Pequea Valley townlively.com
JULY 3, 2024
SERVING THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES SINCE 1954
Furnishing lives
Classic cartooning
BY ANN MEAD ASH
BY ANN MEAD ASH
A
bout a year ago, Amanda Reilly - Sokoli and her husband, Pashk Sokoli, f i r s t a t t e n d e d a To g e t h e r Initiative Network (TIN) meeting at The Factory Ministries as representatives of Pennsylvania Furniture Mission, a nonprofit entity they founded in Columbia with the goal of helping families and individuals experiencing economic hardship or exiting homelessness to furnish a home. The couple was interested in attending the TIN meeting after getting acquainted with representatives of The Factory Ministries when both organizations received a Level Up and Launch Grant from the United Way at the same time. “We got to know The Factory Ministries and build a relationship with them,” said Amanda. “It’s all about relationship.” Developing relationships with faith-based organizations and other nonprofits in the Pequea Valley area has become one of the goals of the mission. “We would love to build relationships with churches who could send families to benefit from the program,” said Amanda, who added that church members will also have opportunities to donate furniture or money, or to volunteer. “We have lots of things to do here and lots of ways people can give back,” she added. “We would love to have a volunteer in our office answering phones and sharing with donors
used mattresses without stains or tears are highly prized by the mission. “We use a medical-grade sanitizer on upholstered furniture and mattresses,” she said, noting that people should not assume mattresses and box springs are trash. She pointed out that guest bed mattresses and those left when a child goes to college or when a family downsizes may have a place in the mission warehouse.
When 2D animator Ed Klein visits a library to teach a group of children and adults a few cartooning basics, he likes to set the mood with a little background music, so the sounds of an orchestra playing tunes associated with Saturday morning favorites and animated movies accompanies Klein’s instructions. Klein also likes to wear a baseball cap during his programs and to keep the presentation interactive, which he did when he worked with a crowd of more than 30 in the Perella Schoolhouse at the Intercourse Library on June 11. Klein welcomed the group to what he called “cartooning made easy,” breaking the ice by asking how many members of the class practice drawing up to six days a week. “I promise that if you put to use what I am going to show you, you’ll get better and better,” stated Klein, who also promised that each child present would leave with a drawing Klein had completed. Children could receive a drawing by guessing the name of the character Klein was creating on the page. Klein’s first giveaway was a drawing of a dog associated with a group of four teenagers that has a knack for solving mysteries. He followed that up with an animal that hails from
See Furniture pg 6
See Intercourse Library pg 7
Amanda Reilly-Sokoli (left) and Book Freeman in the showroom of the Pennsylvania Furniture Mission
about the items we can receive and the protocol for donations when they call or answering questions from churches and nonprofits that call.” Another need is for a second truck so that more pickups and deliveries can be accomplished.” There’s so much need and so much furniture,” said Amanda. “If there’s anybody downsizing their business with a truck to donate, we would love to dialogue about how
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to receive that truck.” The mission serves five counties in addition to Lancaster, meaning that pickups of donations and deliveries to clients can take personnel about an hour away in each direction from the organization’s 341 Chestnut St., Columbia, headquarters. “We set up a route based on that county for that day, and we try to do all pickups and deliveries in that area,” Amanda said. According to Amanda, gently
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