Jessica Mailhot
I encourage people to think about what they think makes Lancaster unique and fabulous and try to support those things.
Throughout her career, Jessica Mailhot came to believe that one person’s generosity can strengthen an entire community. In this spirit, she established an endowed fund that preserves a piece of Lancaster’s unique history and ensures its vibrant future.
After serving as Market Manager at Lancaster Central Market, Jessica became Director of Forever Lancaster at the Lancaster County Community Foundation. Growing the community’s endowment had always been a part of the organizational mission, but until Forever Lancaster was established in 2017, there hadn’t been a team dedicated to growing and stewarding the funds left in the foundation’s care.
As director of the foundation’s brand-new initiative, Jessica found motivation and fulfillment as she worked to make philanthropy and legacy giving more accessible to people who also loved Lancaster County. In talking with her neighbors and colleagues, Jessica saw firsthand how much one person’s gift could make a difference.
“Before that job, I really didn’t think I had the ability to be generous and to steward things just from a financial standpoint,” Jessica said. “What I really wanted to do is support Lancaster Central Market.” During her time working in the market, Jessica raised funds to support major renovations of the historic building, including a substantial capital campaign for roof repairs.
“When Market asks for money, they get money, so that tells me people love Market and are willing to put money up to support it,” Jessica said. “Why don’t we make this easier on everybody and build an endowment so that we don’t have to do these capital campaigns every time the building needs something? Let’s have money in reserve that we can go to.”
In hopes of creating a reserve that could grow over time, Jessica moved her already established donor advised fund to become an organizational endowment for the Lancaster Central Market Trust.
“I worked in architecture as a project manager, so I love the building,” Jessica said. “That building is just an architectural wonder in what it can do, how it was designed, and how it functions. To me, it’s about not just doing the capital projects that need to be done, but making it shine each and every day.”
As the organizational endowment grows, the market will have funds to maintain the building’s brick and mortar, support frequent window washing, routine gutter maintenance, and keep the roof strong- all critical aspects of preserving a historic building. Jessica hopes this will lighten the financial burden Central Market faces, creating a sustainable, replenishing resource to keep the building in immaculate condition so future generations can enjoy Lancaster County’s abundance of fresh, local food.
“I encourage people to think about what they think makes Lancaster unique and fabulous and try to support those things,” Jessica said. “If you see a need, give whatever you can. Any one person can make a difference.”
Learn more about giving through through the Community Foundation here.
