Columbia/Hellam/Wrightsville townlively.com
AUGUST 21, 2024
SERVING THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES SINCE 1954
VOL LXV • NO 25
Wild & Uncommon Weekend will feature Pawpaw Festival
Merger ushers in new era in NSI’s war against human trafficking BY JEFF FALK
produce, and family-friendly, outdoor activities, all celebrating the ‘wild and uncommon’ experiences of York County’s Susquehanna Riverlands.” Highlights of the festival i n c l u d e a p aw p aw c o o k i n g class on Sept. 26, with Locally Seasoned at Leg Up Farmers Market, 3100 N. George St., York; Sip & Learn: Snorkeling Local Streams with Lancaster Conservancy at Lavender Acres Winery, 4865 Libhart Mill Road, Hellam Township, on Friday, Sept. 27; Weird Fish & Fishing Weirs, a youth program with Susquehanna National Heritage
North Star Initiative (NSI) is doubling down on its mission. The local nonprofit is adding to its resources and increasing its reach in the fight against human trafficking. R e cent ly, N SI abs orb e d Freedom and Restoration for Everyone Enslaved (F.R.E.E.), a Berks County-based nonprofit with similar goals, methods and beliefs, into its operations. It’s a move that will allow NSI to impact more survivors and achieve an even greater good. “I’ve had a desire for collaboration,” said Melinda Clark, NSI’s executive director. “There’s too much work that needs to be done, and you can’t do it alone. We want to bring together skilled and passionate people. There’s so much chance of burnout from doing this restoration work. We are stronger together and more effective.” “This shows that it’s possible for organizations to collaborate to make a difference in the movement,” added Clark. “This is not necessarily common in the nonprofit world. The movement is changing, and it’s a privilege to be on the front lines.” After about a year of negotiations and red tape, NSI officially absorbed F.R.E.E. on July 1. In the summer of 2023, officials of F.R.E.E. approached NSI
See Pawpaw Festival pg 3
See NSI pg 4
People enjoy a previous year’s Pawpaw Festival.
I
t all started with a pawpaw. The unique fruit, which has a short late-summer season, has been the focus of the York County Pawpaw Festival for more than 20 years. Over the years, the festival has grown into a huge community event, with more than 2,300 visitors attending from up and down the East Coast, said Alexis Campbell, executive director of the Horn Farm Center, where the festival is held. “Many festivalgoers over the years hail from New England, the
Midwest, Florida, Georgia and even as far as Canada, all drawn to the region by this peculiar fruit,” she shared. “The attention and enthusiasm for pawpaws had grown more than we ever expected it could.” So the Horn Farm pivoted, and this year’s festival will be part of the Wild & Uncommon Weekend. The signature event of the weekend will be the Pawpaw Festival, which will run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 28, at the Horn Farm Center, 4945 Horn Road, York. Wild & Uncommon Weekend events will be held from Thursday, Sept. 26,
through Sunday, Sept. 29, at the Horn Farm Center and other venues nearby. “In addition to the pawpaw fruit, the festival features local vendors, plant nurseries, farmers and crafters from around our region,” Campbell said. “While the festival is just a small taste of the local flavor that makes York County so unique, there is so much more to see and do - especially if you’re traveling from out of town. By expanding the event beyond the footprint of the Horn Farm, festivalgoers can enjoy exclusive offerings from local businesses, an abundance of food and local
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