In the heart of Mount Joy, a grassroots nonprofit organization, Friends of Donegal (FOD), has been transforming lives since its inception. FOD's mission is to support individuals and families facing significant challenges in the Mount Joy, Marietta and Maytown areas.

Andi Riefenstahl, a Mount Joy native and retired nurse administrator with more than 40 years of experience, wanted to give back to the community where she was born and raised. Her opportunity came in 2021 when she and her husband, Bruce, began volunteering to mentor students in the Donegal School District. They soon discovered they wanted to do more.

"We realized there were a great many kids who were living challenging lives, not knowing if they would have food, clean clothes or even where they were going to lay their head at night," Andi shared. "We didn't want to be transactional. We wanted to be transformational."

In February of 2022, Friends of Donegal officially received its 501(c)(3) status, marking the beginning of a new chapter in its efforts to provide tangible, lasting help to those in need.

The FOD team determined that while many nonprofits, churches, and community leaders were working hard to support the people in the community, there was a need to better collaborate.

"We realized there were a lot of great people doing amazing things, but we weren't doing the best job of communicating and connecting with each other," Andi said. "We don't want to duplicate services - we want to fill the gaps."

To address this, FOD has worked diligently to foster relationships with other organizations in the area. By knowing who else is offering what services, members of FOD can direct individuals to the right resources when they are unable to help directly.

FOD has three flagship initiatives. The first, Getting Ahead/Staying Ahead, is a 16-week evidence-based class that provides individuals with the tools to move out of poverty. The program, which is free of charge and includes child care, transportation, meals, and a gift card, has graduated 65 individuals. Andi points to the success of the program as a testament to its transformational approach.

"Sometimes people just need someone to walk alongside them and care about them," she shared, noting that graduates of the program have become certified facilitators, some serve on the board, some have gone back to college and a few have started their own businesses. "It's just about planting the seed."

One notable graduate, Jarod Stine, was especially transformed by the program. As he progressed through the classes, he grew in confidence, eventually stepping out of his comfort zone to manage and oversee a community garden.

That is the second initiative of FOD, and the garden has now expanded to three sites. One garden grows bulk items, another features heirloom tomatoes and spaces for personal plots from community members, and a 3.5-acre site is the program's newest location.

"Last year, we generated enough produce on 1.5 acres to give away over 1,000 pounds of fresh produce to the Mount Joy Food Bank, Mount Joy Senior Apartments and the Power Packs Project," Andi commented.

Next year, FOD hopes to expand to use all 3.5 acres of the new garden, and a new initiative from the organization is bringing the project to even more community members.

Andi noted that she has connected with the manager of the Mount Joy Senior Apartments to help seniors with limited mobility contribute to the garden efforts. FOD will bring cups, dirt and seeds to the seniors, who will plant seedlings for the gardens this month to start in greenhouses before they are planted in the ground.

She also hopes FOD will be able to partner with local schools to introduce gardening concepts to students and transform the way children think about where their food comes from.

For its last major initiative, FOD operates the Power Packs Project in Mount Joy. This Lancaster-based nonprofit provides food-insecure people with a bag of groceries and a recipe along with food staples once a week.

The original Power Packs in the area began in 2014 under the Donegal Foundation and served families during the school year. When FOD took over the program, the organization expanded participation by 50% and began providing food year-round, including fresh produce from FOD's gardens.

"Currently, we are feeding about 350 people a week," Andi said, adding that the number includes children, adults and senior citizens.

Along with offering pickup at local schools, the Power Packs Project provides delivery when requested and has also opened a choice pantry for families to come in and select food, household products and personal care items at the Marietta Community Chapel on River Road, where it holds the program.

FOD, which relies on donations, is seeking a bricks-and-mortar location, with a 2028 goal of having a permanent site in Mount Joy.

"We want a space that says, 'Friends of Donegal, come one, come all,'" Andi shared. "We want a safe place where people can meet each other, get to know other community members and get started finding the help they need."

For more information about Friends of Donegal or to donate or volunteer, visit https://friendsofdonegal.org or email Andi@friendsofdonegal.org.