November 29, 2022 | #GivingTuesday
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About Us
- MISSION
Hope Served comes alongside individuals with disabilities and their local communities to develop creative opportunities for authentic participation in all aspects of life.
Our Story
As a mother to nine children, most of whom were teens and young adults with challenges including autism, blindness, and intellectual disabilities, Kelly Harnish was confronted by the dismal statistics surrounding employment of adults affected by disabilities. As she furthered her research, she was dumbfounded by the scarcity of effective services that proactively supported career development, meaningful employment, access to reliable transportation, and the shortage of safe, supported, sustainable, low-income housing options for young adults with disabilities. She was grieved as her friends grappled with gut wrenching decisions that too often required them to seek care for their adult children far from home—resulting in distant proximity from their families and estrangement from meaningful, life-long relationships that had grown within their home-town communities. She knew that the odds had to change for her aging children and their peers, and so she began to dream.
Ultimately, Hope Served was founded in 2021 in close consultation with Uniquely the Same, another non-profit that offered relevant expertise and shared a like vision for the future. Built for sustainability and based upon the American free enterprise system, Hope Served was organized to complement existing community resources, to promote meaningful and supportive relationships among members of all abilities within their local communities, and to create revolutionary and sustainable opportunities for authentic participation in all aspects of life. Hope Served engages with adults affected by disability as they proactively set a course for their futures, genuinely contribute and network within their local communities, gain hard and soft career skills, and work towards permanent housing.
Our Team
Steve and his wife Elizabeth live in Middletown, where they enjoy a multigenerational household with their adult sons, Steve’s mother, and regular visits from their grandson.
Steve’s passion for serving those facing challenging circumstances stems from his upbringing in a missionary household (he was born on the mission field in Zambia) and his experiences at Paxton Ministries, a live-in community focused on housing and disability ministry in Harrisburg. While living there, Steve learned to appreciate the beauty of diversity, comparing it to a bouquet where each flower contributes to its overall appeal.
Steve also served as Executive Director at Brethren Housing Association for 11 years and Director of Development for Christian Churches United for 6 years. He has been blessed for 35 years to work alongside amazing teams of volunteers, staff members, and boards in impacting the community for individuals facing poverty, disability, homelessness, and other challenges.
He also enjoys comedy, baseball, film, his local church, and spending time with his family and friends. In recent years he has taken up writing and recording songs for a local music project that creates an annual Christmas album funding homeless shelters in Harrisburg.
Steve has a heart-felt connection to the Manheim community, having grown up nearby in East Hempfield Township and cherishing childhood memories of visits to his grandparent’s farm on Hossler Road just outside of town. In fact, both his wife and mother are graduates of Manheim Central High School.
Rachelle Miller is a trained Marriage and Family Therapist residing in Lititz, Pennsylvania. With a passion for creativity and a keen eye for detail, Rachelle has demonstrated herself as a talented professional. We are thrilled to have Rachelle’s marketing expertise and compassionate care as part of our team at Hope Served.
Rachelle’s journey to Hope Served goes far back to before her birth, when our Board President was part of a youth group led by Rachelle’s parents. Over her lifetime, Rachelle grew a passion for psychology and counseling, which she pursued by receiving her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology at Messiah College, as well as, her Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy from Evangelical Theological School.
Most recently, Rachelle has been part of the leadership team for her Adult Bible Fellowship Class at Calvary Church. As the events coordinator, she communicated through email, phone, text and social media to keep those involved informed. We are excited she is bringing those skills to our network of people.
In addition to her church involvement at Calvary, she has acted as a Short Term Missionary at Joni and Friends Family Retreats. She draws inspiration from God’s creation around her, as well as from the natural beauty of her hometown of Lititz.
Our Board
God has created all of us with this intrinsic desire to live a purposeful life and He has given us the capacity to do that, no matter what that capacity is.
Kelly Harnish has a bachelor’s degree in social work from Millersville University, and a master’s degree in social work from Marywood University. She has more than twenty years of experience working in the mental health field including foster care and adoption work. Kelly served as an adjunct professor of social work at both Lancaster Bible College and Messiah College. Kelly served as Community Life Director at a local Brethren in Christ Church and completed all core courses, as she took steps toward the denomination’s credentialing process. Kelly and her husband, Dale, are committed members of Encounter Church of Palmyra (BIC) and devoted parents to nine children.
In 2014, Kelly’s focus turned to caring for the needs of her then newly adopted children. Most of their children entered the family through international adoption, many at older ages and with challenges including autism, intellectual disabilities, and blindness. Kelly has learned first-hand what it means to traverse complex disability-related social services, navigate educational supports, and address the mental health needs of children who come from hard places, yet she has witnessed God’s redemptive power of creating beauty from ashes. Kelly is passionate about creating opportunities for people of all abilities to interact with one another in ways that build stronger, healthier, communities where the inherent value and dignity of life is celebrated and human needs for belonging are met.
Cal is the President and one of the three founding board members of Uniquely the Same, Inc., a non-profit organization in western Pennsylvania. For 20 years, Cal worked for Oracle and EMC Corporations in various Product Management and Technical Sales roles in Northern Virginia.
Cal was a Master of Divinity student at Reformed Theological Seminary (RTS) in Orlando, Florida, and helped plant a church in Western Pennsylvania aimed at building a community of faith for individuals with disabilities. Cal and his wife are the Pittsburgh Chair Corps representatives for Joni and Friends, International. Cal is married with three children.
Cal is recognized as one of Western Pennsylvania’s influencers concerning inclusion and the celebration of those affected by disability in faith communities. Cal believes the greatest need of people affected by disability is not mercy or pity, but belonging.
Ida is Director of Operations and one of three founding board members for Uniquely the Same, Inc., a non-profit organization in western Pennsylvania. Ida is a married mother of three sons who has spent most of her extensive professional career working in the faith-based non-profit health care industry in Illinois. There, she held a variety of progressive management roles for more than thirty years.
Ida is also an educator, author, and public speaker, presenting seminars nationally related to compliance issues and coding diagnoses and procedures, as well as teaching college-level courses related to the same.
Ida is passionate about coming alongside individuals and families with disabilities and their local communities to establish reciprocal authentic relationships and replicable and sustainable solutions for the enrichment of all.
Nancy Hanula Evans
BOARD MEMBER
Nancy is a long-time Manheim area resident and proud mama to three grown children; 2 daughters and a son. She loves to play tennis and lead Bible studies. During her 29 years in the Pennsylvania Air National Guard she was provided many incredible opportunities for helping not only unit members but also communities across the state and peers throughout the nation.
She was a founding board member of Manheim Community Cares and has started a ministry, Everlasting Rock, with her father. The duo complement each other’s abilities – Nancy’s knowledge and understanding of individual and community issues and helping both to set and achieve goals and his passion for land development and new home construction. They have a shared love of Jesus and they’re greatest desire is for everyone to know His love for them.
Nathan Hackman
BOARD MEMBER
Nathan lives in Hummelstown, Pennsylvania with his wife, Nicole (a pediatrician at Penn State Hershey Medical Center), and four sons: Jacob, Caleb, Isaac, Adam. Isaac lives with cerebral palsy.
While Nathan’s long-term occupation has been as a stay-at-home dad, he has used his “free time” to earn a doctorate in biblical theology, focusing on theology of disability. In the past he has served in various ministry efforts, both paid and volunteer, including youth pastor, young adult pastor, and leadership consultant. Nathan volunteers in international pastoral education, teaching online and onsite in Rwanda. Nathan enjoys traveling with his family, bicycling, writing, and serving as Scoutmaster for Troop 203 (Hershey, PA) of Scouting America.
Tim Haines
BOARD MEMBER
Tim is husband to Dawn and father of 13 children, many with disabilities. Their family has increased in size and joy through their call to adopt.
Tim is a semi-retired human resources executive and consultant, a trusted business partner to many senior leaders. Tim has a bachelors degree in Human Resources from Messiah College, and a masters degree in Human Resources and Industrial Relations from Rutgers University.
Rich Pavlik
BOARD MEMBER
Rich Pavlik is a local entrepreneur, long-time Manheim resident, and founding member of Hope Served’s board of directors. Rich is a master roaster and the force behind Blind Bean Roasters, a premium coffee roasting business that Rich developed along with his wife, Jayne. Rich is not new to entrepreneurship, as for many years he served as the general manager for Pavlik’s Carpet Cleaning, while working from home and balancing the responsibilities of raising his and Jayne’s five children.
Since his diagnosis of Retinitis Pigmentosa in 1988, Rich has learned to navigate the world as he has progressively lost his eyesight. He encourages everyone with a disability to set goals, achieve their dreams, and live fulfilling lives. Rich is an active member of his community and a person of faith.
In Remembrance
Dan Stroup
1958-2022
Dan Stroup was a founding member of the Hope Served Board of Directors. At the time of his death, Dan was the Executive Director of Disability Empowerment Center, Lancaster, PA, a Center for Independent Living. He was an active member of his church and the Hempfield Area Lions Club. He brought a wealth of knowledge with him, along with a great sense of humor, boundless energy, and vast experience in launching and implementing creative, progressive programs for individuals with disabilities. Dan’s valued contributions and commitment to the establishment of Hope Served will not be forgotten.
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ABOUT US
Hope Served comes alongside individuals with disabilities and their local communities to develop creative opportunities for authentic participation in all aspects of life.
CONNECT
- (717) 347-9785
- info@hopeserved.org
- Hope Served - Copyright 2022