Fwd: Community in Action: What's Happening at REAL Life This September

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From: REAL Life Community Services <robyn@reallcs.org>
Date: Tue, Sep 1, 2026 at 12:04 AM
Subject: Community in Action: What's Happening at REAL Life This September
To: <philandkelly@gmail.com>

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“Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands upon us; yes, establish the work of our hands!” Psalm 90:17 (ESV)

Seven Years of Declaration House     Seven years ago, a vision for serving our community became a reality, and a true monument for Hope.     On August 27, 2019, Declaration House officially opened its doors. What began as a major renovation project became a place where people could find practical resources, housing they actually afford, community services, and new opportunities. Today, Declaration House is home to the REAL Life Community Services offices, Union Community Care's dental office, Willow Creek Discount Grocery Store, and 10 income based apartments.     But the story of Declaration House isn't really about a building. It's about the people who made it possible and the people who have walked through its doors since it opened. Over the past several weeks, we’ve been celebrating this anniversary on social media by looking back at different chapters of the Declaration House story, from what the property once was, through its demolition and ribbon-cutting ceremony, and ultimately to the incredible community effort that transformed it into what it is today. If you've missed some of those posts, take a look back through our social media to see how this place came to be!     But the Declaration House is only one chapter of a much bigger story.     REAL Life Community Services is celebrating 15 years of connecting our community to Hope. From our beginnings as a youth ministry to the many programs and partnerships we have today, God has continued to grow this ministry in ways we could not have planned on our own.      As we celebrate seven years of Declaration House and 15 years of REAL Life, we're grateful for every person who has been part of the story: the volunteers who gave their time, the partners who opened doors, the donors who provided resources, the staff who poured themselves into the work, and the neighbors who have trusted us to walk alongside them. Seven years of Declaration House. Fifteen years of REAL Life. And so many stories still being written.     We're grateful to be part of what God is doing in our community. A Meaningful First Friday     September is Hunger Action Month, a time to bring greater awareness to food insecurity and the people in our communities who experience it.     Every year, National Food Bank Day falls on the same day as our First Friday Food Drive, making September's food drive an especially meaningful opportunity to come together around an issue that affects local families year-round. At REAL Life Community Services, food assistance is about more than keeping shelves stocked. Through the Cocalico Food Pantry, Power Packs, and other food distribution efforts, we have the privilege of walking alongside local individuals and families when they need a little extra support.     Our community has always played an important role in making that work possible. Whether through a food drive at a church or workplace, a few extra items added to a grocery cart, or a collection with friends and family, every contribution helps provide food for a neighbor. 📅 First Friday Food Drive Friday, September 4 | 3–5 PM Warehouse916, 240 Main St., Denver, PA 17517 Located behind Declaration House   We've included our current list of most-needed items below for those who would like to participate this month.     Hunger is a community issue, and caring for our neighbors is something we can do together. Thank you for being part of a community that continues to show up for one another.

Looking Back on a Summer of ACTS of Love     Summer may be winding down, but we’re still celebrating everything that happened through Acts of Love this year!     Throughout the summer, Acts of Love provided meals to local children and families while school was out. For many students, summer break also means a break from school meals, making access to food an important need during these months. Meeting that need takes a community effort. Local churches stepped up to help feed families, volunteers gave their time to prepare and distribute meals, community partners strengthened the program, and neighbors worked together to make sure local children had access to food throughout the summer.     Each week, an average of 160 meals were distributed at parks throughout the Cocalico Area, with food provided from 10 different churches/community organizations!     But Acts of Love is about more than distributing meals. It also creates opportunities to meet families, build relationships, and let our neighbors know they have a community willing to show up for them.     As we close out another summer of Acts of Love, we want to thank everyone who played a part. Your time, generosity, encouragement, and willingness to serve helped make this program possible. A huge thank you to: The Acts of Love Committee Community Hive Swamp Christian Fellowship Peace United Church of Christ Mohn's Hill E.C. Church St. Paul's Evangelical Congregation Church St. John's U.C.C. Mellingers Lutheran Church Gehman Mennonite Church Swamp Lutheran Church Good Shepherd Community Church     We’re grateful to be part of a community that continues to show up for its neighbors, one meal and one relationship at a time. Thank You for Dining Out for a Cause!     What a delicious couple of weeks!     Throughout August, eight local restaurants partnered with REAL Life Community Services for Dine Out for a Cause. Each restaurant selected a day to donate a portion of its sales to support the work happening throughout our community.     We're incredibly grateful to each of our restaurant partners for choosing to spend part of their summer supporting REAL Life and the people we serve. A Special Thank You to: Texas Roadhouse in Ephrata Courtyard Cafe on Main Two Cousins Pizza in Stevens Rural CIty Beer Co. Park Place Diner Castanedas Mexican Restaurant Cocalico Coffee Crafters Tin Roof Cafe n' Sweets     And a special thank you to everyone who stopped in for a meal, brought along friends or family, or simply helped spread the word. Your participation made these partnerships meaningful and helped turn an ordinary dinner out into an opportunity to care for our neighbors. Whether or not we have the final donation totals yet, we're thankful for what we already know: our community showed up.     Thank you for helping make Dine Out for a Cause such a fun way to bring local businesses, neighbors, and REAL Life together!

SAVE THE DATE! Registration opens October 1st for this can’t-miss community event!

Power Packs Are Back!     As another school year gets underway, so does one of our favorite weekly rhythms at REAL Life: Power Packs!     Throughout the school year, participating families receive a box of groceries to help provide meals and snacks for their children. It's a practical way to support families and help make sure students have food waiting for them at home. And while a Power Pack may look like a simple box of groceries, there's a little more thought that goes into choosing the meals inside.     Many of the meals included in Power Packs are designed to be prepared in a crockpot. For busy families balancing work, school, homework, and after-school activities, being able to put a meal in the crockpot earlier in the day can make getting dinner on the table much more manageable.     That's why, as Power Packs kicks off another school year, we're collecting new or gently used crockpots to provide to families who could benefit from one. If you have a crockpot you'd like to donate, we'd be grateful to put it to good use! Please email marybeth@reallcs.org to coordinate a crockpot donation! It's one small kitchen appliance, but for a busy family, it can mean one less thing to worry about at the end of a long day.     We're grateful for the opportunity to walk alongside local families in practical ways throughout the school year.

Cool Treats, Community Connections & the Denver Fair     The Denver Fair is almost here, which means REAL Icy Treats will soon be back! Our Icy Treats stand is more than a place to grab something cold on a warm September evening. It's one of the ways REAL Life gets to be present in the community, connect with neighbors, and introduce people to the work happening throughout our area.     This year, the Denver Fair runs September 15–19, and we're looking forward to another week of serving up frozen treats and good conversation. Of course, an event like this takes a lot of helping hands! We are looking for volunteers to help staff the Icy Treats stand throughout the fair. Whether you can give us one evening or help several times, we'd love to have you join us!     We are grateful for every person who helps make REAL Icy Treats possible and gives us another opportunity to connect with the community we call home. We hope to see you at the fair! Interested in volunteering? Click Here to sign up for volunteering at the Denver Fair

Join us in Prayer & Praises     We know there are many meaningful ways to partner with us, and one of the most impactful is through prayer. That’s why we’re beginning a new initiative—inviting those who visit our office or warehouse to share their prayer requests with us.     If you’d like to come alongside us in lifting up these needs, we’d love to have you join our prayer email list. Simply click the button below to sign up and receive updates so you can pray with us regularly. Join our Prayer Team! This Month’s Prayers & Praises  Praises Two families have graduated to independent living! We praise God for the opportunity to see these families grow and take this next step. A heart opening toward faith. A neighbor we've been working with since 2018 has recently begun asking about finding a church family. We praise God for this opportunity and pray for continued growth in their faith. Prayer Requests For comfort: Please pray for the families of several loved ones our staff and ministry partners have recently lost, and for all of us as we learn to move forward without them. For our school-year programs: Pray that the children and families receiving backpacks, coats, and shoes will experience the love of Christ, and that we will build lasting connections throughout the school year. For Momentum: Pray that our youth development program grows this year and connects with new students who need caring mentors and a place to belong. For Health: August has uncharicteristically carried a lot of sickness, especially to some of our staff. Please pray for health, strength, and overall protection to not only our staff but also our friends and families, as loosing hours at work for some of our families could cause unnecessary financial strain. Thank you for partnering with us in prayer — it truly makes a difference. Help us keep these programs and more going! Consider a generous gift today to Connect the Community to Hope! Give Now

First Friday Food Drive September 4th Every first Friday of the month, we host a food drive in the back parking lot of the Declaration House. It’s a way the community can give back and help donate items that we need.  You can drop off food at any time from 3-5 pm on that Friday.

Alcoholics Anonymous Mondays, 8-9PM & Ladies AA Thursdays, 6:30-7:30PM Meeting at the Lighthouse Community Center.

Denver Elementary Moms In Prayer 1st and 3rd Tuesdays, 9:15-10:15am Meeting at the Lighthouse Community Center

Momentum Summer Break- Be back Oct. 6th  Momentum guarantees a young person that there is someone who cares about them. A child needs to know that they are not alone in dealing with the day-to-day challenges of life. Momentum meets at the Lighthouse Community Center throughout the school year following the Cocalico School District calendar.

Young at Heart Wednesdays, 9-11AM All events are free and are for individuals that are 60 years and older. Coffee, chatting, games, speakers, and MORE! Come out and get to know others in your community!  1st & 3rd Wednesdays we meet at Adamstown Area Library! 2nd & 4th Wednesdays we meet at Faith Evangelical United Lutheran Church in Denver!

Aglow International Bible Study 3rd Saturdays, 10-12am Meeting at the Lighthouse Community Center. Click Here to Learn More

© REAL Life Community Services 2026. All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: 240 MAIN ST STE B DENVER, PA 17517-1623

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