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SERVING THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES SINCE 1954
A positive experience Christ’s Home offers update
LCCS breakfast to feature Jeff Rutt BY ANN MEAD ASH
hen Philip Long remembers the 15 months he spent at Christ’s Home for Children, located at 3182 Lincoln Highway East, Paradise, he recalls a “peaceful and stable period of time.” In fact, he said he has virtually no bad memories of the time he lived there with his siblings in 1974 and 1975. Although Long’s memories of being brought to the home by his parents are traumatic, his experience at the home was such that when it was time to leave with his parents, he hid in a closet. “I did not want to go,” recalled Long. “I didn’t hate my parents, but it felt better being (at Christ’s Home).” Founded in 1903, Christ’s Home for Children works to provide services to children in need with a focus on love, dignity, compassion, and respect. On Sept. 21, the organization held a CEO Update Breakfast at the Eden Resort & Suites in Lancaster. The development team, which included vice president of corporate operation George Zauflik, director of development Brenda Greene, and executive administrative assistant Amy Trowbridge, was joined by a number of supporters. During the breakfast, Christ’s Home CEO John Bryant discussed the rich history of the organization and highlighted upcoming projects. Time was devoted to children’s services available at Christ’s Home’s local Paradise Campus as well as the ongoing need to serve teenagers on the Warminster Campus. Long’s memories of living in the Paradise home include attending Paradise Elementary School, playing football, going to summer camp, and even getting into a little mischief. “I did normal stuff … the usual kid stuff,” Long recalled. He remembers the house parents he lived with were named Marilyn and Craig, and he remembers what they offered to him
When Sandy Outlar, community relations representative for Lancaster County Christian School (LCCS), needed a speaker for the annual breakfast celebrating tuition aid, Jeff Rutt, president of Keystone Custom Homes and chair of HOPE International, immediately sprang to his mind. “I knew Jeff, and I knew of his genuine love for the Lord and his giftedness in building homes and his giftedness in overseeing a ministry that touches thousands,” recalled Outlar. “I couldn’t think of anyone who could do a better job.” Rutt will speak at the breakfast to be held in the new LCCS Student Life Center on Wednesday, Nov. 15, from 7 until 8:15 a.m. The title of Rutt’s talk is “Building a Business While Building a Ministry,” but Rutt noted that the subtitle is “Embrace the Valleys.” Rutt has faced a number of valleys in his lifetime, which he reports began on a Lancaster County dairy farm, which he bought from his family at the age of 20.
Floppi Greenwood (left), longtime supporter of Christ’s Home, is greeted by John Bryant, president and CEO of the organization, at the CEO Update Breakfast held at the Eden Resort & Suites on Sept. 21.
and his two younger brothers. “They (were) committed to that lifestyle and that work,” he said. “We had a home, food, structure, consistency. We had support.” In the last year, Long reconnected with Christ’s Home. “I felt I needed to go back there,” he said, adding that he hopes to get more involved with the organization in the future. “I could talk to kids and share my experience, which has been generally happy and successful,” said Long, who is now the chief credit officer for a commercial real estate firm located in Ambler. “I could talk to employees,” said Long, noting that as an adult, he can share his perspective of what it was like to be a child living at the home. “It was a defining moment in my life,” Long said of being taken to the facility. “But I left Christ’s Home in better shape than when I got there. I was better
prepared to face what was coming.” At the breakfast, the organization celebrated the international ministries Christ’s Home supports in Mexico, India, Kenya, and Ukraine, providing the opportunity for meaningful dialogue about ways to contribute to the Christ’s Home mission. Long is impressed by the longevity and dedication of the organization. “What I think is amazing about the place is how long it has been there doing the same thing with the same mission,” he said. “That says a lot about the depth of commitment of that organization. You aren’t around that long if you aren’t doing it well.” Readers who would like to learn more about how to become involved in Christ’s Home may call 215-956-2393 or email bgreene@christshome.org. GELT BUS SCHEDULE M Brandywine Shoe Shop Honey Brook, 9a-5p
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VOL LIX • NO 44
BY ANN MEAD ASH
W
Awareness Month
Jeff Rutt
Ten years later, Rutt was wondering what God had for him next. In the early 1990s, Rutt went into home building, although he had no background in the area. “God blessed it,” he recalled, but in 2008, Rutt was told by a banker that all his loans must be paid in 60 days. “It was a See LCCS pg 2
Special 30th anniversary “Nutcracker” planned BY ANN MEAD ASH
To celebrate three decades of presenting “The Nutcracker” to Lancaster-area audiences, the Viktor Yeliohin International Ballet Academy will hold a special presentation of the ballet, which will bring together on stage 20 dancers who have played Clara in the production. “The Nutcracker” will be presented at the High Fine Arts Center at Lancaster Mennonite School, 2176 Lincoln Highway East, Lancaster, on Friday, Dec. 1, at
6:30 p.m.; Saturday, Dec. 2, at 1 and 6 p.m.; and Sunday, Dec. 3, at 2 p.m. The former Claras will be honored at the 1 p.m. show on Dec. 2. The story of “The Nutcracker” has its roots in “The Nutcracker and the Mouse King,” written in 1816 by E.T.A. Hoffmann. The ballet tells the tale of a young girl, named Clara, who is given the gift of a nutcracker that comes to life on Christmas Eve. Clara’s beloved toy then battles the Mouse King. Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky wrote the score for the ballet, which was first See “The Nutcracker” pg 4
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Oxford Produce Auction
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