The LMC Legacy Foundation funded the following projects in 2023, for a total of $158,000.

Shira Zimmerman, The Factory Ministries

Project Title: Reading Together Growing Together

Grant Focus Area: The Factory Ministries’ mission is to empower people, connect resources, and build community.  We envision a community in which all people have access to basic needs, and opportunities to thrive, and poverty and hunger are replaced by self-sufficiency and empowerment.

Grant Amount: $20,000

Project Description: The proposed Reading Together Growing Together pilot project will improve social connections, remove barriers to behavioral health resources, and enhance the well-being of participants. All community members are welcomed by The Factory Ministries (TFM) and project partner Intercourse Library, and while much of the project will focus on children, adolescents, and transitional youth, all ages will be encouraged to join and learn. Using books and other media, the project will give people a welcoming entry point for learning about and finding resources for behavioral health.

Kathleen Rutt Beiler, Bridge of Hope

Project Title: Strengthening the Scaffolding of Support for Families Facing Homelessness

Grant Focus Area: Bridge of Hope’s mission is to engage Christian faith communities in ending family homelessness through neighboring relationships that demonstrate Christ’s love. Our vision is for communities where no family is homeless. There are four core values that we hold in our services: following Jesus, embracing the church, choosing hope, and practicing cultural humility.

Grant Amount: $48,000

Project Description: “Strengthening the Scaffolding of Support for Families Facing Homelessness” is to address the mental health needs that have increased in the past few years among the families we serve. Family homelessness in itself is a traumatic experience, which has far-reaching effects on family well-being. Many families receiving Bridge of Hope services have experienced other traumas and crises as well. We are committed to expanding case management support, resources, and partnerships with mental health service providers. We believe that Christian faith communities can be a source of healing and hope for families experiencing homelessness, and share that premise with the churches and volunteers who walk alongside each family. With this project, we will also be addressing the secondary trauma experienced by case managers as they handle multiple crises across their caseloads.

Amanda Hickle, Landis Quality Living

Project Title: Community Connections; Addressing Social Isolation and Sustaining Senior Wellness

Grant Focus Area: Landis Communities’ mission is to follow God’s call to creatively serve the diverse needs and interests of older adults by developing opportunities and collaborative relationships.

Grant Amount: $30,000

Project Description: Landis Quality Living will implement a Community Connections Initiative at Landis Place on King, a newly opened, 55+ rental community in Lancaster City. Landis Communities and Landis Quality Living is striving to make Landis Place on King more than a place to live. Our goal is to create a community where residents can thrive and connect.  The Community Connections Initiative will provide programs and tools that address resident wellness and social isolation. This project will also serve as a pilot program for potential replication in other existing and future communities with an emphasis on the innovative technologies implemented through this project.

Diana Vuolo, SWAN – Scaling Walls a Note at a Time

Project Title: SWAN Music and Mental Health Program

Grant Focus Area: SWAN’s mission is to act as dedicated advocates for children affected by parental incarceration by providing life-changing intervention through music and mentoring. SWAN’s vision is to give America’s most vulnerable children hope and a life-changing experience to improve their lives, our communities, economy, and culture. Our music programs are designed to develop students’ patience, perseverance, and discipline through practice, problem-solving skills, and teamwork; skills and traits that will help them excel in school and beyond.

Grant Amount: $35,000

Project Description: SWAN will develop an innovative music and mental health program that provides essential trauma management, mental health counseling and music support to children and adolescents in the School District of Lancaster (SDoL) affected by parental incarceration, all under one roof. Our project will expand our current music program in the SDoL beyond after-school hours to provide music lessons, group therapy, music therapy, and individual therapy sessions as needed. Within our music classrooms, both music instructors and Mental Health counselors will be present, providing access to musical training as well as trauma management for our participants. Our program will also include the creation and insertion of a mental health research team to study our music/mental health program and its effectiveness. We anticipate our study will further research in the field of trauma-informed mental health and our program will be able to be scaled for use beyond the SDoL.

Janelle Bitikofer, We Rise International

Project Title: Mental Health SEEDs Program – (Spanish-Speaking, Educated, Experienced, Dedicated), referred to as MH SEEDs

Grant Focus: We Rise International (WRI) strives to help empower the world with health and hope. WRI believes that every community has strengths to combat the problems that face the world today. Neighbors lift up neighbors. Strangers help each other. Working with communities of all sizes, WRI empowers people of all backgrounds to maximize their strengths and respond to their struggles – together.

Grant Amount: $25,000 with intention for additional funds over the next 3 years of the project.

Grant Description: The Mental Health SEEDs Program will innovatively address the mental health (MH) needs of Latino/a/x (Latino) communities in Southeastern Pennsylvania (SE PA) by increasing linguistically & culturally competent MH support for Latinos. This incubator program will train & support Spanish-speaking social work & counseling university practicum students (PS’s), supervising them as they provide free/low-cost community-based MH support groups for Latinos in SE PA. MH Seeds is a collaboration between lead organization WRI, university social work & counseling programs, and Latino churches & community organizations, to expand MH support within Latino communities while educating & empowering PS’s to become effective, Spanish-speaking, MH professionals through Latino-specific MH training & hands-on practice.