"Star Wars" Fans Feed Homeless In Lancaster
Kaden Stetler of Lancaster, one of the founders of Rebel Cause, an organization that began feeding homeless people in Lancaster on March 19, credits "Star Wars" with the inspiration behind the group's mission. "'Star Wars' has always been my inner mythology," explained Stetler. "It's about helping others and hope and inspiring other people to do the right thing."
Rebel Cause, a group made up of about 15 members living in the Lancaster area and beyond, was founded in 2015 with a dedication to uniting "Star Wars" fans and doing good in the community. The Rebel Cause mission statement reads in part, "We are committed to helping the homeless in Lancaster County with dignity and compassion."
Until recently, Rebel Cause aided local members of the homeless community with regular events. "We sponsored community meals on the weekends and held fundraisers for needs of the homeless community," said Stetler. "We would use whatever space was available to us, including churches and community centers."
When Gov. Tom Wolf announced that all non-essential businesses would be closed, Stetler found himself out of work. "I knew Rebel Cause was in a position to do something (for the homeless)," said Stetler. "We started the very next day making food and handing it out to the homeless, and through that I became officially connected with the city to use one area to serve meals."
Rebel Cause volunteers hand out dinners each evening of the week, including weekends, at 6:30 p.m. from the sidewalk on the Beaver Street side of St. Mary's Catholic Church, which is located at 119 S. Prince St., Lancaster. Food for the meals is donated by a large number of area contributors. The dinners are cooked at Rumplebrewskin's, located at 834 N. Plum St. in Lancaster, a restaurant that has been closed by the COVID-19 restrictions. According to Stetler, about five volunteers arrive at the restaurant daily around 2 p.m. to start cooking. "We package meals at 5:30 and head to St. Mary's around 6 p.m.," reported Stetler. Since the group members began providing meals, they have given out an average of 700 to 1,000 meals weekly.
In addition to handing out meals, Rebel Cause has opened a day center at Crossroads Mennonite Church at 401 Church St., Lancaster. The day center is open from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Mondays through Fridays. The center offers coffee, snacks, movies, books, art classes and art therapy, yoga classes, and live music. "We have a 20-person limit, and we are close to full each day," Stetler said.
Stetler noted that about 20 volunteers per day take part in the efforts to hand out meals and run the day center. To promote safety and comply with Pennsylvania COVID-19 recommendations, volunteers wear masks reminiscent of "Star Wars" characters and also hand them out to those who need them. The masks are made by MADS Enterprises in Lancaster, and Stetler reported that about 300 masks had been given away by mid-April.
Readers who would like to know more about Rebel Cause may visit http://rebelcauselancaster.com or search for "Rebel Cause Lancaster" on Facebook.
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