Lydia Henry
There are so many possibilities and opportunities for good out there and I know the world is going to change dramatically.
Since 1989, Lydia Henry has called Lancaster County home.
“This is the longest I’ve ever lived anywhere and I love it,” Lydia said. “I’ve grown to love it more and more as Lancaster County itself has changed over the years. With the growth of the art culture here and the vibrancy of younger people staying around a little bit more than they had before, it’s really become a super interesting place to live.”
Lydia has held leadership positions at prominent local companies and currently serves as Vice President of Culture and Inclusion for Atomic Design, Inc. Committed to investing in the community she is part of, Lydia sits on the board of directors at the Lancaster County Community Foundation where she guides organizational strategy and advises how the Foundation uses the funds left in its care through the community’s endowment. As a legacy giver and a member of The 24 Club, Lydia understands the importance of this task.
Legacy gifts are one way someone can ensure their money is distributed to causes they care about after their lifetime. It’s a commitment to leave money to the Lancaster County Community Foundation through the I Love Lancaster Fund, creating a pathway for a resident to contribute toward the community’s endowment. As the Foundation’s most flexible and responsive fund, each donation is pooled and invested to grow over time and supports emerging community needs as they arise, like focusing $250,000 to help form Lancaster Cares, an initiative that provided food, housing, and health care to individuals during the Covid-19 pandemic or funding the construction of new affordable housing facilities.
For Lydia, planning a gift of this nature makes sense. She loves the idea of her future gift growing to create a lasting impact after her lifetime.
“I’m a big gardener and my wife and I laugh about our differing planting strategies all the time. She wants to plant the tree that’s eight feet tall and I want to plant the little seedling that is going to take time,” Lydia said. “I like knowing the next family who lives here is going to thoroughly enjoy this.”
In addition to her love for all that makes Lancaster County unique, equity and environmental conservation are two areas Lydia is actively interested in.
“I’m an avid hiker. I really love the positive impact of being outdoors, and we have a wealth of resources in Lancaster County,” Lydia said. “Conserving our natural resources and making sure that those generations behind us have a place that they can go to that’s peaceful [is important to me].”
Her passion for these issues, however, doesn’t outweigh her hope that the gift she’s committed to the I Love Lancaster fund will be used for the greatest possible benefit of the community.
“There are so many possibilities and opportunities for good out there and [and I know the] world is going to change dramatically,” Lydia said. “What I’m specifically interested in today doesn’t really matter as much to me. It’s more about what’s going to be good for Lancaster Countians in the future.”
Recognizing Lancaster will be impacted by issues no one can predict right now, as time goes on, Lydia trusts that her contribution to the I Love Lancaster Fund will be used in a way that offers support for the unique challenges future generations will face.
