Off the Streets Now, Lancaster PA

3 days 4 hours ago

God Bless America. A great group of dedicated Volunteers arrived at our warehouse on Saturday morning, the day after our Independence Holiday, and the middle of a holiday weekend, ready to assist 3 households with a hand up from homelessness. Thank you, Previewers & Volunteers for your selflessness🇺🇸 A Mom of 4 teens works as head caterer for a popular eatery, putting in many hours a week. Her 21 yr old, working full time, lives with her because she cannot afford the rent on her own. Two friends, who met at Water Street Mission, pooled their resources to afford a small third floor apartment. A family of four is finding their way back together, grateful for a real bed for their teen daughter, a toy box for their toddler, and a kitchen table where they can gather to share their days, their dreams and their accomplishments. Thanks to Chris A, our Truck Captain, who organized an eager group. Ed M drove a second packed van. Brad B and Dave F. loaded their trucks and set off for our Ephrata move. And Steve and Cecile F loaded their truck to assist our large Move. Carol E, Alicia K, Ted B, Kathy

Off the Streets Now, Lancaster PA

4 days 4 hours ago

Friends, THANK YOU for the donations you are making on our behalf to CommunityAid. Don’t forget to use the Off The Streets donation number! We need your household items, but as you know, we cannot accept items such as mirrors, decor, clothing, shoes, accessories & the like. CommunityAid has made an important change however, that you should know. They will now accept your throws pillows, King sized bedding (we cannot), including King comforters & blankets. Read this note we just received: 1. We (CommunityAid) Can Now Accept Your Items with Padding! At the beginning of June, our donation centers were equipped with the necessary capacity to accept and sterilize items with padding and cushions. That includes pillows, quilts, sleeping bags, furniture items*, and more. These items, which we previously had to turn away or find alternative means of disposal, are now finding their way to our sales floor and into our shoppers' homes, where they get a second life! Review Our Updated List of Accepted Items at communityaid.org. 2. Credits are Moving from a Fixed Model to a Variable Model. Why are we making this update? The simple answer is that our needs are always changing. From season to season,

Off the Streets Now, Lancaster PA

1 week 1 day ago

Our prep work for our Moves on Saturday was quite challenging the entire week, mainly due to the intense 90+ degree temperatures. However, I had a fantastic team to help me. There were 2 volunteers in training and 1 with experience to help us. Thank you to Jan, Ann and Nancy. You made the week enjoyable and gave great input as we visited our families. You helped to personalize each Move for our recipients, understanding their special needs. We unfortunately had a family not able to have their Move on Saturday. It has been rescheduled for next week. Once again, everyone was flexible with the last minute changes. Saturday came and luckily, the humidity dropped a little so it was bearable. We were led by Team Captain Andy W, and van driver Rocky. We were assisted by a large group of enthusiastic volunteers from Eastern Mennonite Junior High and their 4 chaperones. Andy made this a very successful teaching moment, giving insight to helping others who may be less fortunate than they. He also showed them how to successfully pack 3 Moves into one transit van! With that, everyone was able to go to all 3 Moves. Thank you to

Off the Streets Now, Lancaster PA

2 weeks 2 days ago

The Moves on Saturday, June 21st were rewarding and challenging at the same time for all involved! Temperatures topped 90°. Truck Captain Andy W knew it would take an army to load our two trucks with all that was needed for the 3 Moves, especially one that would serve a family of eight. The decision was made for a crew to head to that Move, while the other group would take care of the 2 smaller Moves. Although smaller, they could not both fit into one truck! Our crew of volunteers willingly returned to the warehouse to pick up overflow! Move 1 was a young Mom and 3 year-old son. An older brother who serves in the military was also living in the 2 bedroom condo. We provided both mom and brother each with a bed and mattress, dressers and nightstands with lamps. An additional dresser was placed in the living area for the little boy’s clothes. We also provided a loveseat and chairs for the living room, a dining table with 4 chairs, a TV and vacuum, cleaning supplies and a living needs box. The 3-year-old little boy was thrilled with some building blocks we gave him, and hugged

Off the Streets Now, Lancaster PA

3 weeks 3 days ago

We were delighted to take each household First Aid kits donated by Patient First and a food box. Thank you Patient First & Brenda! The children received books collected by our own OTS helpers Ellie & Brynn. Living Needs boxes & cleaning buckets were assembled by our warehouse ladies & throws for beds, sofas & chairs were handcrafted & donated by our friends at Red Rose Quilters Guild. There were 3 families to help this week. The 1st was a family of 5. The mom told us they were living in a motel for the past 2 years! Other than air mattresses & a few kitchen & bath supplies they needed our help with their 3 bedroom, 1 1/2 bath house. We were able to supply dressers, nightstands & lamps for the bedrooms; sofa, chair & coffee table for the living room & a table & chairs for the kitchen. Towels & sheets were supplied along with some storage options. The mom wished for an outside lounge chair since she worked nights & she would be able to rest outside. The summer days are very hectic & noisy with the kids at home. Thank you to a donor who supplied

Off the Streets Now, Lancaster PA

1 month 2 hours ago

Even though rain showers were in the forecast, our luck held out and it was relatively dry except for a few sprinkles. There were three Moves this week, one of which was postponed from last week. Move 1 was a single woman with her adult son. They received a full mattress, box spring and frame for the son. They also received two dressers and 3 lamps along with a living needs box. Move 2 was a single man who didn’t have anything. We didn’t want him to sleep on the floor until Saturday, so George G graciously volunteered to take him a full-sized bed and bedding on Tuesday morning. We were planning on bringing him the rest of his items on Saturday, but sharp-eyed Karen saw in the newspaper that the Red Rose Race on Saturday would affect this Move. No problem for Off the Streets! We were able to find volunteers (Chris and Don) to help us make the Move on Friday morning. Our client received a table with two chairs, a dresser, a desk, an armchair, a rug, a living needs box and an air conditioner. When our van arrived, our recipient immediately came out to help bring

Off the Streets Now, Lancaster PA

1 month 4 days ago

We were blessed with many volunteers, beautiful weather and very appreciative clients last Saturday. Our first recipient was in tears as we delivered 2 recliners, a bed frame and bedding, dresser, lamps, a side table and a kitchen table and chairs where he is excited to play cards. Our team made the best of the stairs and the angles of the hallway!! Our second Move was for a Mom and her 4 children. They received a fully furnished home including 3 twin beds and a full bed with bedding, dressers for each bedroom, a crib and changing table for the baby ( thanks to Keith W and Carlos for assembling the crib and driving the 2nd van), a kitchen table and chairs, microwave and stand and all furnishings for a living room. She was excited to see her house become a home. Our final recipient was thrilled with his bedroom and living room furniture and very grateful. A big shout out to Truck Captain, Andy W, who was on a mission to fit 2 Moves into the small van, and for Chris A who came to assist and brought his truck to transport 4 beds to the family. Three new