Over a year of working on several weekly papers, a feature writer completes hundreds of stories. Among the chicken barbecues, annual events, and accomplishments of each year's crop of articles are those that stand out because they spotlight the lives of people who make up the fabric of a small town like Lititz. Among those that made a special impact on this writer in 2021, are the ones who saw an opportunity to serve and stepped in and those who reached out and created community.
Sherry Gassert and Steph Stiffler - In a Lititz neighborhood, not far from the public library, is a house with a miniature makeshift Ferris wheel in the front yard. The house is the home of the Ferris Wheel Clothing Bank, which dates back to 2014, when Gassert and Stiffler, who is Gassert's daughter, began receiving donations of new and gently used clothing. Originally the duo was going to focus on just children's clothing, but they soon saw the need for clothing for parents, as well as grandparents. Since then, the clothing bank has grown to provide household items, pots, pans, bedding, books, toys, personal care items, and more. To arrange to make a donation, please email ferriswheel14@hotmail.com.
Melissa Landis - Landis, who serves as director of finance for Linden Hall and is a Middle States Region board member with the United States Tennis Association (USTA), has set a goal of giving people of differing abilities opportunities to learn to play tennis. To that end, she created All-In Tennis, an adaptive tennis program held at the Anne Brossman Sweigart Sports & Fitness Center Gymnasium at Linden Hall. Landis, who is trained to teach adaptive tennis, obtained a grant from USTA to purchase equipment for the program. In addition, she acquired a special wheelchair to provide stability for better maneuverability for a young Lititz area player who needed one.
Ashley Mayer - Mayer, a former John R. Bonfield Elementary School teacher, remembered watching women with strollers walking in Lititz Springs Park 10 years ago. After her son Gabriel was born, she stopped teaching to raise him and looked for a moms group to join. In April 2021, when she learned that no such official group existed, she started one. By September, up to 30 mothers and children were meeting weekly in the park. The group calls itself the Lititz Stroller Gang, and members gather for a 10-minute optional devotion time followed by expeditions to other parks or simply a long walk with playtime. "We are just a bunch of moms with strollers, but when we're walking, we make an impact," said Mayer, when she was interviewed last fall. Indeed.
A writer for a local newspaper in a town the size of Lititz is blessed to come into contact with the lives of many good people. Each year, I meet Eagle Scouts, church pastors and members, and staff and volunteers that oversee a variety of ministries, ranging from food pantries to youth centers. Continually, I am impressed by the ways they give of themselves to help others, and I am honored to share their stories. I look forward to meeting more of you in 2022. Happy new year!
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