If people don't ask for help, their plights can go unnoticed. But that doesn't mean the need doesn't exist.

The Warwick Community Hub has identified an economic need in the local community. Now the faith-based nonprofit is working to fill that need.

A group of three concerned volunteers and two social workers, the Warwick Community Hub has set its sights on battling poverty in Warwick Township. The Warwick Community Hub has been performing many of its good deeds from a simple meeting room inside Lititz Mennonite Church, 165 Front St., Lititz.

"The families and people we are able to support know they're facing difficulties," said Warwick Community Hub's executive director, Steve Jeffrey. "Sometimes people in our community don't want to raise their hands. They don't want to ask for help. I think we all try to be good neighbors, but sometimes we don't see the need, and the need is all around us."

Founded in 2020, Warwick Community Hub has already encountered semi-homelessness, employees who ride their bikes to work out of necessity, compromised nutrition and a lack of affordable housing in Warwick Township. According to the Warwick School District, 36% of its students qualify for the United States Department of Agriculture's free and reduced-cost meal program.

"Some families are one paycheck away from falling behind," said Shawna Billek, Warwick Community Hub's operations coordinator.

Since its inception, the Warwick Community Hub has helped about 70 families in need.

"Through our work, what we have seen are single-income families trying to rent two-bedroom apartments in the (Lititz) borough for $1,800 per month," said Charis Pankratz, Warwick Community Hub's resource coordinator. "With one income, that's so hard to afford. We hear these stories on a weekly basis."

"It's a great community. It's a wonderful place to live," Pankratz added. "But the reality is that some people don't have food. We want to make sure everyone has that need met. We also want to do that well, with mutual respect. We want to bring the community together to meet their needs. But we're still figuring out what that looks like."

While it does offer some direct assistance, the Warwick Community Hub focuses on connecting families with currently available resources. Through its work, the Warwick Community Hub has developed relationships with social agencies, churches, the Lititz Borough Police Department, the Warwick School District and like-minded organizations in Denver, Elizabethtown, Paradise, New Holland and the Solanco area.

"Our goal is to continue to build relationships so people can find support," said Jeffrey. "We've been thoughtful about how we rolled out the Hub. We want people to know who the Hub is and how we're trying to help the community. We want leaders of other organizations to understand what we are doing. The awareness is important."

While the Warwick Community Hub is off to a great start, there's still plenty of work left to do.

"It's been a good year," said Jeffrey. "I feel like we're right in the middle of the things we're trying to be. But we're trying to navigate what's next. The community connect is important."

For additional information about the Warwick Community Hub, go to http://www.warwick-hub.org.