Garden Spot townlively.com
DECEMBER 11, 2024
SERVING THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES SINCE 1954
VOL LX • NO 51
A maker’s oasis Welcome Home Thrift & More supports local vendors BY ANN MEAD ASH
events, and a suite of 11 offices, a conference room, and a reception area inside the west entrance to the building. To the right of the sanctuary is a self-contained children’s education area. Logan explained the Sunday school process for children. “The kids go to worship with parents, because we believe it’s important for families to be together and for kids to witness their parents living out their faith,” she said, adding that children will be dismissed to their Sunday school classes after worship. For security purposes, the kids will be checked in by parents at a reception desk of the children’s section. Logan pointed out classrooms that can be subdivided into smaller rooms. Several Jack and Jill bathrooms are included in the area, with some located between classrooms. Lori pointed out that the children’s ministry area, like the offices, has its own kitchenette area for convenience. On the east side of the first floor is a room that will be a
Last spring, Welcome Home T hrift & More, located in the IronSpire Complex at 2800 N. Reading Road, Suite 430, Adamstown, held the Oasis Makers Market as a fundraiser. “It took off well,” said Alisha Wambolt, manager of Welcome Home, a thrift store that was originally known as Second Street and founded by Debbie Hollinger to support HOME International, which provides group homes for girls in India. A l i s h a s h a re d t h a t h e r daughter, Maddie, oversaw the fundraiser, attracting 25 vendors to the event. “ We thought, ‘What if we were to bring some of those vendors inside our shop?’” explained Alisha. “It would give people w h o a re no t t h r i f te rs a n opportunity to shop local.” Alisha and Maddie asked a few of the vendors if they would like to rent spots in the shop, and cleared out an area near the front of the store to begin hosting area makers. “It has gone crazy,” said Alisha of the section of the store now called “The Oasis.” “I love (this concept) because it is our mission to help those in need, and there’s a different need inside this room,” Alisha pointed out, noting that some of the makers are stay-at-home moms, who would like to use their creativity to contribute to the family budget. “One (vendor) is in her early 50s, and she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease,” said Alisha, who explained that the vendor gave up her job
See Lighthouse pg 4
See Welcome Home pg 12
Looking forward to the grand opening of the new Lighthouse Assembly of God Church building in East Earl are (from left) Landon, Lori, Steve, and Logan Ritchey.
Great things in store Lighthouse enters new church building BY ANN MEAD ASH
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hen Steve Ritchey and his family - wife Lori, daughter Logan, and son Landon - took me on a tour of the nearly finished Lighthouse Assembly of God Church, 1279 Main St., East Earl, the watchword for the new facility was “expansion.” Ground for the new church building was broken in spring of 2023, and as the building nears completion, staff members, including the youth and connections pastor, Landon, and the administrator, Logan, are looking forward to the grand opening during the 9 a.m. service on Sunday, Jan. 19, 2025. The congregation began holding services in the new building on Dec. 8. Christmas services will be held at the church at 9 a.m. on Sunday, Dec. 22, and there will be a Christmas Eve service Tuesday, Dec. 24, at 6 p.m. “We have a little over 60,000 square feet, but everything is
built to expand,” said Steve, who To the r ight of the main celebrated 30 years pastoring the entrance is a café. Behind the café church on Dec. 8. “The reason we is an industrial kitchen, which built this large was because our serves both the café and the full expectation is that God will do gym, which can be set up to seat great things and that He has great 300 for a fellowship meal with a things in store for our region,” staging area for presentations. said Steve. “This will be the sanctuary,” The main entrance will bring said Steve, stepping on to the visitors into a twostage of the new stor y foyer. The worship area. “The subtly shaded surdownstairs will “The reason we roundings are done seat 680,” he noted, built this large in gray and cream adding that the was because our with accent walls in balcony, which will light blue and green open later, will offer expectation is colors. Continuity is seating for hundreds that God will do provided by the gray more. T he room great things.” and black carpet boasts a built-in found throughout b a p t i s m a l a re a , the building and a 16-by -10- fo o t subway tile accents in white and LED wall, two projectors, and two gray tones. screens. Near the sanctuary will Steve explained that the foot- be a parents’ room and a room for print of the downstairs is repeated nursing moms. Lori pointed out on the second floor, where five the ADA-compliant chair lift and large adult Sunday school classes restrooms. are located. Other second-floor The first floor of the building areas are left open to provide also contains a chapel, which room for growth. will double as an area for youth