Conestoga Valley townlively.com
NOVEMBER 20, 2024
SERVING THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES SINCE 1954
VOL LX • NO 48
Hope elevates gift-giving to different level BY JEFF FALK
It places service and donations ahead of materialism. It stresses people over profits. It promotes conscientious consuming. It’s Gifts That Give Hope (GTGH), and there are those who
believe that GTGH’s upcoming fair is a representation of what the Christmas season should be. “Your spending power is a reflection of the kind of world you want to live in,” said Jenn Knepper, GTGH’s fair coordinator. “It’s important to know See GTGH pg 6
Executive director Liz Ackerman (left) and member relations and events manager Tara Zilling display materials at a recent event.
NLCC means business BY JEFF FALK
“Our members have a drive to work together and connect. We really are a Chamber that listens to our members.” Headquartered at 124 E. Main St., Ephrata, NLCC promotes entrepreneurship and economic growth for businesses located north of Route 30 and east of Route 72, within the school districts of Warwick, Ephrata, Cocalico, Garden Spot and parts
of Conestoga Valley. NLCC, which also works with nonprofits and schools, conducts nearly 100 annual events, for the purposes of education, networking, training and support. “We have become known for our white-glove service,” said Ackerman. “We know all of our members. We know your name. We know your business and we know your challenges. When you come to an event, people will talk to you. Our businesses truly get to know each other. When you have really good relationships, you’ll be willing to refer them.” NLCC’s current roster of mostly small to medium-size businesses stands at 532 members. It’s a number that has grown by 106 over the last year. “For the areas we cover, there are hundreds and hundreds of
A visitor to last year’s GTGH gift fair expresses hope through her smile.
Crafting success: IU13 bazaar will showcase student talents BY CATHY MOLITORIS
For the past few weeks, a group of budding entrepreneurs at Marticville Middle School has been putting its creativity and teamwork to the test. Students in Elizabeth O r t e g a ’s a u t i s m s u p p o r t classroom have embraced the role of small business owners, preparing for their debut at the Lancaster-Lebanon Intermediate Unit 13’s Holiday Student
Bazaar. Operating under the name The Spectrum Studio, these young creators have crafted a collection of one-of-a-kind handmade keychains and vibrant tie-dyed T-shirts, all ready for sale at the event on Thursday, Dec. 5. The bazaar will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the IU13 Conference and Training Center, 1020 New Holland Ave., Lancaster. Several of the seven students in the class are nonverbal, but
See NLCC pg 3
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See IU13 pg 9
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pparently, some of the same ideas that are true with security, civic causes and tugs-of-war also tend to be true in business: There’s power in unity, and we are all stronger together. For the Northern Lancaster Chamber of Commerce (NLCC), it’s not an official motto or anything like that. But they are words that NLCC thrives by. “ When businesses are able to interact with one another, businesses are stronger and communities are stronger,” said Liz Ackerman, who’s been NLCC’s executive director for five years. “I’ve seen time and time again businesses, even competitors, come together for the betterment of the community. You want all businesses to
be thriving. Our mission is to connect and advance businesses throughout northern Lancaster County. We achieve our mission by providing multiple opportunities to come together and grow.”