Conestoga Valley townlively.com
OCTOBER 2, 2024
SERVING THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES SINCE 1954
VOL LX • NO 41
For local couple, helping others is a joint effort BY JEFF FALK
S
ome people call it the Golden Rule. Others refer to it as the 11th Commandment. Putting others ahead of yourself is good for the soul. Volunteering with your spouse is even more meaningful and enjoyable. For Me r le a nd R u t h A n n Reinford, who reside in the Conestoga Valley School District, volunteering together at Conestoga Valley Christian Community Services (CVCCS) is a shared experience. From the opposite end of the spectrum, nonprofits like CVCCS lean heavily on volunteers like the Reinfords to perform the work that they do. “(Volunteering with Ruth Ann) is special,” said Merle. “When I was (working), I wouldn’t be spending time with her. It’s nice to know we’re working together
for the common good of people.” “(CVCCS) is close by, and (volunteering) is something I’m able to do,” said Ruth Ann. “I can physically do this, and I feel that I can fit in. There’s satisfaction in knowing I made someone’s day better and helped provide for them.” Ruth Ann and Merle have been married for 54 years, and they’re the parents of three adult children and grandparents to five. They’ve been volunteering at CVCCS a few hours each week, Ruth Ann for the last 11 years and Merle for the last eight years. Both are retired, but their volunteer work at CVCCS helps keep them active. “I’m glad it’s something we can do together,” said Ruth Ann. “When he was still (working), I was volunteering. Before, I could tell him what I was doing and how my day went. Now it’s nice to be
Ruth Ann Reinford (left photo) and Merle Reinford (right) volunteer at CVCCS.
able to do it together.” “There are a couple of reasons I give back,” said Merle. “I know there is a lot of need out there, and I don’t have as busy a schedule anymore.
It gives me satisfaction knowing I helped serve God in a way that’s meaningful to other people. I’m doing a little part of what I can do.” “I have some time to (volunteer),”
said Ruth Ann. “I feel like there’s a lot of need. Conestoga Valley Christian Community Services is one of the places where I can meet some of those needs.” See Volunteering couple pg 9
BY ANN MEAD ASH
Raising money for the Sharing Fund, which helps cover the $3 million gap between care that is compensated and the actual cost of care Fairmount provides, is a group effort. Kent Richard, vice president of operations, helps out the fund by working with Mitch Hanna, director of marketing, to hold an annual book sale. The seventh Fairmount book sale will be held on Friday,
College of Technology is launch pad to better lives
Oct. 4, from 5 to 8 p.m. and Saturday, Oct. 5, from 7 to 10 a.m. in the Farm Crest Community Room, 1100 Farm Crest Drive, Ephrata, on the east side of campus. On Oct. 5, books will be marked to half price. The public is invited to attend. Donations have been pouring in for the sale. “We will have 7,000 to 10,000 books and magazines,” shared Richard. “It’s a lot.” About 50 Fairmount residents help to sort the books into more than 10 categories.
BY JEFF FALK
Success in the business world revolves around opportunity. Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology (TSCT) not only seeks to provide opportunities for students, but also assists them with skills that will make the most out of those opportunities. They are opportunities that have the potential to be life altering. “We are always looking at workforce data to align our majors to the needs of the workforce,” said Pedro Rivera, who’s been TSCT’s president for four years. “We want our students to have careers. Everyone who graduates from here is employable for a lifetime. When someone can earn A Thaddeus Stevens student works on a a living wage with one or two years of education and with project in the college’s hands-on lab space as part of the curriculum in the cabinetmaking
See Fairmount books pg 5
See Thaddeus Stevens pg 2 and wood technology course.
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Fairmount book sale still growing strong
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