Matching Gifts Program
1/4/12:
January PNEUS_LIGHT: Jeff Reinhart
We are excited to recognize Jeff Reinhart for his commitment to our community by highlighting his activity this month with the York County Food Bank. Way to go Jeff for helping to make a difference in the lives of others!
The MISSION STATEMENT of the York County Food Bank is to
- To eliminate hunger in York County
- To serve our member agencies so they can help people in need
- To encourage others to partner with us by donating and volunteering
Recently, Jeff shared “when Penn-Air & Hydraulics first introduced the Matching Gifts program in June, I started to think about how I could give back to the community. I remembered reading articles in the newspaper about how the York County Food Bank frequently has a need for monetary donations as well as people’s time. This was a perfect fit for me. The Food Bank services many agencies throughout the county. They offer different programs for individuals also. People who volunteer just two hours a month at various agencies can actually purchase food packages at the Food Bank. They can be purchased at drastically reduced prices, for themselves or others. There are no other income or eligibility guidelines. The packages vary to meet each individuals needs and they provide healthy food choices. I have only been doing this a short time but have learned this is a wonderful program. It helps people who might need temporary or long term assistance. I have seen and heard stories that have been a real wake up call for me. Originally, I thought I would help just through the holidays but have decided to continue through the new year. I feel that I have benefited more from the experience than the people we are helping. The enthusiasm of the staff members and other volunteers is contagious. It’s an awesome experience.” Way to go Jeff for making a difference in our community!
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11/15/11:
November PNEUS_LIGHT: Donna Cassel
We are proud to recognize Donna Cassel this month for her commitment to donate her time and financial resources to serve others.
Donna’s passion for helping others is seen both in the workplace on a daily basis as well as out in the community.
Way to go Donna for helping to make a difference in the lives of others!
The Mt. Hope Horse Rescue’s mission is to give abused, abandoned and discarded horses a second chance. Through the rehabilitation process that includes immediate medical attention and intensive professional training, they strive to identify, evaluate and purposefully address each horse's individual needs. Their goal is to then release these horses for adoption and place them into homes where they will be enjoyed while continuing to be safe, cared for and loved.
So why is Donna so passionate about horses? “After much soul searching back in 2000, I thought why not go back to my roots as a child and start looking into horse care again”. Donna has invested enormous time, effort and energy in not only caring for various horses over the past decade, but making the connection with adults and children that are typically working with the horses as well. Her ministry to teach, mentor and lead young people through her “horsing around” has touched the lives of many people. As Donna clearly shared, “these experiences taught me how to deal with people, children specifically, better then I was ever able to do before.” One of those she has worked with so closely is our own Carly Halterman.
I have watched from a distance the interaction between Carly and Donna as they work together riding and caring for the horses. It is wonderful to see the bond and relationship that has taken place thanks to Donna’s serving heart. Horseback riding and caring for the horses has really helped Carly through her difficult times.
As most of you know, Donna has also participated in a number of other charitable events over the past few years (The Lucky Seven" Kentucky Mountain Horses, Lost and Found Horse Rescue, Car Care, etc…). Thanks to so many within PKP who have helped with donations to Car Care, through Donna, we as an organization have been able to help those in need locally. Donna shared “they change the oil and wash the car, along with a clothing give away which I elected to participate in. I saw people that were in dire straits and so grateful to me, when all I did was give them a hand, picking out some clothing for their children and older folks that were in the same type situation.”
It is for this, in addition to so many other examples that we are proud to honor Donna this month. My take-away thanks to Donna so humbly sharing her feelings with me, it is amazing to see how God works in our lives…who would have thought that four legged animals like horses could help people in need connect with “other’s focused” people like Donna. Way to go Donna!
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10/24/11:
OCTOBER PNEUS_LIGHT: Sharon Shue
We are proud to recognize Sharon Shue this month for her commitment to donate her time and financial resources to serve others. Sharon’s passion for helping others is seen both in the workplace on a daily basis as well as out in the community.
Way to go Sharon for helping to make a difference in the lives of others!
Sharon’s willingness to take the initiative to help others in our community was most recently demonstrated through Lee Denim Day as it was a great success. All the PKP Associates were very generous and as a result, we were able to raise $215. All those who donated $10 were entitled to be entered into a drawing to win a $50 Sheetz Card (thanks to Sharon’s creative idea) and Jeff was our lucky winner.
Sharon shared “the reason it was so important to me this year was because my step daughter was diagnosed early this year with breast cancer. She has completed her Chemo and is now doing her radiation. Her mother and Aunt are both breast cancer survivors. I just found out this week that my Japanese sister was diagnosed with breast cancer. I know that breast cancer has probably touched us all and we probably personally know someone who has, or has had breast cancer. I like the fact that all monies go to research for a cure. Thanks to all the research that is going on, Breast Cancer is no longer a doomed diagnosis”.
Some key facts regarding breast cancer:
- One in every 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her life time.
- One person is diagnosed with breast cancer every three minutes in the US
- In the US there were 207,090 new cases of invasive breast cancer & 39,840 deaths from breast cancer in 2010
- There are more than 2.5 million breast cancer survivors alive in the US today
- About 10-15% of breast cancers are found in women under 45 years of age.
Lee Denim Day has raised more than $83 million for the fight against cancer since 1996. All donations go to the Women's Cancer Programs of EIF for ground breaking research projects.
Sharon’s community service outside of the office is through York’s Habitat for Humanity. She volunteered for York’s Habitat for Humanity through St. Joe's Church. YHFH is supporting the re-construction of a house in Red Lion. It is for a single mom with an 18 month daughter who has medical issues. Sharon worked BLITZ week for 4 hours. She will be working this Saturday for 6 hours and another 6 hours on Oct 29th.
Sharon writes “ I am learning a lot of new construction skills. I Love the power saw! It is a very rewarding experience getting to know and working with the family that will be occupying the finished house. They plan on having it finished sometime in April. If I am not too stiff and sore, I will probably continue to work over the winter”.
It is for these examples of having a servant heart that we are proud to recognize Sharon Shue for the contributions she makes every day to those around her. Penn-Air & Hydraulics Corp. is honored to provide the Matching Gifts Program to enable Sharon to have twice the financial impact for all the great work she is doing. Way to go Sharon!
Building on Faith 2011 - Congregations unite in Red Lion
September usually reminds people of crisp apples, cool fall days, changing leaves and sending the kids back to school. At York Habitat for Humanity, as well as affiliates nationwide, the second week of September reminds us all of Building on Faith Week. The Building on Faith Program is one started by Habitat for Humanity International and focuses on uniting faith communities to put their faith in action and build homes for God's people in need. For many, many years, York Habitat for Humanity has been proud to participate in this amazing part of our ministry!
This year's Building on Faith Project brings congregations back to the quaint community of Red Lion to renovate a two bedroom home for a deserving, qualified family. The build is scheduled to begin during the 2011 Building on Faith Week from September 13th. After this "Blitz Week", construction will continue on the home located at 413 West Broadway in Red Lion on Fridays and every other Saturday until it is completed. To finish this build in the Spring of 2012, we are calling on the faith communities for their support! To volunteer for this project, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Reminder: Must have completed construction orientation prior to volunteering on the job site.
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We are pleased to share with you the official release of the Penn-Air & Hydraulics Corp. Matching Gifts Program & Application. To honor Jim Conrad's memory, our family has established this initiative as a means of better serving our community. As you all know, Jim was very generous in his philanthropic commitment to support worthy causes. Thanks to the growth of the business over the 43 years and since 1968, PKP has supported dozens of local and national charities and organizations. We felt this would be a great opportunity for all of our full-time, part-time and retired Associates to become even more involved in charitable giving in both time and money. We know that many of you currently serve your local communities in a variety of ways to include school, church, civic organizations, fire & rescue, youth sports coaching along with dozens of other volunteering roles to help people in need.
The Program is outlined in the attachment and we are available to help answer any questions you may have. The first five pages define the program in detail and page six includes an application for participation. We have tried to keep the guidelines simple which is a 50/50 match up to $500 per year per Associate. A minimum of two (2) hours is encouraged for the service portion of the commitment.
Organizations that have benefited to date:
Turning Point Women's Counseling
Water Street Ministries - The Lydia Center
Children's Cancer Recovery Foundation
Junior Achievement of Central PA
Make-A-Wish Foundation of Greater PA