5 minute read
STRIVE Toward Better MentalHealth
strive
Barnstormers Plan Donation Collection
Advertisement
The second annual Pack the Park will take place from Monday to Saturday, Jan. 24 to 29, at the Barnstormers’ stadium, 650 N. Prince St., Lancaster. The event’s goal is to fill skids throughout the entire stadium concourse level with donated items for people in need in the community.
Donations can be dropped off at the Two Dudes Box Office at the stadium anytime between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. on weekdays or between 9 a.m. and noon on Saturday. Donors will be greeted by Cylo, the Lancaster Barnstormers mascot, and front office staff, who will help to unload donations.
All food items should be nonperishable, with no glass containers. Suggested donation items include condiments, salad dressings, sugar, rice, canned soup, hot and cold breakfast cereals, canned fruit, chicken or vegetable stock, canned gravy, coffee, powdered creamer, tissues, paper towels, baby wipes, diapers, feminine hygiene products, full- and travelsize toothbrushes, toothpaste, hand soap, deodorant, shampoo, conditioner, body wash, soap, shaving cream, hairbrushes, hand sanitizer, razors, and shaving cream.
All clothing items should be new. There is especially a need for T-shirts; thermal underwear; thermal socks; pants in both men’s and women’s sizes medium, large and extra-large; hand and foot warmers; and boots. Cleaning products, toilet paper, paper towels, pillows and blankets and sleeping bags are also in great demand. Additionally, cash donations will also be accepted via www.lancaster barnstormers.com. A full list of items accepted for donation can also be found on this website.
Participating nonprofits include Tenfold, Peter’s Porch - Zion Lutheran Church, PA CareerLink, Community Food Bank of Mount Joy, Crispus Attucks Community Center, Solanco Food Bank, Northern Lancaster Hub, Lancaster County Food Hub and Power Packs Project. Any food bank not currently participating is welcome to contact Maureen Wheeler, director of community relations, to be added to the list.
Last year, this event helped more than 15 nonprofit food banks in the local area. The Barnstormers are committed to assisting causes throughout Lancaster County and beyond.
LMS Posts Open House
Lancaster Mennonite School (LMS), 2176 Lincoln Highway East, Lancaster, will hold a winter open house for students in prekindergarten through grade 12 on Thursday, Jan. 27. The open house will run from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., and a parent meeting with a question-and-answer session will begin at 6:30 p.m. LMS will unite all grades at its 90-acre Lancaster campus in the fall. Current students and families at the LMS Locust Grove and New Danville campuses are also encouraged to attend the open house to see the new location and spaces.
The public is invited to attend. Registration is available at www.lancaster mennonite.org/openhouse. For more details, contact admissions@lancaster mennonite.org.
Toward Better Mental Health
ANN MEAD ASH
“Younger generations are more apt to accept, support, and encourage loved ones to get help (for mental health issues),” said Kim McDevitt, executive director of Mental Health America of Lancaster County (MHALC). “That’s a culture shift,” added McDevitt, who noted that data shows people are being educated about mental health. “That is the only way we will reduce the stigma,” she concluded.
McDevitt noted that breaking through the stigma should result in a changed view of overall wellness. “We will be looking at mental health the same way we look at physical health because they’re intertwined,” she shared. “If you aren’t mentally well, you will not be physically well (and vice versa).”
Noting that variables associated with COVID-19 have propelled attitudes toward mental health forward, McDevitt pointed to specific areas where struggles have been clear, including with children and in workplaces.
“I think if there’s ever a time to address good mental health support in the workplace, it’s now,” noted McDevitt. “Supervisors need to understand that depression alters the person.” McDevitt added that while job expectations are necessary, flexibility is essential to help maintain employee mental wellness. “Someone who is struggling will be less productive, tardy, not meet deadlines, or be absent. The more (employees are supported) and connected to care, the more they want to give back, and the faster they will want to heal.”
According to McDevitt, data is also showing that parents of today’s children are likely to seek support for a child’s mental health needs. In addition, teachers and guidance counselors are available to children attending school. In Pennsylvania, young people age 14 and older may make their own mental health decisions. McDevitt noted that teenagers may contact MHALC directly to be connected to resources.
Because the northeast portion of the U.S. has higher access to care, the prevalence of mental illness is lower, according to McDevitt. However, it still takes most people who experience issues more than a decade to seek help. MHALC supports and resources, including an online screening program, are available. For additional information, readers may visit www.mhalancaster.org.
Senior Project frompg 1
Sipel, Adelman, and Braegelmann will finish their project in the coming weeks after leftover toys are inventoried and packed up and the warehouse is organized and closed for the season. They will write a reflection paper about their experience to complete their service-learning requirements.
Mara encourages other community members to help with Toys for Tots. “Volunteering provides people with a perfect opportunity to become closer to the community in which they live,” said Mara. “By volunteering, we can learn to better understand the needs of our own community. We may become better equipped to recognize a need when it arrives, better equipped to show empathy, and maybe even better equipped to improve our community.”
To learn more about Toys for Tots, visit www.toysfor tots.org.
R080069 255 N. DECATUR ST., STRASBURG 240 N. READING RD., EPHRATA
