Volunteer at the One World Festival on Friday, November 17th!

The One World Festival is a celebration of Lancaster County's cultural vibrancy and generosity, bringing together people on one day and in one place to share common values and uniqueness. United Way of Lancaster County is recruiting volunteers for the One World Festival to assist with a variety of roles throughout the day. Individuals, families, and groups are all welcome to volunteer. 

Jackson Day of Action Recap

United Way of Lancaster County joined students and staff from Hazel I. Jackson Middle School on October 21st for the 3rd Jackson Day of Action. The namesake’s daughter, Cheryl Holland Jones, first started the day of action in 2020, when the middle school was officially named after her mother. The day is spent actively involved in service work in honor of Jackson, who was the first female African American educator in the School District of Lancaster and professor at Millersville University. Active in her community until her passing, Hazel I. Jackson was a board member of the United Way of Lancaster County, among the multitude of her various civic engagements.   

This year, the number of students involved doubled. Over 50 people came together to maintain the bioretention area & schoolyard habitat and participate in activities facilitated by Let's Go 1-2-3 and The Edible Classroom.   

The Perfect Pair

Did you know that 211 and VITA are available for tabling events and presentations? Our signature programs recently teamed up to provide information about free tax preparation and the richness of community resources while at Senator Scott Martin's Senior Expo in East Earl. To request a presentation or to invite our team to your upcoming health fair, email events@uwlanc.org.

Volunteer with VITA

VITA continues with outreach for individuals looking to volunteer during our 2024 tax season. Tax law training begins on November 2nd, but it is not too late to sign up and be part of the trainings. We offer both in-person and Zoom options for training sessions.

For those unable to attend in person or via Zoom, you can watch the sessions on the VITA website. For more information, reach out to Kim Maldonado at kmaldonado@uwlanc.org or at

717-824-8108.

Women United Wants YOU!

Women United is actively seeking new members to join our network of women who are passionate about driving positive change in Lancaster County. Memberships are now starting at $250 to become a full voting member. Join us and help improve the lives of women in our community.

Project Blueprint - Individual Cohort Session II 

In our second session, Project Blueprint focused on Conflict and Communication. We recognize that these two pillars—conflict resolution and effective communication—are the very cornerstones of developing and nurturing leadership capabilities.

Early Learning PA

Parents, caregivers, and those who employ them are all affected by childcare shortages. In a recent state-wide survey, 60% of working parents and caregivers reported being late, having to leave work early, and taking full days off due to childcare issues. 27% of the workers surveyed had to quit their job completely because of childcare disruption. 

In Lancaster County, 86% of childcare providers have staffing shortages, resulting in 150 open positions. These providers report that 1,138 additional children could be served if they were fully staffed. As part of the Early Learning PA advocacy group, United Way of Lancaster County calls on you to share your childcare story by visiting https://startstrongpa.org/share-your-story. Our legislators must hear first-hand accounts of those affected by shortages, so that they can gain a full understanding of the mounting childcare crisis. 

Level Up & Launch Fellow Highlights:

The Literacy Council of Lancaster-Lebanon joins the Level Up & Launch fellowship and will be implementing innovative ways to fully connect students to online classes and overcome the language barrier because nearly 70% of students seeking the Literacy Council's services do not speak English as their first language. 

Loft Community Partnership has proposed a program called 717 Food Recovery at the Loft (TLCP). The Loft seeks to purchase a 2-passenger cargo van with refrigeration and installation, which will allow existing food recovery activities to be enhanced through the ability to

say "yes." 

Lunch & Learn with Lead Free Families - Thursday, November 9th from 12:30-1:30.

ExtraGive Give S'more - Friday, November 17th from 2-5pm at the Fridge, 534 N. Mulberry St.