Manheim Township townlively.com
MAY 21, 2025
SERVING THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES SINCE 1954
VOL XL • NO 51
Aastha Horizons aims to benefit everyone
St. Peter’s Preschool is fostering golden friendships BY JEFF FALK
BY JEFF FALK
Once the grant applications are received, the advisory members meet as a group, discuss the nonprofits’ merits and needs and then vote on the applications. Before a final approval is granted, the advisor y group interviews officials of the nonprofits requesting the grants. “We try to focus on organizations that are less heard of,” said
We are more alike than we are different, and those similarities transcend time. By exploring those commonalities, we come to understand our differences. St. Peter’s Preschool’s Golden Buddies program, which brings toddlers and senior citizens together in a supportive setting, isn’t about formal religious education or passing along church doctrine. It’s about people learning from and about - people. “My favorite part is seeing the laughter and the smiles, just seeing 4- and 5-year olds playing with Golden Buddies in their 90s,” said Laura Cali, a St. Peter’s Preschool teacher whose class is involved with the Golden Buddies program. “It’s absolutely incredible. It’s a wonderful thing to see.” Located at 10 Delp Road, Lancaster, St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church preschool’s Golden Buddies program promotes interaction in a classroom environment between Cali’s 4- and 5-yearold students and senior citizens who are members of the church. The senior citizens come to the classroom every Thursday at 11 a.m. during the school year
See Aastha pg 4
See Golden Buddies pg 2
through donations and distributes them to Lancaster County nonprofits via a grant application process. The fund’s advisory group meets on a regular basis but does not operate from a brick-and-mortar office. Translated from Indian culture, Aastha means faith, belief, trust and hope for a better tomorrow. “Aastha is a very simple word,”
said Kaur. “As humans, we can approach people who are looking at the dawn and give them a little bit of extra hope for a better tomorrow. It’s what we want to do. We want to make a difference. We want (the fund) to continue to grow.” Aastha Horizons Fund’s grant process is initiated with advisory group members inviting local nonprofits to apply for grants.
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Members of the Aastha Horizons advisory group volunteer with Power Packs.
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hilanthropy is universal and timeless. The act of giving back is not bound by race, ethnicity or color. The Aastha Horizons Fund is managed and operated by a group made up of predominantly Lancaster County Indian-Asian Americans. Its mission is to help everyone in an attempt to make their home a better place to live. “My favorite part is the philanthropy,” said Manjeet Kaur, one of the founders of the Aastha Horizons Fund and a resident of Manheim Township. “We’ve been given so much by Lancaster County, and now we want to give back. Everybody does it for different reasons. I saw my family and dad (give back). When you see enough of it, it feels like your duty.” “Giving begins at home,” said Reema Parikha, an advisor y group member who resides in East Hempfield Township. “I feel like this fund is the gift that keeps on giving. It’s amazing to see how these funds are used.” Overseen by an advisory group and conducted in association with the L ancaster County Community Foundation (LCCF), the Aastha Horizons Fund is a giving circle that raises funds