Donegal
National
Day townlively.com
MARCH 15, 2023
SERVING THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES SINCE 1954
VOL LXIV • NO 5
Look Inside
Help needed to serve the community BY CATHY MOLITORIS
ears ago, Elayne Olson was on a mission trip to Mexico, where she had the opportunity to work with young children. She noticed that for many of the children, the meal they received at school was their only food source for the day. “I knew I wanted to do something to help kids who have food insecurity, and I’m someone who has always said to look in your own backyard first,” she recalled. Inspired to make a difference, Olson began researching food programs in Lancaster County and soon learned about the Power Packs Project, an organization that distributes a weekly food pack to students. Olson started the Donegal Power Packs Project in 2014, but now she’s ready to take a step back. She’s looking for someone to take over leading the volunteer-run organization, helping to provide access to food for Donegal School District families that qualify for the program.
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“I would love for someone or an organization or group to step in and lead,” Olson stated. “It requires organizational skills, access to a computer and printer, familiarity with Google Docs and the ability to do food inventory and ordering.” She estimates that the leadership position requires about 15 to 20 hours of volunteer time a week and noted that it would be possible for several people to split the tasks. “This job could definitely be spread out among several people, and there would just be one person overseeing everyone,” she explained. Open to students in kindergarten through grade 12, Donegal Power Packs is hosted by The Donegal Foundation. About 13 volunteers help fill 77 seven-pound bags of food once a week at Marietta Community Chapel, which donates the space to the nonprofit. Each bag contains the ingredients for a nutritious meal, a recipe and a few staples, as well as an educational tip sheet. “The idea of Power Packs is See Help pg 11
Volunteers pack bags for the Donegal Power Packs Project.
Join author Robert Dugoni for a talk DON
BY CATHY MOLITORIS
There’s an occupational hazard Mary Ann Steinhauer faces as the leader of the Council of Friends of Public Libraries. “People will stop me in the street and ask, ‘Are you having another author event?’” she said with a laugh. Thankfully for Steinhauer, the answer is “yes.” The Council of Friends will host award-winning author Robert Dugoni on Thursday, April 13, at Calvary Church, 1051 Landis Valley Road, Lancaster. The event will begin at 11 a.m. Dugoni is perhaps best known for his crime mysteries and legal thrillers. His Tracy Crosswhite Robert Dugoni
Scholarship offered to police series has sold more than 8 future EMTs and paramedics million copies worldwide. Dugoni is also the author of the Charles Jenkins espionage series and the David Sloane legal thriller series. Additionally, he has written several standalone novels, including “The 7th Canon,” “Damage Control,” “The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell: A Novel” and “The World Played Chess.” Ticket holders for the April talk will receive a copy of Dugoni’s latest novel, “Her Deadly Game.” Dugoni will be joined on stage by Scott LaMar of WITF, who will facilitate the conversation. A book signing and a meet-and-greet with the author will be held after the event.
Michael P. McMahon was a true Renaissance man. A 1993 graduate of Lancaster Catholic High School, he was a registered nurse, a flight attendant and a school bus driver. Each job offered Michael a chance to help people, something he truly believed in. Although he gave his all to everything he did, he was most passionate about his work as an emergency medical technician (EMT). When Michael passed away from colon cancer in October 2021, his family turned its grief into an opportunity to help others. The Michael P. McMahon
Scholarship for Emergency Medical Services (EMS) was created to help any resident of Lancaster County who wishes to pursue an EMT, Advanced EMT or Paramedic Certification. Michael was the oldest of four children and the son of Mike and Joanne McMahon. “He was loving, and he was loved by his family and friends,” Mike stated. Added Joanne, “Michael’s life was so varied. You couldn’t put him in a box. If he was interested in something, he’d do it. … They say it’s the dash between the years on your gravestone that matters. Michael made the most of that dash.” See Scholarship pg 4
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BY CATHY MOLITORIS
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