Donegal townlively.com
FEBRUARY 2, 2022
SERVING THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES SINCE 1954
Kidding Around At REYS BY CATHY MOLITORIS
ravis Reish calls himself a kid at heart. As the new director of student ministries at Rainbow’s End Youth Services (REYS), he gets to act like a kid every day. “I love to be goofy,” he said. “I want to connect to kids on their level.” Travis assumed his new role in mid-January. He grew up outside Philadelphia and went to college to become a teacher before being called into serving God. “I got saved as an undergrad,” he stated, adding that he attended seminary after
DON
T
college to earn a master’s degree in Christian counseling. “There were so many people who had an impact on me and my life as a Christian, and I wanted to make an impact on others.” He worked as a chaplain for WellSpan York Hospital and earned a second master’s degree in education before becoming a teacher and director of spiritual life at Christian School of York. Although he enjoyed that job, when his wife, April, told him about the opening at REYS, located in Mount Joy, he was ready to try something new. “I was thinking about how I
Travis Reish
Making A Difference With Milkweed BY CATHY MOLITORIS
Listening to a news blurb in 2018, Cindy Leonard couldn’t believe what she heard. “It was a story about the decline of the monarch butterfly,” she recalled. The story detailed how the lack of milkweed, the sole food source for monarch caterpillars, had led to a 90% decline in monarchs over the last 20 years. “I have a quarter-mile lane on my property, and at the time, it was lined with milkweed,”
she said. “I went outside and looked, and there was really none left. I was astonished because I was so oblivious. This had happened without me noticing.” Since hearing that story, Leonard has focused her efforts on helping the monarch butterfly. As the owner of Milkweed 4 Monarchs in Elizabethtown, she grows 38 species of milkweed and offers both seeds and plants for sale, encouraging others to grow the plants at their homes. See Milkweed pg 7
A garden filled with Pennsylvania native plants at Milkweed 4 Monarchs
Serving Up Hope BY CATHY MOLITORIS
In March of 2016, Carol Heth was on a bus heading to New York City when inspiration struck. Having participated in an outdoor farm-to-table dinner, Carol thought she could take the idea one step further. “I said, ‘How about if we do a dinner in the field on our property and at the same time, we help some people who are going through health hardships?’” she recalled. By April of 2016, Carol had rounded up a team to help bring her vision to life. By June, the group had See Hope pg 8
INSIDE THIS ISSUE Donegal Bible2School Program Launches . . . . . .2 Wear Red Day Set For Feb. 4 . . . . . . . . . .3 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Business Directory . . . . . .7 House Of Worship . . . . . . .9 Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . .9
scan this code for more local news
PRSRT STD ECRWSS U.S. Postage Paid Engle Printing Co
R079417
wanted to grow and challenge myself. I was sort of in this Christian bubble, and I wanted to get outside of that and reach more people,” he explained. The position as REYS was appealing because he knew he’d be interacting with students in grades one through 12, some of whom may have limited exposure to Christianity. Cristina Paden, executive director of REYS, said Travis was the perfect choice for the role. “We liked that he had extensive experience working with youth, and with his background in Bible and theology, we knew he could really engage our students,” she stated. “We were very impressed by his heart to reach students.” Travis said his first days on the job will be spent observing operations. “I’m learning about the place and learning about the students who come here,” he said. “I want REYS to continue to grow and I want to reach new kids and new families.” When he’s not at work, Travis enjoys spending time with his wife and their foster daughters. He’s also dad to four dogs and a cat. “It’s a full house,” he said with a smile. He enjoys staying active, working out and playing softball with his church in the warmer months. He’s also into dock diving with his dogs, traveling across the mid-Atlantic for the pups to compete in jumping for distance or height from a dock into water. He said he’s excited about his new position with REYS and he’s eager to continue the mission of the youth center. “REYS is a great place for the kids not only to socialize, but also to learn about Jesus in a place that’s safe,” he commented. “ We’re spreading a message of Christian love. This is a place where they will feel loved, and they are known as soon as they walk in the door.” For more information on REYS, visit https://reys.org or email programs@reys.org.
VOL LXII • NO 51
POSTMASTER: PLEASE DELIVER FEB. 2, 2022
Postal Patron
