Columbia/Hellam/Wrightsville
townlively.com
JULY 12, 2023
SERVING THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES SINCE 1954
VOL LXIV • NO 20
Story time Making a difference in the community brings families together
BY CATHY MOLITORIS
Students paint the exterior of a home in Wrightsville.
stay in their homes.” The Eastern York program is under the umbrella of Group Cares, a nonprofit volunteer service organization headquartered in Colorado that partners with communities across the country and internationally to co-sponsor hundreds of volunteer home repair and community service work camps throughout the summer. The first Eastern York camp was held in 2018, with 180 students
participating. By 2020, it had grown significantly. “We had 400 coming in 2020 when we had to cancel because of the pandemic,” Bachman said. This year marks the first time the camp has returned since then, and many of the recipients were originally on the list for repairs in 2020. “They have been waiting three years for this work to be done, and they haven’t done it because of the cost,” Bachman stated. “That shows you the need they have.”
Students worked on the homes during the day and spent the night at Eastern York Middle School, where they began and ended each day with programs based on Bible verses, featuring songs and skits. “I have really enjoyed meeting all these new people,” said Mia Holtz, a rising senior from Connecticut. “You’re thrown in with people you don’t know, but within a day, you become really close, and by the end of the week, you’re like family.”
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On Tuesday mornings in East Prospect Park, children have the opportunity to explore careers, travel back in time, meet new friends and let their imaginations run wild. Each Tuesday through Aug. 15, a free story time is held beginning at 10 a.m. It’s open to children of all ages, and it’s organized by Diana Dvorak, a reading enthusiast and mother of three. “I felt that, especially coming out of the pandemic, people were looking to get out of the house and do things with other people,” Dvorak said. This is the third summer she’s hosted the story time, which features special guests, free books for children and time for socializing. “We’ve had the Lower Windsor Township Police come out for story time. We’ve had Crawford’s Reptile Encounters, and we’ve had Republic Services for Touch-a-Truck,” she stated. “We’ve really had tremendous support for story time.” Dvorak, whose children are 8 years, 6 years and 10 months old, has always believed in the power of reading. She established three Little Free Libraries in town, including one at East Prospect Park, off of Lemon Avenue. At the weekly story times, children can choose books to take home from boxes of community donations. Dvorak either selects the books to read at story time or lets her guest speakers choose. “We try to have something for everyone,” she said. “We usually read two books, one geared towards younger kids, like 18 months to 4 years old, and then a second story for older kids.” Because the story time is located right next to a playground, kids See Story time pg 3
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eat, humidity and the threat of a summer storm didn’t stop Alyson Seim from working hard to transform the exterior of a home along Lincoln Highway in Wrightsville. Alyson, a rising sophomore from the Wrightsville area, was joined by a group of peers who completed painting work on the house as part of the Eastern York Workcamp Initiative. “I really like helping people,” she said. “I like making a difference, and I really believe that everyone who needs help should get it.” The program, which ran from June 25 through July 1, welcomed 221 students from Pennsylvania, Virginia, Connecticut, New York, New Hampshire and Ohio to participate in mission work. They painted, built handicapped-accessible ramps, fixed decks and more at 30 sites throughout York County. The camp was created by Joe Bachman in 2018. A youth group leader at Faith United Methodist Church in Hallam, Bachman had taken youths on other mission trips throughout the United States when he decided to focus on helping closer to home. “I was hesitant to do a local program, because I wondered if the kids would be interested in participating if they weren’t traveling somewhere,” he recalled. He didn’t need to worry. “It turned out they were really excited about making a difference in their own community,” he said, noting that students often point out homes they’ve worked on when they’re out and about. The Eastern York Workcamp Initiative provides home repair to low-income, elderly or disabled people. “Home repair makes a long-term impact,” Bachman said. “ We’re not doing yard work or pulling weeds. Weeds come back. We are doing things that will last for the long term and help people