Columbia/Hellam/Wrightsville
townlively.com
NOVEMBER 30, 2022
SERVING THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES SINCE 1954
VOL LXIII • NO 41
Winter Sports Look Inside
Serving Seniors Christmas Dinner BY CATHY MOLITORIS
“When I see someone in need, I help them,” said Helen Bechtold. And for more than 30 years, Bechtold has been doing just that by providing a free Christmas meal to seniors. Bechtold and Sis Luzader are known as the “Columbia Christmas Ladies.” They will once again
Angie Kreider and Bob Atkins with some of the items they’ll deliver for Nanny’s Nighties
Nanny’s Nighties Wraps Women In Love ngie Kreider took a personal loss and turned it into a way to help others. When Angie’s mother, Sharon Atkins, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease at 59, Sharon had one request: She wanted to remain at home and be cared for by her family. Angie and her father, Bob Atkins, were able to accommodate that request, caring for Sharon in their Columbia home until she passed away in October of 2021. The family relied on additional care from Compassus Hospice, which sparked an idea for Angie. “I learned about people in government-funded or Medicaid-funded facilities who don’t have the money for nightgowns, or they don’t have friends or relatives to give them to them,” Angie recalled. “My mom was a fashion diva. She really wanted to look nice. A nightgown is a way someone can feel special and feel beautiful. I started thinking, ‘Maybe we could help people out.’” In June of 2021, before Sharon passed away, Angie and Bob created Nanny’s Nighties, using the nickname
no overhead,” he said. “Everything that is donated to us goes to the cause. We have no inventory. We buy the items specifically for the people who will be getting them.” The organization relies on donations to provide the gifts, and Bob noted that anyone who gives $100 or more is invited to accompany the pair when they distribute the gift bags. “I think the visits are really eye opening for a lot of people,” he said. Bob and Sharon were married for 53 years, and Bob remembers his wife as someone who loved the beach and enjoyed traveling, shopping, sewing and cooking. When Angie approached him about starting Nanny’s Nighties, he was all in. “It brings me such joy that we can do this,” he said. For Angie, the project is about more than just helping others. “I started this nonprofit sort of for selfish reasons,” she stated. “I didn’t want a day to go by that I didn’t think of my mom. I always want to have some reason to say my mom’s name.” For more information on Nanny’s Nighties or to make a donation, email angelakreider@aol.com.
Helen Bechtold
See Seniors pg 3
Giving A Lift To Food Pantry Clients
INSIDE THIS ISSUE Gala To Benefit Maytown Historical Society . . . . . . .3 Wellness Event Planned For First Responders . . . .8
BY CATHY MOLITORIS
As director of the Eastern York Food Pantry, Jim Martin gets to know the clients well. Recently, he noticed something. “We’re starting to get a lot of senior citizens coming to us, and they are having trouble getting in, because we are located in the basement,” he explained of the pantry that’s housed at Wrightsville Hope United Methodist Church, 404 Hellam St. See Lift pg 2
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Sharon’s grandchildren gave her. Gathering financial donations from friends and family, Angie and Bob shopped for high-quality nightgowns and delivered 80 in December of 2021. The gifts were so well-received, the pair decided to repeat the distribution to more women this past spring, to mark Sharon’s birthday in April. So far, they have distributed more than 300 nightgowns to women in long-term care facilities in Lancaster and York counties. Each woman also receives socks and personal care items, along with a card about the project that explains that the gift is in memory of Sharon. Angie contacts the facilities and gets a list of each woman’s first name, nightgown size and favorite color. “We custom shop for every person,” Angie said. “We ask things like if they want short sleeves or long sleeves, a nightgown or a twopiece set.” Angie also labels each nightgown with the woman’s name so it’s easy to keep track of in the facilities. Nanny’s Nightgowns is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and Bob noted that the operation is a simple one. “We have
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offer the meal on Christmas Day, Sunday, Dec. 25. It will be available for pickup only at the Hambones Social Club of the Columbia Borough Fire Department, 726 Manor St., from 11:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. The meal will include turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, a vegetable, a roll and butter, cranberry sauce and a dessert. It is available to anyone age 55 or older, regardless of income. “It’s for anyone who might be alone on Christmas or who doesn’t have anyone to celebrate with,” Bechtold said. “Christmas is such an important holiday to seniors. I think it’s when they miss their family and friends the most. Rather than sitting at home alone, they can come out and get a meal and know someone is thinking of them.” Bechtold began serving the meal in the 1990s, when she took over as director of the Columbia Senior Center. “I was a little upset when I realized I was asked to give up my Christmas Day to do this, but I soon found I really enjoyed it,” she said. “When I see the seniors smile, it makes me happy.”