www.thefactoryministries.com
Journeys
F A L L
2 0 1 4
Finding Meaning in Giving Back
From the Director
Often times when you think of The Factory Ministries you envision a
youth center full of teenagers. You may also think of a place where single
moms or young parents can find help and hope through our social services
department and workshops. What you may not realize is that The Factory
Ministries supports senior citizens in a variety of ways. For Roy and June
Kimes, learning that The Factory Ministries supports seniors came at just
the right time!
Back in 2011, The
Factory Ministries,
Pequea Valley School
District and Grace Point
Church began to
collaborate for the good
of the community. We
realized quickly that we
had developed
relationships of trust and
mutual respect that
Chuck Holt
allowed us to come
Executive Director
together as friends with
no agenda other than
how we could create a healthier and more
sustainable community.
When the Kimes signed up for the 16-week Getting Ahead Class they
were skeptical at first. Their situation was different than most. Finding
themselves in poverty was more about their life stage than anything else.
With limited fixed income, physical disabilities and the rising costs of living
and health care they were not sure what a class on addressing poverty was
going to do for them.
Great conversations, new learning and building new friendships were
some of the wonderful things that came out of spending 2 hours each
week for 4 months with the same group! At the end of the class, they did a
self-evaluation and were frustrated. They wanted to change their situation
but felt stuck. Limited income, increased living expenses and an inability
to work were barriers that did not just impact their financial resources but
also effected their emotional and relational resources as well.
In talking with our executive director, Chuck Holt, they realized what
they needed was a new purpose on life. If they could not immediately
change their financial situation, they could learn to make the best of it.
Therefore, Roy and June met with Chuck and came up with a game plan.
The question was asked, “What could we do to make a difference?”
Chuck shared how The Factory Ministries newly opened furniture bank
needed some volunteers to run it and “get it organized”. Roy and June
Over the past three years, this
partnership has grown and become the
Together Initiative. Today, the Together
Initiative includes The Factory Ministries,
the Pequea Valley School District, Grace
Point, Keystone, Hershey Mennonite and
Calvary Monument Bible Churches, Paradise
and Leacock Townships and several
businesses working together to support our
community in a myriad of ways.
A Together Steering Committee leads the
Together Initiative. This steering committee
has representatives from each sector of the
community who come together bi-monthly
to discuss how we can serve together for
the common good in our community. Our
belief is that by bringing individuals and
organizations together to serve Pequea
Valley in strategic ways, we can help people
build better lives and strengthen our
community as a whole.
Our ability to come together as a
community has received regional and
national attention. We have been asked on
several occasions to share how we have
learned to work together. We have realized
that what we have accomplished is not
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Because Everyone’s Journey Matters
Continued from page 1
quickly embraced this idea. Not only
could they earn Factory Bucks and
gas cards, they could use their talents
to help The Factory and in turn, help
themselves.
business for 36 years under Kimes
Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning. He
also had served time in the Air Force
stationed in Germany as an aircraft
mechanic.
The Factory Ministries needed
direction and leadership for its new
furniture bank and Roy and June
needed a social outlet where they could
give back and make a difference. The
furniture bank was the perfect match.
Roy had been in the furniture cleaning
Today, Roy and June have taken
the furniture bank to a new level. All
donated furniture gets professionally
cleaned and when necessary, repaired.
The furniture bank is open two days a
week for participants to redeem their
factory bucks for furniture.
Looking back on their journey the
past 6 months, The Kimes are so
thankful they took the Getting Ahead
Class. They realize that poverty is more
than just financial needs. For them, it
was a need for a new perspective on
life. The perspective they gained was
life transformating. Today Roy and June
have a new look on life. As Roy has
stated, “We want to give back to the
community, and help people, that’s our
main goal at this point. We don’t want
to just build ourselves up. We want to
serve God by helping people. That’s the
purpose right? Helping others!“
From the Director
Continued from page 1
happening in many communities
due to fear and organizational
agendas.
Winter Camp Scholarships Needed
Each year we take the students from the youth center on a
winter retreat. It is amazing to see what happens when these
students get away for just 48 hours. The weekend becomes a
time for these teens to deepen relationships with staff, laugh
often, get away from the stress of life and come to grips with
the reality that God loves them and wants to help them through
their pain.
There is no doubt that camp experiences are powerful. We
have seen God work more in this one weekend than in any
other event we do. This is why we continue to expand how
many students we can take on this retreat.
Will you help us send teens to winter camp? We need 130
scholarships of $140 each. We also need $3600 to cover the
coach buses for transportation. If you would like to make a full
or partial scholarship, please send your check in today with
”winter camp” noted on the memo line or make a payment
online at www.thefactoryministries.com/donate.
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In fact, Sharon Ray, the principal
at Pequea Valley Intermediate
School, and I have even written a
chapter in a book titled “From
Vision to Action” on how a faithbased organization and a public
school district can work together.
For the past two years, we have
attended the aha! Process national
conference on addressing issues of
poverty in communities where we
have shared our story in several
breakout sessions.
Five years ago I decided that we
needed to develop a more
collaborative community-based
approach. I never in my widest
dreams anticipated where this
would lead. I am amazed at what
we have been able to do when we
set agendas aside and learn to trust
one another and truly be on the
same team. Instead of saying, “We
can’t do that” we have learned to
say, “Why wouldn’t we!”
If you want to go faster, go alone,
if you want to go further, go
together. To learn more about The
Together initiative go to www.
togetherforthegood.com.
Ways to Volunteer
or Donate
Volunteer. We always have
opportunities for individuals, families
or businesses to volunteer in the
community. For the youth center we
have a need for: volunteer staff, meals,
big brothers or big sisters. We also
have opportunities for service projects
at the youth center (old elementary
school). For The Factory House we
always need help with: transportation to
appointments, Getting Ahead mentors,
resource supporters, meals, safe families,
workshop teachers, etc.
To volunteer, please go to our website
and click on the I Want To Help tab or call
us at 717-687-9594.
Donate. The Factory exists exclusively
on the donations from friends like you.
Our funding breakdown is as follows:
a third of our funding comes from
fundraisers, a third comes from special
projects and a third comes from general
donations.
We have several ways for you to make
a donation. You can:
1.
Send your check to
The Factory Ministries,
PO BOX 282 Paradise, PA 17562
2.
Send in the enclosed giving
envelope
3.
Make a donation online at
http://www.thefactoryministries.
com and click on donate tab. We
accept Visa, MasterCard, Discover,
debit cards. Donors can remain
anonymous if they wish.
4.
5.
6.
For American Express donations
please call Shannon at 717-687-9594
ext 1106
Make a donation using your
smartphone by going to
http://tiny.cc/factorydonate.
Make a donation via text by texting
the amount of your donation to
717-254-4206. A one-time
registration is required. Subsequent
donations will just require a text
with the amount to that number.
Help for the Holidays
The Factory Ministries is the point organization for providing
Thanksgiving and Christmas meals and presents for the Together Initiative
in the Pequea Valley community. In helping those struggling in poverty
we want to make sure that we are creating empowerment and not
entitlement.
Thanksgiving: Meals will be available to our participants for 30 Factory
Bucks. We anticipate needing 40 Thanksgiving meals. This is a great
opportunity for your family, small group, civic group, church or business
to help a family with a Thanksgiving meal. If you would like to provide a
Thanksgiving meal or help fund one, please call Shannon at 717-687-9594.
Christmas: We are hosting our annual Christmas Gift Event on
December 22! Parents can request two items per child (1 clothing and 1
toy/game, limit $25 value per item), then they will “purchase” the gifts for
a fee of $2 per child. This money will go towards our emergency assistance
needs. It is a great way for parents to provide Christmas for their children
and give back to the community! Parents will have the opportunity to wrap
their children’s gifts, have a snack and fellowship with each other during
the gift event.
If you would like to donate Christmas gifts:
1. Please call Shannon at 717-687-9594 for a specific gift request
parents have submitted for their children.
2. All gifts that are donated need to be unwrapped
3. All gifts will need to be dropped off at The Factory House by
Tuesday December 16.
4. We will also need giftwrap, ribbon, gift bags, tissue
paper and tape for the giftwrapping stations.
If you would like to volunteer your time:
We will need people to help before, during and
after the Christmas gift pick up on December 22
from 5:30p-8p at the Old Paradise Elementary
School; tasks include: setting up, assisting
with gift wrapping, replenishing snack
items and cleaning up. Call Shannon
at 717-687-9594 to let us know how you
would like to serve!
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Welcome to The Factory Ministries
The Factory Ministries has grown significantly in the past 3 years. It has
morphed from a youth center for teens into a faith-based social services
agency that also runs a youth center. Here is a list of our facilities and what
we offer at each one.
The Factory House is the hub to
connect all the areas of our ministry.
Located directly on Lincoln Highway
in Paradise, it is where adults in our
Board of Directors
Bud Beiler - Chair
Derek Slabaugh - Vice Chair
Sylvan Stoltzfus - Treasurer
Denise Byler - Secretary
Vern Beiler
Paul Burns
Tim Doutrich
Mike Ranson
Sylvan Stoltzfus
Staff
community can find a safe and caring
Chuck Holt - Executive Director
Shannon Heverin - Office Administrator
Joe Lab - Youth Center Program Director
Kate Lab - Receptionist, Food Ministries
Tia Slabaugh - Social Worker
environment to share their struggles
and find a loving and caring place
where their journey really does matter.
The Factory House is open to meet with
participants Monday through Friday.
The Factory House is also the location
of our staff offices and provides
free faxing, copies and Internet for
participants.
Meet Our Staff: Front Row (Left to Right),
Joe Lab and Chuck Holt. Back Row (Left
to Right), Kate Lab, Shannon Heverin &
Tia Slabaugh.
The Factory Youth Center is located in the Old Paradise Elementary
School on Lincoln Highway in Paradise. Open Door Nights provide a safe and
nurturing place for teens all over the Pequea Valley and beyond. Games,
relationships, safe discussions and lessons and
The Factory Mission
The Factory Ministries is committed
to serving individuals facing poverty
within the Pequea Valley area. By serving
as a hub to connect needs with
resources, The Factory Ministries is
empowering people to overcome
their circumstances and strengthen
their community. To The Factory,
everyone’s journey matters.
a nutritious full dinner are provided to students
in grades 7-12. In addition to open door nights,
the youth center provides a basketball night,
mentoring to students, small groups and
monthly bigger events. A weekly homework
club is run at the local middle school.
The youth center is also where we offer various
workshops for the adults in our community.
Some of the workshops offered so far are:
Getting Ahead Classes, stress management,
mental health support group, grief share,
parenting classes, financial classes and computer classes. Those who attend
our workshops earn Factory Bucks that can be used at the food bank or
furniture bank.
The Factory Furniture Bank is located in our youth center building.
The Factory “Pillars”
We would like to thank the following
businesses who generously support
The Factory Ministries with
annual gifts of $1000 or more:
Beiler Insurance Agency
Country Gift & Thrift Shoppe Inc.
D & K Graham Trucking, Inc.
DavCo Advertising
Dutchland, Inc.
Elite Coach
Gro-Mor Plant Food Co.
Heritage Floors, Inc.
Hoober, Inc.
I.K. Stoltzfus Service Corp.
The furniture bank is open for donations in very good condition. Participants
J. G. Graybill Plumbing, Inc.
purchase furniture with their Factory Bucks. Two graduates of our Getting
Paradise Custom Kitchens
Ahead Class volunteer at the Furniture Bank and do an excellent job of being
Progressive Shoe Store
available and organizing donations.
Shivery Funeral Home
The Factory Kitchen is a new addition to the Factory Ministries as of
May 2014. The new facilities include an office, a double kitchen (handicap
accessible), the Factory Food Bank, and food storage. The Factory Food Bank
Spring Garden Electric
Sylvan Stoltzfus Builders
The Old Candle Barn, Inc.
is a choice food bank and by appointment only. Each participant can shop
for the food they want using his or her Factory Bucks. Nutrition and cooking
classes are offered weekly at The Factory Kitchen.
The Factories Ministries
P.O. Box 282 • Paradise, PA 17562
(717) 687-9594
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The Ride to Nashville
On Friday, October 3, 2014, sixteen cyclists headed out
on a 53-hour bike ride to Nashville, TN. The 850-mile
ride would take place in a relay format with 4 groups of 4
riders each riding around 200 miles in the two-day stretch.
Heavy rain, strong head winds, freezing temps and sleep
deprivation were all obstacles they had to overcome. Why
would they do something so crazy you might ask? Good
question!
Eleven professionals from our community were heading
to Nashville to lead four breakout sessions on addressing
issues of poverty in our community. Leading these
workshops were 5 from the school district, 2 from The
Factory, 2 pastors and 2 individuals from poverty who have
gone through our programming.
Truly this trip was an example that anything is possible
when we come together. Our bike trip, along with our
stories in our breakout sessions, was an inspiration to those
attending the conference. Many of the conference attendees
approached us and told us that after seeing and hearing
what our community is doing, they knew they could go
back and build a healthier community themselves. We had
demonstrated by our words and our actions what happens
when you create relationships of mutual respect and set
aside your own agendas and collaborate for the purpose
of addressing needs and creating a healthy and more
sustainable community.
As a way of raising awareness of our Together Initiative
(see article From The Director) Tim Rogers, pastor of
Grace Point Church and Chuck Holt, executive director of
The Factory Ministries (who were already attending the
conference) along with 14 others, decided to make the trip
via bikes.
On Friday, October 3rd at noon from Paradise Elementary
School these 16 cyclists began their 850-mile journey as
all the students and teachers along with several from our
community cheered them on. The trip ended on Sunday
at 5pm as the team rode to the hotel steps in downtown
Nashville greeted by dozens from all over the country who
were there for the conference.
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This is exactly what we have done and continue to do
in the Pequea Valley community. In addition to being an
awareness-raising trip, almost $12,000 was raised for the
Together Initiative to invest back into our community. For
more information on the Together Initiative, go to www.
togetherforthegood.com. You can also view pictures and
videos of our bike trip by going to the Facebook page
Together to Nashville.
If you ride a bike, why not join us for the Cranksgiving
ride on Saturday, November 22nd. This 32 mile ride will
stop at 3 grocery stores where donations will be made
toward the Thanksgiving Drive of The Factory Kitchen.
For more information on this ride, go to
www.intercoursebikeworks.com
Come enjoy a traditional
Lancaster County
breakfast buffet
Date: Saturday, November 22, 2014
When: 7am–10:30am
Location: Kinzer Fire Hall
Cost: Free Will Donation
Finding Meaning in Giving Back.......................................1
From the Director...............................................................1
Winter camp scholarships needed...................................2
Ways to Volunteer or Donate............................................3
Help for the Holidays ........................................................3
The Factory Ministries ......................................................4
The Ride to Nashville.........................................................5
P.O. Box 182, Paradise, PA 17562
Support the Factory Ministries through
Extraordinary Give. Your gift through this program
will benefit the Factory with the opportunities to
stretch the amount through the gift pool.
Volunteer opportunities are also available for
kitchen prep on Friday evening and set up,
cooking, serving and clean up on Saturday
morning. If you would like to volunteer or for
more information please call Shannon at
717-687-9594.