homefields
Issue twenty-six • June 2009
Sharing
Homefields
Attention all
Homefields Supporters:
• Do you enjoy stopping at
Homefields to pick up your fresh
produce?
• Do you enjoy Homefields’ farm,
experiencing the subtle and amazing
seasonal changes of the gardens
and fields throughout the growing
season?
• Do you enjoy the people you meet at
Homefields or at Homefields’ events?
• Would you like to share your Home-
fields experiences with others?
• Do you believe in the Mission of
Homefields and have ideas about
expanding our activities?
Homefields’ Board of Directors is look-
ing for volunteers to join our commit-
tee called: sharing homefields
The Homefields Board of Directors
has established a standing committee
to expand the mission, property and
resources of Homefields. The purpose
of sharing homefields is to benefit
our Community, benefit Homefields,
and benefit individuals in the larger
Community.
Some of the initial ideas sharing
homefields will focus on relate to
the preservation, development and
enhancement of our beautiful property
and environment that we can share
with others. We are also interested in
sharing our service model.
If you are interested in hearing more,
call us at (717) 872-2012 or contact
Jan Hartle at info@homefields.org.
—Janet Hartle
2009 Annual
Recognition
Dinner Held
Once a year, members of the
Homefields community gather to
honor those who have made special
contributions during the past year.
On January 21, 2009, staff, board
members, parents, and supporters
met at Miller’s Smorgasbord for a
delicious meal, lots of good fellowship,
and with hearts full of gratitude. One
of Homefields’ purposes is to provide
Co-founder Linda Strauss congratulates
long-term staff member Elise Abbato.
the residents with a varied, nurtur-
ing and “family like settings where
there is respect for the individual in a
holistic sense, and fun and creativity
are revered as basic human needs,” as
stated in our mission statement. Our
extended family includes all the people
who participate in the various aspects
of our activities, and this yearly gather-
ing is an important means of strength-
ening our ties.
Spotlight on Residents
While our “hands-on” Board works to
advance Homefields and better pro-
vide for our residents, our residents
themselves are out in the community,
taking their Homefields identity with
them.
The Sixth Annual Arc Walk was
held April 16 at Clipper Stadium, and
Homefields was there. Representing us
were Brian Bixler, resident, and Joyce
Smedley, President. They enjoyed the
beautiful spring weather along with
more than 100 other walkers to sup-
port Arc (Advocacy and Resources
for Citizens with intellectual and
developmental disabilities and their
families). Brian received recognition
for the highest number of sponsors
for his work. He was accompanied by
Josh Anspach, a Millersville University
student who was fulfilling a service
learning requirement for a freshman
course. Congratulations, Brian!
Victor Lyet, a resident, is employed
by EARS (Ephrata Area Rehabilitation
Services). At EARS’ 2009 Fundrais-
ing Auction and Dinner, held at the
Revere Tavern on March 8. Victor was
chosen to attend as representative of
his program at EARS, the Vocational
Unit at Cloister Avenue, Ephrata. We
know you had a great time, Victor.
Congratulations!
We are so fortunate to have resi-
dents like Brian and Victor, who are
recognized by the community as out-
standing and valuable individuals who
go out into the greater community,
make their contributions and carry the
Homefields name with them. Brian
and Victor, we are very proud of YOU!
—Lee Eastwood
The residents were recognized for
their efforts during the past year in the
area of physical fitness, a challenge that
they had chosen to take on, and suc-
cessfully completed. Each received a
certificate of achievement and a medal.
The staff members work under the
auspices of Community Services
Group, and those who have provided
their exceptional support to the
residents for five, ten, or more years,
received applause and gifts. Those who
know them best—the parents—gave
a brief appreciative description of
their special talents which create the
(story continued on reverse)
Melody Edwards, staff supervisor, Community
Services Group (foreground), faces Victor Lyet,
Homefields resident.
Homefields Incorporated
Bite off more than you can chew,
then chew it. Plan more than
you can do, then do it.
—Anonymous
In 1998 that is just what the founding
board members of Homefields, Inc.
did. During a board meeting in Febru-
ary of 1997, members discussed the
future of Homefields. We wondered
about our value in the community.
Our initial goals had been accom-
plished, members wanted to move
forward into vision refinement.
By January 1998 we had a plan,
founding board member Dee Walton,
formerly Dottie Lownes, contacted
Kirby Martzell, then of Life Manage-
ment Associates and LMA Consulting
Group. Kirby worked with board
members Dee Walton and Allison G.
Hawthorne to plan and conduct our
first Strategic Planning session, which
was held in May 1998.
Our Strategic Planning process
began with four questions, one of
those questions being “Why does
Homefields exist?” Each January
Homefields’ Board of Directors sets
aside a day for Strategic Planning. In
January 2007 we believed that we
had arrived at an intersection of ac-
complishment—where do we go from
here? The board decided to meet
with some of our strategic partners;
representatives of Lancaster County
MH/MR, Community Services Group,
Keystone Goodwill and others.
By the time we held our January
2008 session, we had welcomed new
board members and planned to bid
farewell to Chris Herr and Linda
Strauss, two of the founding board
members. We set organizational
Board of Directors
Joyce S. Smedley, President
Jay M. Groff, Vice President
Barbara J. Spiegelberg, Secretary
Bennett F. Berhow, Treasurer
Terry W. Blue
W. Lee Eastwood
Janet M. Hartle
Allison G. Hawthorne
Suzanne Ollar
Thomas E. Strauss
Honorary Board
James Determan
Dorothy L. Lyet
Non-elect Members
Scott Breneman, Farm Manager,
Goodwill at Homefields
Melody Edwards, Residential Supervisor,
Community Services Group at Homefields
Tricia Warfel, Recording Secretary, Homefields
–1–
150 Letort Road
P.O. Box #41
Millersville, PA 17551
www.homefields.org
goals, and talked about ways to share
Homefields with our community.
Still, we wondered, were we march-
ing off confidently in the wrong
direction? How can we help the farm,
Goodwill at Homefields, grow? What
are the plans for future leadership of
Homefields?
In 2008 we contacted Mr. Martzall
again and asked him to partner with
us in our Strategic Planning process.
He joined the board at a planning ses-
sion in February of this year.
Kirby brought new energy to our
board, helping us to re-focus and
identify areas for leadership and
planning. He is continuing to support
Homefields in our efforts to bring
stability, growth and vision to the
organization, and to our community.
Some of the areas we are working
on include Advocacy, Fundraising
Events, Harley Raffle, Golf Tourna-
ment, Property and Grants. If you’re
interested in working with a grass
roots organization, we have time
limited projects and ongoing service
projects. We’d like to meet you; you
can reach us at (717) 872-2012 or
info@Homefields.org
—Allison Hawthorne
Kirby founded kl martzall in 2002 and works
exclusively with owners, CEOs and Presidents
of organizations. He facilitates and frames the
development of strategic plans, as well as suc-
cession plans. Visit him at www.klmartzall.com
Residential Mission:
To create financially secure, long-
term homes for adults with special
needs in safe, family-like settings
where there is respect for the indi-
vidual in a holistic sense, and fun
and creativity are revered, as basic
human needs.
Vocational Mission:
To provide horticultural facilities
for individuals who prosper with
supported employment, to nurture
integration through community in-
teraction, and to cultivate a spirit of
volunteerism within our community.
The official registration statement and
financial information of Homefields
may be obtained from the Pennsylvania
Department of State by calling toll free,
within Pennsylvania, 1 (800) 732-0999.
Registration does not imply endorsement.
 A New and Homegrown Board Member Recent Friends $500
Caroline S. Nunan

My name is Jay Groff. I have been

married to my beautiful wife Becky
for nearly two years and I enjoy my
two step-children, Josh and Emily,
immensely. I currently am living in
Manheim Township, but my heart
is in southern Lancaster County. I
grew up in the small village of Nine
Points in Bart Township. It was there
that I came to appreciate Lancaster
County as its finest. I enjoyed open
farm land, fresh air (unless our
Amish neighbors were spreading
manure) and the
simple joys of
being a kid and
playing in corn
fields, splashing
in the local creek
and riding bikes
on the back roads.
I have traveled
throughout the
United States
and I love ex-
periencing the
American way of
life. I have rented
a cabin in the
woods of North
Carolina and
driven through
the vineyards of
Sonoma, Califor-
nia. I have walked the Grand Canyon
and the paths of Central Park in
New York City. I have watched the
sun go down from a pier in Key
West and I have seen it come up over
Lake Michigan in Chicago. Never
would I have imagined as a kid that I
would have been to the places I have
seen. My parents went to Florida
once when I was young, to visit my
brother who was in the service at the
time, and this was the furthest they
ever were or ever have been away
from home.
My parents were hard workers
and instilled upon me a strong work
ethic. For all of my adult life, I have
been in the foodservice industry. I
started washing pots and pans in
a large tourist restaurant on Rt 30
right out of high school. Within a
year, I went from the pot and pan
sink to being the assistant manager.
Since then, I have held every res-
taurant position that there is but
I love the job I’m doing now. I am
currently the purchasing agent for
Miller’s Smorgasbord and Plain and
Fancy Farm Restaurant. It allows me
to meet people, travel a little and to
bargain for the best deals possible.
It’s challenging and rewarding.
I came to know the Homefields
organization through Tom and
Linda Strauss.
They were in-
volved with the
Golf Tournament
foodservice in
the past, and the
Harley Davidsons
which we award
can be seen
setting in our
lobby. Through
the Strauss’s, I
was able to see
the dedication
and passion that
the Homefields
Board put into
the activities that
they produced,
and I wanted to
help in any way I
could. I was fortunate enough to be
asked to sit on the golf tournament
committee. I have enjoyed helping
put the event together and, hopefully,
to help it grow.
The cause touched me personally,
because I have an uncle who is an
adult that has mental challenges,
and my family had to find a place
for him to live. Luckily we found a
great place south of Willow Street. I
came to appreciate the group home
environment and the work that goes
into running such a place.
This past year, I was asked to sit
on the Homefields board of direc-
tors and I was honored to even be
considered. I have enjoyed working
with the other board members, and
I am looking forward to our future,
working together.
—Jay Groff
of Homefields $100–$200
Joseph R & Anna Wallace-Digarbo
During the fall and winter of Margaret J. Neff
2008–2009, these Friends of Home- John Herr’s Village Market, Inc.
fields have made contributions and Kay Welty
supported our mission. Many thanks United Way
to these individuals, who understand Nabil Bouaname
so well the work we do. Without your
support, it would be difficult to pro- $25–$50
vide the services and activities which Carol Carter
enrich the lives of our residents. Harold & Beverly Farmer
Fred Lefever
James & Sharon Roberts
Shirley C. Richardson
2009 Annual Recognition Dinner (cont’d.)
Two special events were the “roasts”
of two of the original Board members
who have retired this year. Linda
Strauss and Christian R. Herr, Jr. were
part of the original group that formed
Homefields and have sat on its Board
ever since. Their contributions and
guidance were essential to the success
of Homefields. We know that their
hearts remain with us and that they
will continue to contribute to the
Homefields community in many ways.
Our gratitude for their long efforts on
Homefields’ behalf is unending.
—Barbara Spiegelberg
President Joyce Smedley presents certificate of
achievement to Theodor Lyet, resident.
atmosphere within which the residents
flourish. Honored were Melody Ed-
wards–10 years; Megan Ham–5 years;
and Elise Abbato–10 years.
A slide presentation by Board
member Allison G. Hawthorne was
an interesting quick journey through
the history of Homefields, including
its residents and special activities.
Beautiful pictures of the organic gar-
den, presided over by Goodwill’s farm
manager, Scott Breneman, and the
restoration of the historic shed, which
is now Homefields’ office and board Stefan Latshaw receives his certificate from
room, completed the survey. Melody and Joyce.

Spring is Here, berry hill contains blueberries, red

raspberries, black raspberries, and

Donations Please make checks payable to Homefields Inc.

Forms are also available online at www.homefields.org and How!
Another springtime is here: planting
a  Yes, I’d like to help Homefields with my tax-deductible contribution: seeds in flats in the greenhouse, trans-
planting onions and leeks, planting
___ $25  ___ $50  ___ $100  ___ Other beet, carrot, and pea seed in the field,
pruning the blueberry bushes and
a  Please send me _____ tickets for the Harley-Davidson raffle at $5 each.
peach trees ...just
a few of things that
Total enclosed $ _______
mean spring here at
The Farm Program.
Name_ ________________________________________________________________ This is our tenth
season of growing
Address________________________________________________________________ fruits and vegetables
for shareholders, and
______________________________________________________________________ it is interesting to
see how the farm
City____________________________________________ State_____ Zip__________ has changed over the
years. We started out
in spring 2000 as a four-day program
Telephone______________________________________________________________
for trainees, with a group of 28 share-
holders who committed to trusting us
email address___________________________________________________________ for the season. Now, ten years later, we
have a five-day training program for
trainees, with over 100 trainees having
Method of Payment: participated in the farm program and
160 or more families as shareholders.
a Check   a MasterCard   a Visa   a Discover/Novus   a American Express  In many ways, not much has
changed, but if you look closely, you
Card # ________________________________________________________________ can see the differences: small fields
have been joined together, the second
Exp. Date ____ /_____  Security Code (3- or 4-digit number on front or back)___________ greenhouse contains plants instead of
a tractor and shop tools, there is an
Signature ______________________________________________________________ equipment shed, the Asian pear trees
are blooming, the persimmon and
pawpaw trees are leafing out, and the
a Please add me to your mailing list a Please remove me from your mailing list
blackberries. Grape and kiwi vines
grow on trellises and the pergola. We
now use a transplanter to plant the
tens of thousands of transplants that
we grow, having outgrown the “plugger,”
a hand tool which makes divots for the
plants to be planted in by hand. A pre-
cision seeder plants
seeds at set intervals
so that carrots are
spaced at 1 seed per
each, or 1 pumpkin
seed every 5 feet.
 Something new
that started in the
fall is chickens! They
were hatched out
in an incubator in
October, and five
months later, they are laying eggs. They
will add to soil fertility, eat compost
items and reduce pests and weed seeds
and of course, lay eggs. We are excited
about the integration of plants, animals
and systems that complement each
other.
We are going full speed ahead on the
planting and transplanting these weeks.
We anticipate a fruitful harvest once
again, and we are looking forward to
seeing you in June!
For further information,
please contact me at:
sbreneman@yourgoodwill.org
Scott Breneman, Farm Manager

–2–
 Choice #1:  Complete the form below and mail it by August 31 with your
How to assemble your very own check to Homefields, P.O. Box 41, Millersville, PA 17551
Registration Form for the or Choice #2:  Register online at www.homefields.org

Homefields 13th Annual Groups or persons interested in being a sponsor should contact
Terry Blue at 717 684-2379 (leave a message) or at twblue@comcast.net
Fall Classic Golf Tournament
Friday, September 18, 2009 o Morning round, $80.00, registration and breakfast at 7:00 AM,
golf at 7:30 AM followed by lunch and prizes.
B o Afternoon round, $80.00, registration starting at 11:30 AM with
①. Cut along line “A” at bottom of this page. lunch available to purchase, golf at 12:30 PM followed by dinner
②. Fold inwards along line “B”. and prizes.

③. admire your handiwork briefly. Try not to gloat. o Morning and Afternoon rounds, $140.00, registration and break-
fast at 7:00 AM, golf at 7:30 AM followed by lunch; golf at 12:30
④. attach to refrigerator with magnet. PM followed by dinner and prizes.
—or—
⑤. Place on nightstand and count days until 9/18,
Golfer name City/State/Zip Phone email
—or—
⑥. Laminate and carry in hand until day of 1
tournament so you don’t forget.

Total enclosed  $_______

a Check   a MasterCard   a Visa   a Discover/Novus   a Amex

Card # ______________________________________________________________
Crossgates is a soft-spike golf course. Current IRS regulations say you may only deduct
the amount of payment that exceeds the benefit you received. A receipt will be pro-
vided for all contributions exceeding $250. The official registration statement and finan- Exp. Date ____ /_____  Security Code (3- or 4-digit number on front or back)_________
cial information of Homefields may be obtained from the Pennsylvania Dept. of State by
calling toll free, within PA, (800) 732-0999. Registration does not imply endorsement.
Signature ____________________________________________________________

✃
A

Editor’s Notes— Assistant, and handled order fulfill-

ment. His personal journey has been Victor Lyet resident, pulls the
And the Spotlight Should rich with variety. One might view him winning Harley raffle ticket,
as a jack of all trades and a master of as board member Jay Groff
Focus Upon…. most! looks on.
Dave has other lives as well. He, his
Being my first issue as editor, I want
wife Tamiko and daughter Samantha
to place the spotlight on a man who
live in New Rochelle, New York. He
makes it possible for you to learn
also grew up in Lancaster County, be-
and enjoy news of Homefields’ many
ing the son of Linda and Tom Strauss,
programs, activities, and newsworthy
who, since originating Homefields
“goings-on”.
in 1993, have worked tirelessly to
His name is Dave Strauss, and as he
bring our mission statement to life.
lives and works in New York, he may
Dave’s dad remains on the board, still.
not be well known to you...but he
should!! One of the board’s standing
committees is Media, and Dave is chair
Lisa Strauss, his sister, is a resident
of Homefields, so when younger Love Homefields,
of this important arm of Homefields.
Many of us, including me, write the
Strausses visit Lancaster, Dave invari-
ably visits the farm. Will Travel....
We are deeply indebted, and words All the way to Long Island, that is! The Homefields’ farm, and farmers with
stories and reports which comprise our
cannot express the appreciation we 2009 Valentine’s Day Bike Raffle winner, developmental disabilities or other
Spring and Fall Newsletters, yet there
hold for Dave and his work with whose ticket was drawn at the farm on special needs. These funds support
is an arduous and time-consuming
Homefields through the years. It’s Valentine’s Day, was Ted Hughes, of the horticultural vocational program,
journey between our word processing
said that all of us are expendable, but Massapequa, New York. Ted bought Homefields’ land, buildings, and equip-
and the folded Newsletter we deliver
Dave is a challenge and is nearly ir- four tickets at Miller’s Smorgasbord ment, all of which are the result of
to you. Dave is a volunteer who makes
replaceable. And, while publishing this while visiting Lancaster County with Homefields’ visionary leadership.
that journey twice a year, and it takes
very article might cause Dave slight his wife and two children. Mr. Hughes’s Ted Hughes can take a chance again,
tremendous skill and sophistication
thoughts of embarrassment, I know I bike experience has been limited to dirt already, on a Harley-Davidson, and
to make the trek. He takes our copy,
speak for the entire Homefields Com- bikes until now, as the kids aren’t old you can, too! Just visit the Homefields
designs and lays out the map of the
munity when I respectfully recognize enough to hold a license. He may ven- website at www.homefields.org, or wait
published piece you’re reading now,
and thank him for so many jobs well ture out to the road soon, however, be- for an order form in the next issue of
and visits any number of other stops
done, and say how great a heart he has cause his wife’s cousin and two friends The Homefields Newsletter
along the way. It requires extensive
in bringing Homefields to you with at his workplace love riding bikes. With his new Harley-Davidson 2008
education and knowledge of the publi-
each Newsletter. I ask you to remem- Funds raised from the raffle support XL 883C Sportster, Ted can spread the
cation business, and Dave has a broad
ber Dave Strauss, who truly deserves Homefields’ homes, which provide word of Homefields’ work wherever he
background in it.
that spotlight! housing for residents with mental goes. Now that would be true love!
With an English degree from Vassar
—Lee Eastwood retardation. They also support
College, and a Master of Science de- —Jay Groff
gree in Communication Design from
Pratt Institute, he has traveled all over
the Publications map to be where he is
now, as Creative Director of Teachers Homefields Hostess
College Press at Columbia University. Gail Hawthorne, hostess for our strategic planning day, is pictured in the kitchen
He has designed book covers, signage, with her daughter, Allison, in her historic Mt. Joy farm house. Gail’s delicious
newsletters, direct mail pieces, trade- cooking and hospitality provided a wonderful setting for the hard work of the
marks, identity systems, websites, and Board. Not only is Gail a delightful hostess, the 1897 farm house is a picturesque
catalogs. setting.
Underwriting (no pun intended) all Thanks, Gail, for having us for the third consecutive year! —Joyce Smedley
of these, he has written copy, lectured
for Pace University, been a Marketing
 Featuring:
• Special #13 activities
• 4 Hole-In-One prizes
• Regular contests and prizes
• Unusual activities you’ve come to
expect from Homefields
• AM round
• PM round
• Play all day
• Fun, Friends, Food

With Homefields, you can’t miss.

(I mean, seriously. How could you?)

13

Friday, September 18, 2009

7:30 am or 12:30 pm
Crossgates Golf Club
1 Crossland Pass
Millersville, pa

✃
Non-Profit Organ.

Permit No. 1928

Lancaster, PA
U.S. Postage
PAID

June 2009

Homefields Newsletter
Issue TWENTY six
Address Service Requested

Golf Tournament is Friday,

Homefields 13th Annual
Millersville, PA 17551

September 18, 2009

See inside for Details
150 Letort Road

Save the Date!

P.O. Box #41
Homefields