Warwick townlively.com
MAY 28, 2025
SERVING THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES SINCE 1954
VOL LXVI • NO 12
Downtown Lititz has really good taste BY JEFF FALK
Historic downtown Lititz is easy on the eyes. Downtown Lititz is pleasing to the ears. The downtown business district has a welcoming, hometown feel. The downtown shopping
district is filled with tantalizing aromas. Dow ntow n L ititz is als o delicious. The next event on Venture Lititz’s annual business-promoting schedule will celebrate the fifth of the five senses. See Taste of Lititz pg 5
Javier and Emma Brand supervise their part-time extended family at Milton Hershey School.
BY JEFF FALK
O
ne is left with the distinct impression that parenting comes naturally to Javier and Emma Brand. But the Milton Hershey School also puts them in a position to succeed. It is a mutually beneficial situation of the purest form. But the real winners are underprivileged children. Residents of Lititz, Emma and Javier Brand have been married for 33 years. The Brands, who have two grown daughters
together, have been relief houseparents at Milton Hershey School student homes for 22 years. “I come from a very large family,” said Javier. “For me, the Milton Hershey environment felt like home. Just cooking for 11 people, a lot of fun and a lot of play.” “When I first heard about (the role of houseparent), I was a little apprehensive because it was something I wasn’t accustomed to,” said Emma. “We were considering having foster kids. We heard about it through a friend and decided to try it. It didn’t take a month for
me to fall in love with the kids.” “It’s more than a job. It’s more like a ministry,” continued Emma. “They are children who have been blessed. They are well taken care of. They’re given an opportunity to grow. Children need balance, and they need things to be consistent.” “Essentially, what we’re trying to do is give continuity to what the full-time houseparents do,” said Javier. “It’s an enjoyable job because you get to make a difference in children’s lives, and you get to do it with your family.”
Venture Lititz events committee member Kim Levenson samples a cool treat at last year’s Taste of Lititz.
At ODC’s Food Truck Fest, eating is a savory adventure BY JEFF FALK
The food truck fad is alive and well in Lancaster County. Occupational Development Center (ODC) of L ancaster didn’t invent the phenomenon or even initiate it. But ODC has certainly proliferated it - and benefited from it. “It was starting before the pandemic, and it’s still doing well,” said Ken Mueller, ODC’s
See Houseparents pg 3
public relations and development manager for the last nine years. “ The number of food trucks available in our area is unbelievable. It allows for a nice variety.” “I like food trucks,” continued Mueller. “I think generally, the food you get from food trucks is good. When you put a group of food trucks together, it’s almost like a smorgasbord. I want to eat at all of them. We have a really See Food Truck Fest pg 4
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At Milton Hershey School, the Brands expand the concept of family