IN THIS ISSUE: WEBSITE OFFERS ECONOMIC RESOURCES page 5
Penn Manor /townlively
APRIL 15, 2020
SERVING THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES SINCE 1954
VOL LVII • NO 1
Martic Pantry Is Here To Help By Dayna M. Reidenouer
In some ways, it is business as usual for Martic Pantry, a nonprofit organization providing food to Martic Township residents who cannot afford it. The pantry typically serves between 15 and 20 households every month by reloading debit cards that can be used exclusively at Martic Store, 561 Martic Heights Drive, Holtwood. Currently, about 15 families are part of the program. Mary Lehman, who co-founded Martic Pantry with her husband, Steve, noted there is some surprise that that number is as low as it is. “It’s been kind of interesting in that we’ve had a lot of inquiries and people taking applications, but not many of them have been returned,” Mary said, adding that she has not learned what might be causing the delay. “I actually
expect (application submissions) to increase in the next few weeks and months because I think then people will no longer be getting a paycheck, and as they wait for unemployment to start or for another job, things are going to be even tougher than they are now.” Mary does have one idea for why the number of applications for support have not skyrocketed. “Sometimes, I think when there is a crisis, people really step up - as they should - and help their neighbors and friends,” she said. “As time goes on, and when this is past us, that is when life gets even harder for some.” Martic Pantry was created to fill in the gaps, and Mary shared several stories of how the organization has been able to provide emergency food for laidoff workers. “One morning, I had a woman waiting at the door when I
opened,” Mary related. “She was a single mom with three children who had been laid off from McDonald’s and really had no income coming to her for the next several weeks. I was able to give her an emergency pantry card so she could shop for groceries, and she also picked out items from our donated groceries.” The grocery donations come from a local church that serves as the pickup point for the Martic Elementary School SWEEP, a program of Solanco Neighborhood Ministries that provides weekend meals for children in food-insecure households during the school year. The church donates the bags that do not get picked up to the Martic Pantry, where the bags’ contents are added to a shelf along with other goods that people have donated. Anyone who needs an item may take from the shelf. “People have been so generous,” See Martic Pantry pg 8
New Takes On Education
Crosses Return To Neighborhood Field By Dayna M. Reidenouer
When Lyndon Mennonite Church owned the nine-acre farmette on Eckman Road south of Lancaster, the congregation held its first Easter sunrise service there in 1998. Eleven years later, in 2009, church member Earl Livengood and several young men installed three crosses on the property.
Bright and early on Easter mornings, the congregation gathered at the foot of the crosses, which symbolized the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. “They put the crosses up, and that made it more meaningful,” said Joyce Livengood, Earl’s wife. The crosses were a permanent fixture at the edge of the field, but they deteriorated over time, See Cross Project pg 4
Schools around the county have adjusted their educational methods as part of the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and many students, such as those from Mount Calvary Christian School, are doing their learning from home. private institution in Elizabethtown, a brick-andmortar shutdown has caused education to morph See Education pg 2
Volunteers from the Lyndon neighborhood installed three crosses in the Word of Grace Church farmette field on April 4 and 6.
Create Beautiful Gardens! 400 Long Lane At Marticville Road (Rts. 741 & 324S) 3 Miles S. of Lancaster
Mon.-Sat. 8-6 Closed Sunday
717-872-9311
www.cherryhillorchards.com
R057763
Awesome Selection Stop in & Treat Your Senses! • Annuals • Vegetables • Herbs • Perennials • Shrubs • Berries & Lots More!
PRSRT STD ECRWSS U.S. Postage Paid Engle Printing Co
POSTMASTER: PLEASE DELIVER APR. 15, 2020
Postal Patron
PEN
By Leah Sintic
You’d be hard-pressed to find anyone who hasn’t felt the effects of the COVID19 pandemic, and one of the areas experiencing a massive adjustment is the education system. Public school, private school, student, teacher, parent - no one is exempt from the far-reaching repercussions after a statewide mandate closed schools in mid-March. School administrative teams across Lancaster County have had to adjust quickly, all while keeping the safety of students and the community at the forefront of their decisions. School districts countywide have ramped up their online communication portals, offering educational resources, food assistance information, answers to frequently asked questions, and critical updates. While the game plan moving forward varies by educational institution, concern for the welfare of students presides across the board. For Mount Calvary Christian School (MCCS), a
Martic Pantry co-founder Mary Lehman stands next to the donation shelf at Martic Store, where community members can donate groceries or take what they need. The pantry provides emergency and ongoing food support for people with limited or no incomes.