New Hope Counseling Center will celebrate its 25-year anniversary with a drop-in gathering and silent auction on Thursday, Oct. 20, from 5 to 8 p.m. at Providence Church, 269 Cinder Road, New Providence. The event has the theme "Rediscovering the New Hope Chest," and it will feature food from local restaurants and live entertainment.

Multiple restaurants, such as Oola Bowls and The Daily Grind, will offer small plates of food and samples. At 5:30 p.m., Jesse Rothacker of the Forgotten Friend Reptile Sanctuary will provide live entertainment for guests. At 6:30 p.m., Glenn Hough's One-Man Band will perform. There are set prices for adults and for children between the ages of 5 and 12, with a maximum cost for a family. Food and entertainment are included in the price of admission. To purchase tickets, visit https://tinyurl.com/newhopechest.

The theme of the event will recognize the community thrift store that raises the funds required to operate New Hope. In the years immediately following the founding of New Hope, the organization faced significant financial obstacles. New Hope's financial challenges and mission to provide counseling services to clients regardless of their ability to pay precipitated the founding of the New Hope Community Closet in 2004. Since then, the profits from the store as well as events and support from donors have financially stabilized New Hope.

"The thing that has been the most important to me is to help New Hope continue to grow and remain a viable organization in the Southern End," said Deb Riddell, executive director for New Hope. "Since the beginning, the board has wanted to offer counseling services to anyone who needs it. It doesn't matter if someone can't find the money to pay." Riddell first became involved with New Hope as an employee at the thrift store, where she worked until 2015. She left the thrift store and began working in Lancaster until she returned to Quarryville and applied for the position of executive director. Riddell has served as New Hope's executive director for three years and hopes to expand its ministry and community impact in years to come.

For more information, visit http://www.newhopeministry.info.