FEBRUARY 2026

Dear Friends,

As we shared in our 2025 Annual Report, we welcomed the first participants to LHM Foundation’s Horizons transitional housing program only six weeks ago. We have learned so much in this short time – about our program, our team, the population we serve, and the trauma of homelessness.

Many moments stick out for me from these past weeks. Our first monthly House Meeting, where participants felt safe to speak candidly about what is going well and what we could be doing differently. A Super Bowl party, complete with snacks, soda and football-themed decorations. Fist-bumping a program participant in celebration of his new job.

But there’s a particular moment upon which I reflect almost daily. It was the end of “Jane’s” first week with our program and she was having a hard time. The transition to our facility was difficult for her. She was juggling medical complications, family challenges, and more. Jane was overwhelmed and scared. Sitting in our dining room on a cold Friday night in January, the familiarity of the place she left behind – despite its dangers – was pulling her back. She said she was thinking of leaving the Horizons program, just a week after her arrival.

I didn’t ask Jane to commit to staying for 18 months… or even 30 days. I asked her to stay through the weekend. Because although she couldn’t see 18 months down the road, maybe she could see Monday.

“I’ll try to stay,” Jane said.

And she did. Those four words encapsulate all we can ask for some days – try to stay. Don’t try to solve every problem at once. Don’t race to leave, or rush to the finish line. Stay in the moment. Tackle one issue at a time – months down the road it might be finding an apartment, but maybe today it’s just getting the laundry done. What starts as a commitment to get through today, over time, helps build the foundation for a brighter tomorrow.

With gratitude,

Amy

Amy C. Foerster, CEO LHM Foundation

Join us for the first annual dinner benefiting LHM Foundation on September 12, 2026 at the Country Club of Harrisburg!

LHM Foundation is blessed to have been able to begin enrolling participants in our Horizons transitional housing program in mid-January. Thank you to our donors, volunteers, community partners, and team!

The crisis of homelessness and need for transitional housing is staggering. However, as we have shared in the past, LHM Foundation will be disciplined about the growth of the Horizons program to ensure that we responsibly steward our resources, and that we have in place the staff, policies and processes needed to deliver on our mission.

With that intentional growth in mind, we opened the Horizons program with 11 of our 58 units filled with referrals from 10 different community partners. Our participants come to us with diverse histories and experiences. Their past living situations include a tent encampment, street homelessness, a car, couch-surfing with distant family members, motels, and other short-term transitional housing situations.

Currently, the Horizons program is home to 11 adults and 6 children, ages 3 months to 15 years. (This is in addition to the two units occupied as a result of our collaboration with UPMC, as celebrated in the November newsletter.)

LHM Foundation will continue to slowly grow the Horizons program’s participant census through 2026 and beyond, as we support program participants on a path to financial stability and housing security.

"Once a convent, this Dauphin County building is a saving grace for homeless people" – click here to read a recent article about LHM Foundation's Horizons transitional housing program on Pennlive.com!

Mention LHM Foundation or our unique code (50322) when donating clothes at any CommunityAid store. LHM Foundation gets paid for every pound donated!

DID YOU KNOW?

HOMELESSNESS AND HEALTH

It is easy to imagine how being unhoused can contribute to health complications, but what is not as obvious is how often the reverse is true. Homelessness can be triggered by illness. An illness or injury might leave someone unable to work, at least temporarily. If that person loses their job, there is a good chance they will also lose their health insurance. Without stable income, they will almost certainly struggle to afford care for the original illness, making it harder to return to work.

What started as a health problem can rapidly escalate into a housing crisis as people are forced to choose between meeting various basic needs, like rent, food, and medical care. These concerns can be exacerbated for those living on the streets or in emergency shelters due to exposure to extreme weather elements and communicable diseases.

A 2023 study of 356 people living in shelters and encampments in Denver, Colorado found that 64% of those individuals reported new or worsening physical health conditions, while 58% reported new or worsening mental health conditions.

Although chronic pain and depression were the most common conditions reported, studies show that those who have experienced homelessness are diagnosed with diabetes, asthma and high cholesterol at rates materially higher than the general population.*

Keep reading to learn more about LHM Foundation’s attempts to address this important issue!

* Homelessness and Health: What’s the Connection, National Health Care for the Homeless Council, September 2025. Accessible at Homelessness and Health: What’s the Connection? - National Health Care for the Homeless Council.

POWERED BY PARTNERS

PENN STATE HEALTH

LHM Foundation’s Horizons program participants cannot do the hard work necessary to improve their overall situations if their physical health and well-being are suffering. That is where “Nurse Angie” comes in!

Angela Shuman, a Community Health Nurse with Penn State Health, visits LHM Foundation’s transitional housing facility for several hours every other Wednesday. With a warm smile and seemingly bottomless medical bag, she travels with everything from blood pressure cuffs to band-aids to hygiene products. Whether they need help filling a prescription, getting seen for a sore throat, or accessing education about a chronic health condition, Nurse Angie is a trusted resource for Horizons program participants.

We are grateful for Nurse Angie’s compassion and look forward to growing the care she can provide for those who call our transitional housing facility home.

Beam Team volunteers are at the heart of our Horizons transitional housing program. They are the warm “hello” at reception, the smile at mealtime, and the helping hands keeping our grounds beautiful.

We were lucky to be joined by more than a dozen volunteers from the Rotary Club of Harrisburg in early February! These energetic volunteers took time to learn a bit about the Horizons program before breaking up into three teams – serving dinner, shelving books in our library, and preparing a resident unit for a new program participant!

Interested in joining our Beam Teams? Sign up at www.lhm-foundation.org/volunteer. Contact Mel Cronin, Volunteer Coordinator, at mel.cronin@lhm-foundation.org or 717.402.6317 with questions.

Thank you, Beam Team volunteers!

VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT
ANNA BALDINI and GREG KEMERER

Meet Anna and Greg!

Anna Baldini is a retired teacher and coach with the Camp Hill School District who leads with heart and joy in all that she does. A passionate golfer, Anna loves spending time with her family – especially her nieces and nephews – and hitting the links with friends.

Anna volunteers with the Beam Teams because she believes deeply in LHM Foundation’s mission and the power of being part of something bigger than oneself. As a reception volunteer for LHM Foundation’s Horizons transitional housing program, Anna finds meaning connecting with participants and witnessing the hope that can grow in a caring community.

Greg Kemerer has been married to his amazing wife, Jen, for 18 years and is a proud dad to their son, Sam.

As a Beam Team volunteer, Greg serves with a heart full of gratitude – giving back because he has been blessed so much himself. When he’s not volunteering, Greg enjoys movie nights with his family and spending time with their four rescue cats, all of which are named after characters from Lord of the Rings!

We are grateful for Anna and Greg’s energy, generosity and commitment to helping others thrive.

Thank you, Anna and Greg!