WHO: You! Runners, walkers, and wheelers of all ages. Gather your family, friends, co-workers and more! A great run for a great cause!

WHAT: The Friendship Community 5K Run, Walk & Wheel for Capabilities. Friendship Community is a Christian ministry cultivating capabilities of Individuals with Intellectual Disability and Autism in Lancaster and Lebanon Counties of south-central Pennsylvania since 1972, … 51 Years!

WHEN: Saturday, May 13, 2023 • 7:00 a.m. – Check-In/Day of Registration begins • 8:00 a.m. – 5K Run, Walk & Wheel begins • Awards Presentation approx. 9:00am or immediately following 5K. • Free Kids Fun Run (0.22 mi.) following Awards Presentation.

WHERE: Friendship Community – Corporate Office, 1149 East Oregon Road Lititz, PA 17543. Free Parking. The course will loop through Landis Homes and finish back at the starting line. Off busy public roads, approx. 100 yards gravel, remaining route – paved. Course Map . Alternate optional 1 mile paved course for walkers/wheelers.

WHY: FREE t-shirt (if reg. by 4/14/23, after that while supplies last), FREE Parking, Low Entry Fee, Safe Course – off busy roads, benefits Individuals with Intellectual Disability & Autism, and a LOT of fun!

HOW: Registration Dates/Prices• $30 by April 14 to receive a FREE t-shirt• $35 April 15-May 12 (t-shirt while supplies last)• $40 Day-of Race registration (May 13) (t-shirt while supplies last)• Virtual Participant Option: Same price structure as In-Person Race above, add $5 if you want t-shirt mailed, (run on your own, includes goodie bag and t-shirt, t-shirt availability according to registration dates) (Also, see Family or Group Discount prices!)

FUNDRAISING: Help our Individuals – CREATE YOUR OWN IINDIVIDUAL OR TEAM FUNDRAISING PAGE! (Click on “BECOME A FUNDRAISER” at the top of the page.)

AWARDS: Cash prizes will be awarded to top three overall finishers $75, $50, $25 (Male and Female). Medals will be awarded to top three Male & Females in the following age groups : 14 & Under 15-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, and 70+ (Awards are only for in-person participants)

RESULTS: Race Results will be posted at friendshipcommunity.net/5k

Contact for more info: Phil Horning Development Associate / Volunteer Coordinator (part-time) Friendship Community 717.656.2466 Ext. 1165 VolunteerCoordinator@friendshipcommunity.net

MORE: 2022-05-07 Race Results, Volunteer, Photos

Packet Pick-up/Check-In
We are again offering pre-race Packet Pickup (get your race bib and “goodie bag” ahead of time) for virtual participants who didn’t request items to be mailed, and as an optional convenience and also to lessen the crowding at registration on Saturday for in-person participants.

PRE-RACE PACKET PICKUP: (at Friendship Community Main Office 1149 East Oregon Road, Lititz, PA 17543)

5/10/23 Wed. 8:00am-4:30pm
5/11/23 Thu. 8:00am-4:30pm
5/12/23 Fri. 8:00am-6:00pm
RACE DAY PACKET PICKUP/CHECK-IN: (at Friendship Community 1149 East Oregon Road, Lititz, PA 17543 after parking, same as prior years, go to the 2nd building to the large garage bay near Start/Finish line)

5/13/23 Sat. 7:00-8:00am (Race begins 8:00am)
Note: (Packets for virtual participants who paid for their packet to be mailed, will go out in the mail on or before Wed. 5/10/23, for those registered by then. Virtual participants who paid for their packet to be mailed, and register after 5/10/23 will have their packets mailed asap upon receipt.)

Looking for ways to support our community during our current pandemic?

Check out this list of opportunities:

Give Blood
Help save lives by donating blood through the American Red Cross. Please schedule an appointment to donate.
Click Here to find a Blood Drive

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Donate Supplies to LG Health
A community drive-through COVID-19 Donation and Materials Center is in operation at Clipper Magazine Stadium, 650 N. Prince Street, Lancaster, every day, 7am – 6pm, until further notice.

At this time, LG Health is accepting these items only:

• Masks: N95 surgical masks; paper masks (ear loop or tie) in original carton*
• Eye protection, including face shields and safety goggles
• Gowns: disposable water-resistant cover gowns in original carton
• Gloves, non-latex, all sizes, in original carton
• Head covers, disposable bouffant type with elastic band
• Shoe covers, disposable
• PAPRs (powered air-purifying respirators) and PAPR hoods
• Wipes, alcohol, hydrogen peroxide
• Bottles of bleach (not splash-less)
• Hand sanitizers
• Nasal swabs

*If you are interested in sewing masks, please reach out to us for additional details at LG Health Covid Donations.

Click Here for Details

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Donate to or Volunteer with New Hope Ministries
New Hope Ministries is in need of financial support and healthy volunteers. They have a new Emergency Housing Assistance fund for people struggling during this crisis and in need of help with paying rent.

Click Here for Their Needs and Program Updates

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Sew Masks for Mennonite Disaster Service
Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS) is seeking to have 100,000 masks made per week for the next 8 weeks to meet the requests of local hospitals and other organizations. All masks are donated.

The Amish and Old Order Mennonite communities have partnered and are preparing kits. Each kit contains pre-cut material, elastic for ear pieces, and directions to make 50 masks. You provide the thread and your own sewing machine at home.

Please call Bill and Betsy Longenecker (717-627-6868 or 717-799-3647) to request a kit or two. They will drop off on your porch. Call again when finished and they’ll pick up and take to the MDS command center in Bird-In-Hand where they will be distributed to local hospitals and other organizations. Social distancing will happen as we ring the doorbell and leave the kits. There is no pressure, you can work at your own pace.

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Donate to Central Pennsylvania Food Bank
Help Central Pennsylvania Food Bank ensure that their network of partner agencies remains strong and they are able to distribute healthy, nutritious food to some of the most vulnerable populations, including children and seniors throughout our 27 central Pennsylvania counties. 
Click Here for Ways to Give

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Volunteer or Donate To Lancaster Meals On Wheels
At Meals on Wheels of Lancaster it is their mission to alleviate the challenges associated with aging and disabilities by providing home-delivered meals. They serve clients who are especially vulnerable to Cover-19.
Click Here to Give or Volunteer

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Donate to Blessings of Hope to help with Food Distribution
Community Blessings Food Boxes: Blessings of Hope
You are not buying food – You are simply making a tax deductible donation to help cover the costs associated with distributing this box of food. Each box has approximately 35-40 lbs of food inside.
Click Here for Details

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Donate to Lancaster Cares Fund
Lancaster County Community Foundation and the United Way of Lancaster County are supporting Lancaster’s families and their most critical needs including food security, housing support, as well as other emerging needs. Consider supporting these essential services and supporting the families they work with, live among, and play beside across Lancaster County.
Click Here to Donate

The Vision . . . The Need!

It is an exciting time here at WJTL as construction has begun on the final phase of The Junction Center Project.  We have clearly seen God at work over the past five years as many obstacles have been overcome with the final plans exceeding what had been hoped for.

The vision is to expand and improve the ministry outreach of WJTL!  We believe that music is an important non-threatening way to reach people for Christ, many of whom would never darken the doors of a church.  Our goal is also to provide quality Christian content that supports, strengthens, and challenges you as a believer in your daily walk with God.  Ratings show that approximately 100,000 different individuals listen to WJTL for a total of 5 to 6 hours each week.  That adds up to more than 36 million listener hours per year!  That does not count the thousands more reached daily over the Internet!

The venue will be very flexible with seating that can be configured many different ways allowing for a wide range of small to medium size events.  Major artists like Chris Tomlin and TobyMac will continue to be held at larger venues but this venue will allow for a host of additional regional and national artists that deserve to be heard and supported.  The stage audio and video will be wired directly to the WJTL studios allowing for the broadcasts of live concerts both through WJTL, Facebook Live and Youtube.

Faith based theater will also be presented including an anticipated summer youth theater camp.  Current outdoor events like the  “The Kid’s Cookie Break Fest” and the “National Day of Prayer” will continue to use the whole site but be improved by the addition of this facility.  The Junction Center tent will be repositioned into the grassy area next to the Arts Center Hall and will be used as the stage cover for an outdoor amphitheater that can hold up to 6,000 people.

It will be a beautiful venue with a fresh contemporary style that utilizes many natural materials.  A custom designed audio system from Clair Brothers will mean the sound will be world class. A full forty foot wide theatrical stage will have a state-of-the-art lighting system designed by Stray Lights.  Running the length of the building will be a really cool balcony featuring a unique vantage point to see a concert.  We are really excited about the design and layout and think you will be too.

Your gift is greatly needed to help WJTL finish this building.  The cost to complete this project is slightly more than $2,500,000 of which 80% is being funding internally by WJTL/Creative Ministries through the sale of some assets and long term savings.  The remaining 20% ($500,000) though needs to come from WJTL supporters.  As you know it is a challenge each year for WJTL to meet it’s annual operating budget so it is very important that any gifts given be “over and above” what you would ordinarily give to the station.  This is a real exercise of faith for the ministry as it will be a significant challenge to meet both the current operating budget while also expanding the ministry.  (Here is a link to donate to WJTLs General Fund.)

A donor has agreed to match each and every gift until the goal is met!  This means that your gift to the Performing Arts Center will in fact be doubled!  As an additional incentive, every donor who gives more than $500 will be acknowledged on a plaque in the vestibule of the new building unless directed otherwise.  All gifts are needed both large and small if this goal is to be reached.  Please prayerfully consider how you can help.
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Click here to make donation to the Performing Arts Center

FRED MCNAUGHTON -THANK YOU to everyone who participated in the Extraordinary Give – The Day of Giving on November 30th. 240 WJTL Listeners donated $24,820.  WJTL also received a $1000 grant for being one of the first ten organizations to receive 50 individual donations.  Additionally, Lancaster County Community Foundation will match a percentage of your gifts and we will find out that amount in the near future.  Thank you again for your enthusiastic support!

Visit the Extraordinary Give Leaderboard and see what other organizations benefitted from this extraordinary day of giving.

(This was the original blog, giving the info on the Extraordinary Give)

I invite you to take advantage of this opportunity to invest in WJTL today and stretch your donation thanks to the Lancaster County Community Foundation. Any donation you make to WJTL today online at extragive.org will be stretched. WJTL has joined with almost 200 other local non-profit organizations in saying, “When we give extra, extraordinary things happen!”.

Please click on this link now and make a donation to support WJTL today.

Extraordinary Give is Lancaster County’s first 24 hour online giving marathon. Every dollar donated will be stretched by a $250,000 contribution from the Lancaster County Community Foundation.

 

THANKS!