I chose the Lancaster LGBTQ+ Coalition of Lancaster as my non-profit of choice this year! The coalition envisions “an equitable Lancaster County where all of us live courageous, full, and authentic lives”. They offer diversity equity & inclusion training, emergency housing, and empower youth. I love that our city has this great resource to empower, assist, and connect LGBTQ+ residents!

I selected LancasterHistory for my non-profit donation! Their mission of educating the public about the people, places, and events that shaped Lancaster County is important and meaningful to me. The non-profit also does the crucial work of collecting, preserving, and exhibiting historical materials. As the founder of Maejean Vintage and being married to a history teacher, history is a passion of mine!

I chose the Centerville Pet Rescue as my non-profit, because of their dedication to rehoming unwanted animals! They are located inside of That Fish Place - That Pet Place in Centerville, Pa. They work very hard to keep pets off of the streets and out of shelters. They were especially kind and helpful to me personally when my cat got out, and provided me with tips which eventually brought her home!

My non-profit of choice is Mental Health America of Lancaster County. I’ve seen the effects of mental illness firsthand in myself, my loved ones, my peers, and my community, and believe that with a greater focus on the healing of the mind comes a much healthier, happier community. I’m glad to support MHA’s commitment to providing a variety of educational programs, advocating for change in the way mental illness is viewed and treated, and supporting individuals who just need someone to walk alongside them in their struggles.

Art of Recycle, based in Ephrata, PA is a non-profit focused on making art free and accessible to everybody. They focus specifically on salvaging art supplies that would otherwise go to landfills, and then offer these supplies to the community so visitors can enjoy creating art for free. Additionally, they provide art supplies to teachers and educational programs they partner with. I personally have gone here with my boys, since I live in Ephrata, and we had fun making things we don’t normally have all the supplies for at home. Art of Recycle also offers employment to adults with disabilities, which sits near to my heart as a sister to a disabled adult.

Once I read the statement listed below from the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank’s 2021 Extraordinary Give campaign, my heart was drawn to choose this most honorable organization. 'Today, YOU can do something extraordinary - help put food on the table for the nearly 50,000 people in Lancaster County who are making impossible choices between buying food or paying for other critical expenses such as housing, medicine or childcare. The past two years have taught us that anyone, at any time, in any circumstance, could need a little EXTRA help putting food on their table. Together we can go the EXTRA MILE and make sure no one is making impossible choices and everyone has access to the healthy, nutritious food they need to live healthy, productive lives.'

I chose Ann B. Barshinger Cancer Institute. 'The Ann B. Barshinger Cancer Institute serves the Lancaster Community (and beyond) by providing exceptional cancer treatment that supports the mind, body, and spirit of patients and families. As part of the Penn Medicine family, we belong to a robust and nationally recognized network of cancer treatment and research teams who will never stop working toward a cure for all types of cancer. Our team of oncologists, clinical and support staff help patients navigate through their cancer diagnosis, treatment, and recovery with the highest level of compassion and care.'"