The pandemic has changed so much about the way we communicate and connect in fundamental ways. With the increased digitization of human contact, it's made receiving mail a rare treat for so many of us. And, around this time each year, the Community Foundation receives just about the best mail you could hope for: dozens of thank you letters from students who are part of the Pennsylvania Future Farmers of America.
Nine months later, 750 community members, organizations and companies had raised more than $1 million. The Lancaster Cares COVID-19 Response Fund has supported more than 100 organizations responding to the pandemic with new initiatives; support for food security; housing support; and support for other needs that emerged across Lancaster County.
We wish our team could be together to send you a happy holiday greeting. We wish we could give you a cheerful "Happy holidays!" in person, on the street, at one of the countless extraordinary local businesses, or at a holiday party. And we look forward to being able to do all of that and more soon. But until then, we hope this digital greeting will do the trick!
Tom Baldrige, President and CEO of the Lancaster Chamber, recently called this moment our “crisis moment,” meaning that in times of disasters, communities mobilize around the issue at hand with focus, urgency, and determination to offer assistance and help. He implored the business community to meet this moment by thinking local this holiday season. We couldn’t agree more!
Since physical events are more difficult this year, we immediately got to work dreaming up a new way for folks across the community to get excited about the Extraordinary Give. We're pretty excited about the results:
Extraordinary Give is a time for unity says CEO Sam Bressi in LNP op-ed.
