"They say if you want to succeed, it's who you know," said Deb Schleh, extolling the benefits of networking. "We believe it's what you know and who you know." Schleh, a member of the Friends of Donegal, said that's the motivation behind the Community Building Blocks Expo, an event designed to introduce the community to services available to everyone.

The expo will be held on Saturday, April 29, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. along Delta and Henry streets and inside the reception center at Sheetz Funeral Home, 16 E. Main St., Mount Joy. A rain date is scheduled for Saturday, May 6.

As Schleh explained, the idea for the expo came from a community dinner held at the end of a Getting Ahead class offered by Friends of Donegal, a nonprofit created to be a one-stop shop to help close the gaps between needs and services in the community. "At the dinner, we invited people in from different organizations in the community," she recalled, noting that Getting Ahead is a class designed to help people get ahead financially rather than just getting by. "Part of Getting Ahead is not only to help participants gain skills, but also to give back to the community. Out of the community dinner came the idea, 'Why not do this on a larger scale?'"

The expo will feature a wide variety of nonprofit organizations and businesses, all geared toward providing services ranging from financial support to housing. Members of the Mount Joy Borough Police Department, EMS and fire department will be on-site as well.

Nancy Stehman, a member of the expo committee, said the Getting Ahead class opened her eyes to community resources. "I realized I could make connections and build my social capital through networking," she stated. "People might not realize there is free medical care. People might not have a good relationship with the police. Coming to the expo will give them the opportunity to come out and talk to the police, to learn about programs and services that could benefit them."

Along with information tables, the expo will feature activities for people of all ages, Stehman said, adding, "We'll have fun and games, too. We'll have food trucks. It's a family event."

A silent auction of items, including paintings by a local artist, themed baskets and gift cards to local businesses, will help cover the operational costs of Getting Ahead and its follow-up class, Staying Ahead.

Christina Helfrick, vice president of Friends of Donegal, explained that both programs are open to anyone in the community who's interested. "We've grown the program over the years to focus on interactivity with the community and building bridges," she stated. "Part of the expo is about building bridges between community members and organizations."

There will be an opportunity to sign up for a Getting Ahead or Staying Ahead class at the expo. For more information on Friends of Donegal or the expo, visit https://friendsofdonegal.org or search for "Friends of Donegal" on Facebook.