Gifts For Good

Gifts For Good: 3 Lancaster Charities To Support This Holiday Season

Want to give money to a good cause this holiday season? These local organizations are changing lives both in Lancaster and across the globe. With your help, they can expand their impact even further – and benefit our local community in the process.

Horizon: Empower The Orphaned

Horizon aims to improve the lives of orphaned children around the world by ensuring they grow up in a supportive, nurturing environment. Instead of large orphanages where kids’ needs might fall through the cracks, Horizon uses a model called Micro Communities to offer a more holistic, comprehensive approach to care. The organization creates fully fledged neighborhoods in orphans’ local areas so they can receive the social support they need to build confidence and thrive as they grow up.

Micro Communities include local businesses, onsite farms, academic opportunities, and recreational spaces for kids to learn through play. Children are raised in caring homes by onsite house parents, and are taught skills to sustain future careers.

Horizon is distinct in its dedication to honoring local cultural values in the regions it serves, and working in tandem with local governments whenever possible. Horizon’s goal is to have 30 Micro Communities in 20 different countries by 2030, which would change the lives of more than 3,000 children.

Handz On Hope

When you make a donation to Handz On Hope, you’re serving local Lancaster families’ economic, social, and emotional wellbeing all at once. Handz On Hope provides hands-on learning experiences in art, design, and handicraft techniques to promote job training and a more environmentally sustainable future. The organization brings used materials back to life with upcycling workshops, lessons, and educational activities.

Community members can benefit from Handz On Hope’s youth activities, sewing classes, and reuse/resale program Nimble Thimble. (If you’re skilled at sewing and would like to donate your time in addition to your cash, consider volunteering!) Every day spent with Handz On Hope brings us closer to a world with fewer landfills - and more empowered local residents.

Arch Street Center

Arch Street Center is a recreational facility for adults living with mental illness. The space stands out as a welcoming haven where compassion is at the heart of every move. Open seven days a week, the Center provides meals, support, and a safe place for members to relax or spend time with friends. It’s the only establishment in Lancaster that provides integrated care services alongside meals all year long.

The Center offers lounge spaces, a computer room, showers, laundry, and a nurturing environment for members to grow. Perhaps most importantly, it fills a much-needed gap in the lives of many members who otherwise wouldn’t receive the compassion, social support, and positive atmosphere required for recovery. With nearly 300 members, 16,500 meals served per year, and endless friendships forged, the Center is a vital part of the Lancaster landscape.

By: Claire Hannum