Columbia/Hellam/Wrightsville
townlively.com
SEPTEMBER 27, 2023
SERVING THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES SINCE 1954
VOL LXIV • NO 31
Halloween party will support CBAA BY CATHY MOLITORIS
Crystal Aston and Jane Murray want you to hit the dance floor and raise some money for a nonprofit organization at the same time. It’s a bonus if you want to dress up in a Halloween costume, too. The co-president of CBAA, Aston, and the organization’s fundraising coordinator, Murray, will host a Halloween party for adults on Saturday, Oct. 7. The event will be held from 7 p.m. to midnight at
Hambones Social Club, 10th and Manor streets in Columbia. “Costumes are welcome but not mandatory,” Aston said. “It’s our first time hosting a Halloween dance, and there will be a prize for the winner.” Proceeds will benefit CBAA, a nonprofit organization that provides recreational opportunities to youths in Columbia. Aston has organized dances for CBAA in the past, including one in February, and she paid attention to feedback to make this See Halloween pg 3
Pashk Sokoli (left) and Amanda Reilly-Sokoli in the Pennsylvania Furniture Mission showroom
Turning houses into homes BY CATHY MOLITORIS
his isn’t a handout,” said Amanda Reilly-Sokoli, executive director of the Pennsylvania Furniture Mission. “It’s a hand up. Our goal is to fill a hole and a need in the community. We work with existing organizations, and we support the whole family.” Pennsylvania Furniture Mission opened in June in a warehouse off of Chestnut Street in Columbia. “We provide a full household of furniture to people who need it,” said Pashk Sokoli, chief operating officer and Amanda’s husband. “People get to choose what they want. We have couches, tables, chairs, dressers, mattresses, beds, lamps, small appliances. We give them the dignity of choice. Our goal is to convert a house into a home.” Although the 501(c)(3) organization is new to the region, its operating concept is well-established. Prior to relocating to central Pennsylvania, Pashk served as director of operations
“We provide a full household of furniture to people who need it. People get to choose what they want.” when she was doing mission work in Albania, and they ultimately decided to launch their own furniture mission in Amanda’s home state. “We wanted to work in a place where the help was most needed,” Pashk said, of the decision to start the organization in Columbia. From its warehouse, the Pennsylvania Furniture Mission can serve clients in five counties - Lancaster, York, Dauphin, Lebanon and Berks. The organization relies on
donations for its inventory, accepting gently used furniture from individuals as well as from companies and organizations who are closing or transitioning to new items. “We have standards for the furniture we accept,” Pashk said. “We won’t take anything with stains, rips or tears. If we don’t think we can use it in our home, we don’t take it.” All items are thoroughly cleaned with high-grade sanitizer, and many pieces are refurbished or refinished at the warehouse before they go out to a client’s home. Pennsylvania Furniture Mission clients are referred to the organization by various community nonprofit organizations. Clients are able to come in person to shop for furniture in the warehouse, or they can set up a virtual appointment. The organization delivers the furniture to the client’s home, and Amanda and Pashk recently took out a loan to purchase a 16-foot box truck for deliveries, which is
Proceeds from a Halloween party for adults will help fund football equipment for CBAA players like these.
Building connections and giving back BY CATHY MOLITORIS
Great things happen when women on a mission get together. Lancaster County Women for Good formed last year with the goal of raising money for local nonprofits. So far, the group has donated more than $23,000, with 284 women contributing to the effort. Most recently, the organization presented a check for $7,000 to Arch Street Center at Lancaster County Women for Good’s quarterly Gather & Grant meeting. Located in
Lancaster, Arch Street Center provides support and services for adults living with mental illness. Lancaster County Women for Good began as an outreach of Grapevine, a social giving platform that brings people together for philanthropic work. “Grapevine initiated a bunch of groups in different areas of the country and from that point handed it over to local leadership,” said founding member Anna Horst. She’s joined by the local leadership team of group host Joelle Terranova and event coordinators Susan Klapkin
See Homes pg 4
See Connections pg 2
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for the Chicago Furniture Bank, the largest furniture bank in the nation. An Albanian immigrant, he grew up in a family that at times experienced homelessness. He met Berks County-native Amanda
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