Christmas Décor of Harrisburg, came up with the idea of adorning the sprawling tree to inspire hope during the COVID-19 pandemic.

After receiving city permission, the couple spent some 17 hours installing thousands of small LED lights donated by Camp Hill-based Twinkly Pro, wrapping the tree’s trunk and branches with waves of color.

“Terra and I were really inspired by stories we’ve heard from throughout the country,” Nikos said. “We wanted to come up with a way that we could help, as well.”

Since the couple’s company installs holiday lighting displays, this project seemed a natural fit for them.

Nikos said that they’re heartbroken for their fellow small business owners, particularly the Harrisburg area’s many independent restaurateurs. So, they believed that the tree could serve as a way both to inspire hope during the health crisis and to raise money for people whose businesses have been hurt.

“Restaurant owners are always giving back [to the community] so we wanted to see what we could do to help them out,” he said.

The money raised won’t be charity for the restaurants, he said. Instead, donations will buy meals from them, with the food then donated to families in need.

“Even if you don’t donate, please support your favorite restaurants, as well,” Nikos said.

Due to the pandemic, the city live-streamed the event on Facebook Live to minimize crowd size and maintain social distancing.

“As it gets darker and darker, the tree will get brighter and brighter,” said Papenfuse, as the sun sank low over the Susquehanna River. “You’ll even be able to see it as far as the west shore.”

The Hope Tree of Central PA project hopes to raise $25,000 through the online fundraiser. To make a donation, visit the project’s Go Fund Me page.

New COVID-19 cases exceed 1,200 in PA; more than 7,000 cases since pandemic began

April 2, 2020 | by Lawrance Binda

The state Department of Health’s shaded COVID-19 map for Thursday

Daily new coronavirus cases have exceeded 1,000 for the first time in Pennsylvania, as the state Department of Health today reported another record caseload.

The department said that Pennsylvania had 1,211 new positive COVID-19 cases as of midnight, bringing the commonwealth’s total to 7,016 since the outbreak began in early March.

Yesterday, the state Department of Health reported 962 new positive cases.

The department also reported 16 more deaths from the virus, bringing that total to 90 fatalities. This includes additional fatalities in central PA. Lancaster County has now reported four deaths from the disease, with Dauphin, York and Cumberland counties all reporting one death.

“The continued rise in cases combined with our increasing deaths from COVID-19 reflects the seriousness of this situation,” Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said.

The virus has now spread to 62 of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties.

Locally, Dauphin County now has 67 confirmed cases, Cumberland County has 41 cases, Lancaster County has 203 cases, York County has 102 cases, Lebanon County has 45 cases, Adams County has 18 cases and Perry County has three cases.

Philadelphia County continues to have the most confirmed cases with 1,852 cases, followed by Montgomery County with 735 cases.

Statewide, 54,714 coronavirus tests have been performed, with 47,698 testing negative, according to the state health department. Yesterday, the state reported that 48,232 had been tested for the virus.

Of the patients who have tested positive to date, the age breakdown is as follows, according to the health department:

Nearly 1 percent are aged 0-4
Nearly 1 percent are aged 5-12
1 percent are aged 13-18
Nearly 9 percent are aged 19-24
Nearly 41 percent are aged 25-49
Nearly 29 percent are aged 50-64
19 percent are aged 65 or older.

Most of the patients hospitalized are 65 or older, as are most of the reported deaths, according to the state. There have been no pediatric deaths to date.

In addition, the Pennsylvania State Police yesterday issued 13 warnings over the weekend for failure to comply with Gov. Tom Wolf’s order that “non life-sustaining” businesses shut their physical locations. In all, the police have now issued 136 warnings, but have not yet issued any citations.

Levine continued to emphasize that Pennsylvanians should do the following:

Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available.
Cover any coughs or sneezes with your elbow, not your hands.
Clean surfaces frequently.
Stay home to avoid spreading COVID-19, especially if you are unwell.

For more information, visit the PA Department of Health’s COVID-19 website.

Weekend Roundup with Sara Bozich: Still Home Edition

April 2, 2020 | by Sara Bozich

Obviously, don’t go anywhere (still, please).

“Events” happening this weekend:

Sitting at Home Staring Out the Window – from now til eternity
Virtual Zoo Visit: Raven (Thursday) – ZooAmerica is doing Virtual Zoo Visits daily with different animals
Spring Gate is doing some special deliveries: Neighborhood Special Delivery – Pheasant Ridge & Windy Heights (Thursday)
Ted’s Midtown Virtual Bingo: The Sequel (Thursday)
The River 97.3 presents The Living Room Series w/ Shea Quinn Friday 8pm
Virtual Happy Hour: Let’s Talk Beer with Mount Gretna Craft Brewery (Friday)
MCSquared Movie Club Discussion – Tootsie (Friday at 2 p.m.)
Check out Midtown Cinema’s full list of on-demand films!
Open Stage Digital Content
- Storytime Theatre – 12 p.m. Thursday/Friday/Saturday
- Thank You, Ten – 7 p.m. Thursday/Friday

Top picks to-go/delivery

Boneshire Brew Works 4-packs and growler sales 4-7 p.m. Thursday and Friday; 12-4 p.m Saturday Order online Tattered Flag Brewery & Still Works Food, to-go beer, spirits, canned cocktails – 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Order online Appalachian Brewing Co. – Mechanicsburg Food take-out only 4-8 p.m Monday-Thursday; 12-8 p.m. Friday-Sunday Beer + spirits take-out only – 12-8 p.m. Daily at the Mechanicsburg location Call 717-221-1080 to order View menu Ploughman Cider Take-out cider a the Taproom 12-5 p.m. Friday and Saturday Online cider sales now available. HOLLA Spirits Spirits available to order online 20% of all sales go to U.S. Bartenders’ Guild COVID-19 Relief Program and other virus relief funds – Read more MoMo BBQ Co. Open for take-out and limited delivery, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Family meals available. View menus on Facebook. Call 717-550-7995 R.G. Hummer Meats & Cheese OPEN during Broad Street Market Hours (See more below) Shop in-person or Call-ahead pre-orders 717-232-4150 Fresa Bistro Open for take-out and limited call-in delivery Call 717-216-8754 or use GrubHub Broad Street Market Open mostly normal hours; limited customer entry; some vendors closed – BUT – many offering online delivery

Raising the Bar Bakery – delivery available; order online
Sweet717 – delivery available; order online (local delivery is free!)
JB Kelly Seafood – open normal hours; delivery available
Radish & Rye – curbside pickup ONLY – DAILY
Full list of open vendors – Check individual stores/retailers for online/curbside/delivery options

Cornerstone Coffeehouse 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily for carryout Limited food menu available There are MANY restaurants doing pick-up/delivery — check-in with your favorites.

Culture + Chill

Check out our new Culture Vulture series – ways to experience life outside while, ahem, inside.

Midtown Scholar Bookstore Shop online here, plus SAVE 10% on used books with code SCHOLARSALE Shop new books through affiliate BookShop Enjoy virtual author events Midtown Cinema Purchase a gift card or renew your membership now to keep them going, then reap the benefits of your purchase once they reopen! Secure a future movie night for two – with two tickets, two small popcorns, two small sodas, and two bags of candy! Stash Vintage Shop online via Etsy All local orders free pickup or free delivery (over $35) Save 25% off your purchase of 2 or more items online, plus look for flash sales

Stay home + stay healthy!

With escalating pandemic, Gov. Wolf extends “stay-at-home” order throughout PA

April 1, 2020 | by Lawrance Binda

Gov. Tom Wolf (right) at his virtual press briefing on Wednesday

Gov. Tom Wolf on Wednesday put the entire commonwealth under a “stay-at-home” order, doubling the number of counties covered under the order.

In an online press briefing, Wolf said that he made the move because the coronavirus is “spreading rapidly” and is “in every corner of our state.”

“We all have to work together in this,” he said. “It’s our only choice.”

On Thursday, the state Department of Health reported the highest number of new COVID-19 cases since the first positive case was reported in early March. The department reported 1,211 new cases for a total of 7,016 positive cases. In addition, 90 people have died from the disease.

“If we don’t do everything in our power to stop this disease, we easily could have a death toll in the thousands,” Wolf said.

The order will remain in effect until April 30, he said.

Wolf said he expected voluntary compliance because “people know it’s the right thing to do.” The state police, he said, were more focused on ensuring that “non life-sustaining” businesses were closed. Earlier today, the PA State Police reported that it had issued 123 warnings for businesses to close since last week. No citations have yet been issued.

“I know that staying home for a month is really difficult, but please don’t make it a daily outing to the grocery store or convenience store,” said Secretary of Health Rachel Levine. “Please go only when you need to.”

Over the past two weeks, Wolf has been adding counties to the order in groups. Late last week, he included Lancaster and York counties and, earlier this week, Dauphin, Cumberland, Lebanon and Franklin counties, among others.

The order now extends to all of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties.

Under the “stay-at-home” order, people may leave their residences only to perform any of the following allowable individual activities and allowable essential travel:

Tasks essential to maintain health and safety, or the health and safety of their family or household members (including pets), such as obtaining medicine or medical supplies, visiting a health care professional, or obtaining supplies they need to work from home
Getting necessary services or supplies for themselves, for their family or household members, or as part of volunteer efforts, or to deliver those services or supplies to others to maintain the safety, sanitation, and essential operation of residences
Engaging in outdoor activity, such as walking, hiking or running if they maintain social distancing
To perform work providing essential products and services at a life-sustaining business
To care for a family member or pet in another household
Any travel related to the provision of or access to the above-mentioned individual activities or life-sustaining business activities
Travel to care for elderly, minors, dependents, persons with disabilities, or other vulnerable persons
Travel to or from educational institutions for purposes of receiving materials for distance learning, for receiving meals, and any other related services
Travel to return to a place of residence from an outside jurisdiction
Travel required by law enforcement or court order
Travel required for non-residents to return to their place of residence outside the commonwealth
Anyone performing life-sustaining travel does not need paperwork to prove the reason for travel.

The following operations are exempt:

Life-sustaining business activities
Health care or medical services providers
Access to life-sustaining services for low-income residents, including food banks
Access to child care services for employees of life-sustaining businesses that remain open as follows: child care facilities operating under the Department of Human Services, Office of Child Development and Early Learning waiver process; group and family child care operating in a residence; and part-day school age programs operating under an exemption from the March 19, 2020 business closure Orders
News media
Law enforcement, emergency medical services personnel, firefighters
The federal government
Religious institutions

Those experiencing homelessness are not subject to this order but are strongly urged to find shelter and government agencies are urged to take steps needed to provide shelter for those individuals, according to the state.

Positive COVID-19 cases jump again in PA, outbreak claims 11 more lives

April 1, 2020 | by Lawrance Binda

An image from the PA Department of Health’s lab in Exton

Positive COVID-19 cases in Pennsylvania continue to accelerate, as the state Department of Health today reported 962 new positive cases.

The latest data breaks yesterday’s single-day tally, bringing total cases in the commonwealth to 5,805 since the outbreak began in early March.

Yesterday, the department reported 756 new positive cases and 4,843 cases overall.

The health department also reported 11 additional deaths from the virus, bringing that total to 74 fatalities statewide. Locally, three people have died in Lancaster County and one person has died in both Dauphin and Cumberland counties, the state reported.

“The continued rise in cases combined with our increasing deaths from COVID-19 reflects the seriousness of this situation,” Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said.

The virus has now spread to 60 of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties.

Locally, Dauphin County now has 59 confirmed cases, Cumberland County has 38 cases, Lancaster County has 157 cases, York County has 79 cases, Lebanon County has 36 cases, Adams County has 12 cases and Perry County has one case.

Philadelphia County continues to have the most confirmed cases with 1,478 cases, followed by Montgomery County with 649 cases.

Statewide, 48,232 coronavirus tests have been performed, with 42,427 people testing negative, according to the state health department. Yesterday, the state reported that 42,488 people had been tested for the virus.

Of the patients who have tested positive to date, the age breakdown is as follows, according to the health department:

Nearly 1 percent are aged 0-4
Nearly 1 percent are aged 5-12
1 percent are aged 13-18
Nearly 9 percent are aged 19-24
40 percent are aged 25-49
Nearly 29 percent are aged 50-64
19 percent are aged 65 or older

Most of the patients hospitalized are 65 or older, as are most of the reported deaths, according to the state. There have been no pediatric deaths to date.

In addition, the Pennsylvania State Police yesterday issued 16 warnings over the weekend for failure to comply with Gov. Tom Wolf’s order that “non life-sustaining” businesses shut their physical locations. In all, the police have now issued 123 warnings, but have not yet issued any citations.

Levine continued to emphasize that Pennsylvanians should do the following:

Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available.
Cover any coughs or sneezes with your elbow, not your hands.
Clean surfaces frequently.
Stay home to avoid spreading COVID-19, especially if you are unwell.

For more information, visit the PA Department of Health’s COVID-19 website.

Harrisburg deploys portable toilets to assist homeless population

March 31, 2020 | by Lawrance Binda

Harristown and the HDID installed this line of portable toilets on Market Street last weekend.

More temporary toilets have arrived on the streets of Harrisburg, as the city today announced the installation of six portable latrines.

Two units have been placed in three different areas: at the intersection of Blackberry and River streets; along S. 10th Street near the Mulberry Street Bridge; and along S. 2nd Street below the I-83 overpass (just south of Shipoke).

According to the city, Fire Chief Brian Enterline, along with the Capital Area Coalition on Homelessness, identified the three sites as prime areas that would help serve those without permanent housing.

“During this health emergency, the city of Harrisburg is committed to doing everything it can to help its most vulnerable populations,” said Mayor Eric Papenfuse. “These portable latrines will allow those that are homeless to have access to safe, sanitary facilities. Practicing good hygiene is a key to helping slow the spread of the virus.”

Each Port-O-Let has a hand sanitizer dispenser within the unit, according to the city. The units will be cleaned and re-supplied three times per week, the city said.

Last week, the city deployed portable washbasins in Reservoir and Riverfront parks, and, on Saturday, Harristown Enterprises and the Harrisburg Downtown Improvement District set up sanitation stations in front of 333 Market Street (pictured).

All of the facilities are designed primarily to serve the city’s itinerant population during the COVID-19 health emergency, as many buildings with publicly accessible bathrooms have been closed.

Wolf extends “stay-at-home” order to 7 more counties, including Lebanon, Franklin

March 31, 2020 | by Lawrance Binda

Gov. Tom Wolf (right) at a recent virtual press briefing

Gov. Tom Wolf on Tuesday extended the state’s “stay-at-home” order to seven additional counties, including Lebanon and Franklin counties in central Pennsylvania.

As of Wednesday’s update, the state Department of Health reported 36 positive cases of COVID-19 in Lebanon County and 21 in Franklin County. Neither county has reported a fatality from the disease.

The other counties included on Tuesday are in western or northern PA: Cameron, Crawford, Forest, Lawrence and Somerset counties.

On Monday, Wolf extended the stay-at-home order to two other south-central PA counties: Dauphin and Cumberland. Lancaster and York counties are the other two local jurisdictions among 33 counties now under the order, which currently runs through April 30.

As of today, the commonwealth has reported 5,805 positive COVID-19 cases, as well as 74 deaths from the disease.

Under the “stay-at-home” order, people may leave their residences only to perform any of the following allowable individual activities and allowable essential travel:

Tasks essential to maintain health and safety, or the health and safety of their family or household members (including pets), such as obtaining medicine or medical supplies, visiting a health care professional, or obtaining supplies they need to work from home
Getting necessary services or supplies for themselves, for their family or household members, or as part of volunteer efforts, or to deliver those services or supplies to others to maintain the safety, sanitation, and essential operation of residences
Engaging in outdoor activity, such as walking, hiking or running if they maintain social distancing
To perform work providing essential products and services at a life-sustaining business
To care for a family member or pet in another household
Any travel related to the provision of or access to the above-mentioned individual activities or life-sustaining business activities
Travel to care for elderly, minors, dependents, persons with disabilities, or other vulnerable persons
Travel to or from educational institutions for purposes of receiving materials for distance learning, for receiving meals, and any other related services
Travel to return to a place of residence from an outside jurisdiction
Travel required by law enforcement or court order
Travel required for non-residents to return to their place of residence outside the commonwealth
Anyone performing life-sustaining travel does not need paperwork to prove the reason for travel.

The following operations are exempt:

Life-sustaining business activities
Health care or medical services providers
Access to life-sustaining services for low-income residents, including food banks
Access to child care services for employees of life-sustaining businesses that remain open as follows: child care facilities operating under the Department of Human Services, Office of Child Development and Early Learning waiver process; group and family child care operating in a residence; and part-day school age programs operating under an exemption from the March 19, 2020 business closure Orders
News media
Law enforcement, emergency medical services personnel, firefighters
The federal government
Religious institutions

New COVID-19 cases exceed 700 in PA; first death reported in Dauphin County

March 31, 2020 | by Lawrance Binda

The state Department of Health’s shaded coronavirus map

Pennsylvania today continued to set a new daily mark for cases of COVID-19, with 756 new positive cases reported.

With the new cases, the commonwealth now has a total of 4,843 confirmed coronavirus cases, according to the state Department of Health. The latest tally is up from 4,087 total cases yesterday, when 693 new cases were reported.

Moreover, the health department also reported 14 additional deaths from the virus, bringing that total to 63 fatalities statewide, including the first in Dauphin County. In addition, three people have died in in Lancaster County, one more than yesterday, and one person has died in Cumberland County.

“The continued rise in cases combined with our increasing deaths from COVID-19 reflects the seriousness of this situation,” Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said.

The virus has now spread to 60 of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties.

Locally, Dauphin County now has 45 confirmed cases, Cumberland County has 36 cases, Lancaster County has 123 cases, York County has 66 cases, Lebanon County has 28 cases, Adams County has nine cases and Perry County has one case.

Philadelphia County continues to have the most confirmed cases with 1,197 cases, followed by Montgomery County with 570 cases.

Statewide, 42,488 coronavirus tests have been performed, with 37,645 testing negative, according to the state health department. Yesterday, the state reported that 37,864 people had been tested for the virus.

Of the patients who have tested positive to date, the age breakdown is as follows, according to the health department:

Less than 1 percent are aged 0-4
Less than 1 percent are aged 5-12
1 percent are aged 13-18
Nearly 10 percent are aged 19-24
Nearly 41 percent are aged 25-49
Nearly 29 percent are aged 50-64
Nearly 19 percent are aged 65 or older.

Most of the patients hospitalized are aged 65 or older, as are most of the patients who have died, according to the department. There have been no pediatric deaths to date.

In addition, the Pennsylvania State Police yesterday issued 11 warnings over the weekend for failure to comply with Gov. Tom Wolf’s order that “non life-sustaining” businesses shut their physical locations. The police have now issued 107 warnings since last Monday, but have not yet issued any citations.

The state has also issued “stay-at-home” orders for people in 26 counties. Locally, that includes Dauphin, Cumberland, Lancaster and York counties.

“We need everyone to listen to the orders in place and to stay calm, stay home and stay safe, Levine said. “We know that these prolonged mitigation effects have been difficult for everyone, but it is essential that everyone follows these orders and does not go out unless they absolutely must.”

Levine continued to emphasize that Pennsylvanians should do the following:

Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available.
Cover any coughs or sneezes with your elbow, not your hands.
Clean surfaces frequently.
Stay home to avoid spreading COVID-19, especially if you are unwell.

For more information, visit the PA Department of Health’s COVID-19 website.

Trailing Along: Parents, kids enjoy nature together through Hike it Baby Harrisburg.

March 31, 2020 | by Maddie Conley

Heather Das was at the gym when she overheard some parents talking.

They were discussing their hiking group that met regularly in Harrisburg. A Midtown resident, Das was intrigued. She loved the outdoors, but living in the city wasn’t exactly the prime place for tree-lined hiking trails. Besides, she was a mom to two girls. How did other parents make time?

Her inquiry led her to find out the group, with the fitting name of Hike it Baby, wasn’t just for parents, but for their kids, as well.

Das and her girls went on their first hike in Wildwood Park with the group in 2016. Light snow dusted the trail, and a cold air nipped their noses.

“The first time I went, there was a sense of community, regardless of the weather,” Das said.

She had found her community and knew this was where she and her daughters belonged. Almost immediately after joining, Das started hosting her own hikes and became a Hike it Baby ambassador.

City Strolls

Hike it Baby is a nonprofit with more than 300 branches that host over 1,500 hikes each month across North America. Their mission is to connect families with young children to each other and to nature.

Harrisburg formed its own branch of Hike it Baby in 2015. There are currently nine ambassadors for the branch and more than 3,000 members in their Facebook group. Anyone is welcome to join, and they typically host a couple of hikes each week.

“Living in the city, we relied on Hike it Baby as our outdoor time,” Das said. “I’ve been lucky to find a lot of moms that are looking to explore and not just do simple trails.”

Some of the hikes have included White Rocks Trail in Boiling Springs, Lebanon Valley Rail Trail and the Appalachian Trail. The crew also enjoys Harrisburg hikes like the Greenbelt and participates in what they call “urban strolls” around the city and City Island.

Denise Hirn, another ambassador, especially loves trips to small local playgrounds and parks.

“We like to go to smaller parks to bring awareness to them,” she said.

Walk the Trail

When Hirn initially joined Hike it Baby, her goal was to lose the weight from her recent pregnancy and to help cope with the postpartum depression she faced. She bought a framed backpack baby carrier, excited to be part of a group that fit well with her interests.

“I was looking for a community, and traditional mom’s groups didn’t fit me,” she said. “I wanted to be around other like-minded people who wanted to be outside.”

What both Das and Hirn found wasn’t just a community of their own, but one they were happy to involve their children in for the sake of friendship and education.

“A lot of children in the group have grown up together,” Das said. “It’s neat to see newer people come in with babies, and the next thing you know they are teaching them to walk on the trail.”

Both moms also desire to see their kids learn to love and respect nature as they do. Hike it Baby often practices principles of “leave no trace” to keep the outdoors litter-free and does occasional cleanup hikes at local parks.

No matter the time of year, the Hike it Baby crew will be outside. Even in the colder months, they hold workshops to train families on how to layer clothes well.

They also hold food and diaper drives for children in need in the community, and they collect baby carriers for group members to use.

Whether it’s to get their kids away from screens, get their minds off work or to enjoy community, Hike it Baby is all about getting more people in nature.

“We are devoted to getting young children outside,” Hirn said.

And although the group has “baby” in the name, Hirn assured, “you don’t ever really age out.”

To participate in a hike or learn more about Hike it Baby Harrisburg, join their Facebook group or visit https://community.hikeitbaby.com/branches/harrisburg-pa/.

You May Also Like

You May Also Like

You May Also Like

“Events” happening this weekend:

Top picks to-go/delivery

Culture + Chill

You May Also Like

You May Also Like

You May Also Like

You May Also Like

You May Also Like

You May Also Like

You May Also Like