JULY 2026

Dear Friends,

The children of LHM Foundation’s Horizons program bring a bright light to every day, but especially during these summer months!

We strive to help make our campus feel like home, and I’ve noticed that whether splashing in a nearby creek, riding bikes along the path surrounding our property, or enjoying treats from a visiting ice cream truck, the children certainly seem to be comfortable in their new community.

Across the country, 18% of those experiencing homelessness are children. Fourteen of those children currently call LHM Foundation’s Horizons transitional housing program home. As of this summer, “our kids” include six boys and eight girls, ages five months to 16 years. I’m inspired by their resilience, enthusiasm, and ability to adapt to new surroundings, new schools, new foods, and new faces.

Although it feels like summer just started, many of these children will soon be heading back to school! We are excited to watch them – and their parents – continue to grow on this unique journey.

Izayah (age 8) recently declared that he "broke the laws of physics" with his creative structure!

Izayah's physics-defying structure.

Speaking of the end of summer, please consider joining us on Sept. 12 for Be a Beacon: A Night to Benefit LHM Foundation. It promises to be a fun evening, and I hope you'll celebrate with us! Read more at the link below.

With gratitude,

Amy C. Foerster, CEO LHM Foundation

Join us for an evening celebrating the work of LHM Foundation and the support of our donors, volunteers and community partners!

The Country Club of Harrisburg will provide a scenic backdrop for Be a Beacon: A Night to Benefit LHM Foundation, our first annual fundraising dinner, on Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026.

The event will feature a silent auction, where guests can bid on Penn State football and wrestling tickets, Green Bay Packers game tickets, beach weekend getaways, guided fishing and hunting trips, and more!

We are honored to welcome Valerie Pritchett of abc27 as emcee of the festivities, celebrating our collective work to build brighter futures for our neighbors facing homelessness.

Click here for a full list of event sponsors, a preview of auction items, and to purchase tickets!

July was about growing our connections, adding beauty to our campus, and caring for our spirits!

LHM Foundation is grateful for its relationship with local public service agencies, including the Susquehanna Township Fire and Police Departments, the Susquehanna Township School District and, most recently, Rep. Justin Fleming, the Pennsylvania State Representative for the district in which our campus is located. Rep. Fleming visited LHM Foundation in July to discuss barriers to housing security and our work to combat homelessness through the Horizons transitional housing program. So nice to meet you, Rep. Fleming!

The flowers are starting to bloom! Thanks to the generosity of Olallie Daylily Gardens, a daylily farm located in the foothills of Vermont’s Green Mountains, we were able to plant dozens of daylilies to brighten the entrance to our transitional housing facility. The flowers seem to be thriving despite the scorching July temperatures. They are a bright and beautiful addition to the grounds!

Finally, we held our second “Conversation with Kris” in July. LHM Foundation encourages participants in the Horizons transitional housing program to lean into their faith, especially when navigating difficult waters. In June, our Coordinator of Spiritual Care, Kris Bouslough, began hosting monthly Conversations with Kris in the Frick Family Chapel. These voluntary discussion groups are intended to engender lively conversations on topics related to spiritual growth.

June’s topic was GRACE. Kris describes grace as “getting something you don’t deserve.” He shared that Grace is a foundational principle of the Christian faith, “demonstrated by God providing a way to restore our broken relationship with Him through Jesus, even though we did not deserve it." Those participating in the conversation reflected on the importance of also showing Grace to one another and ourselves. In July, we continued these important conversations, focusing on the topic of FORGIVENESS, recognizing that when we choose to forgive, it can bring us healing and prevent resentment from robbing us of inner peace.

We can’t wait to see what August’s conversation brings!

DID YOU KNOW?

2025 ANNUAL ASSESSMENT ON HOMELESSNESS (HUD)

According to data from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), homelessness in Pennsylvania is up 12.4% from 2019 to 2025, with 14,834 Pennsylvania residents experiencing homelessness on any given night in 2025.

Of those experiencing homelessness in Pennsylvania:

In next month’s edition of The Beacon, we will take a closer look at what the HUD data says specifically about homelessness in South Central Pennsylvania.

POWERED BY PARTNERS!

THE HERSHEY COMPANY

LHM Foundation is grateful for the support of The Hershey Company, sponsor of the Employment and Education Resource Center in our Horizons transitional housing program. Participants use this important space to meet with workforce development partners, search for jobs using LHM Foundation laptops, and attend related programming.

But that’s not where The Hershey Company’s partnership with LHM Foundation ends!

July is Good to Give Back Month at The Hershey Company. It is the organization’s global month of service, which brings Hershey employees together to serve their communities. This July, seven enthusiastic volunteers from The Hershey Company visited our campus to learn more about LHM Foundation’s work, after which they devoted the morning to weeding, painting and other efforts to beautify our outdoor spaces. Thank you to The Hershey Company!

Mention LHM Foundation or our partner number (50322) when donating items at any CommunityAid store. LHM Foundation gets credit for every pound donated!

USE OUR PARTNER NUMBER WHEN YOU DROP OFF DONATIONS AT THE DOOR:

50322

It was all hands on deck on a warm July morning when Beam Team volunteers helped LHM Foundation staff unload furniture to prepare more resident units for our Horizons transitional housing program! The delivery of 32 bed frames and mattresses, 10 chests of drawers, 32 chairs and 27 tables should allow us to furnish rooms well into 2028.

Having identical, high-quality furnishings in each resident unit helps to promote equity and foster a sense of belonging as Horizons program participants work to build brighter futures.

Thank you, Beam Team volunteers!

Interested in joining our Beam Teams? Sign up at www.lhm-foundation.org/volunteer or contact Wendy Fellinger, Volunteer Coordinator, at wendy.fellinger@lhm-foundation.org or 717.402.6317 with questions.

VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT

CHRIS SMITH

Meet Chris!

Chris Smith, a retired physical therapist, has been married to her husband, Howie, for almost 44 years. Together, Howie and Chris have two daughters and five grandchildren. They enjoy spending their time traveling, playing golf, and cooking with family and friends.

Chris’ parents taught her the value of giving back by their own example. In turn, she and Howie have worked to model a mindset of service to others for their children.

One of the things Chris loves most about volunteering in LHM Foundation’s Horizons transitional housing program is the opportunity to stay connected with former coworkers (now fellow volunteers) while serving the Horizons community.

Thank you, Chris, for generously giving your time to volunteer with LHM Foundation!

Spot a lighthouse on your travels? Share it with us!

Although our work is depicted by the beam emanating from a lighthouse’s lamp, the entire lighthouse holds a special place in our hearts! Erin Whaley, a friend and supporter of LHM Foundation, took this amazing photo of the Punta Carena Lighthouse on the island of Capri, Italy earlier this summer. Ciao Bella!

Construction on the still-active Punta Carena Lighthouse (Faro di Punta Carena in Italian!) began in 1862. First lit in 1867, the rotating lamp atop the 240-foot octagonal masonry tower flashes every three seconds with a range of more than 28 miles!

Send us your lighthouse photos at info@lhm-foundation.org. Include the location and any information you wish to share!