Noon meal rolls out innovative menu plan prioritizing from-scratch cooking, nutritional analysis3/12/2026 Derrick and Krystl came to the free noon meal for the first time on a beautiful March day and sat down to eat baked chicken, wild grain rice and carrots. The couple moved to Lebanon so Derrick, a veteran, could be closer to the Lebanon VA Medical Center. “It’s very helpful,” Krystl said of the meal. Derrick noted it’s his first warm meal in about a week. “It gives me a little bit of hope,” he says. Lebanon County Christian Ministries just rolled out a revamped free noon meal menu that aims to provide more nutritious meals made from scratch. Did you know $50 a month will provide 25 meals in the free noon meal program? You can help people like Derrick, Krystl and Nancy's family ensure they have a nutritious meal each day.
In 2022, 73% of free noon meal guests reported having one or more chronic health conditions, according to a survey by Penn State Health.
Of those who said they had a chronic illness, 49% have high blood pressure, 34.7% have diabetes, 28.6% have high cholesterol, 18.4% have heart disease, and 32.7% answered ‘other.’ Additionally, 47% said they have been diagnosed with a mental illness. Furthermore, a 2025 Wellspan Health analysis found that 71% of Lebanon County residents surveyed were considered overweight or obese. “We want to provide higher quality nutrition for our guests in a way that is measurable so we can look across a week and actually measure the variety of fruits and vegetables served in a week,” Fischer said. “And we want to cook more meals from scratch and are looking to use as many whole ingredients as possible.” Fischer gave the example of having an easy mashed potatoes recipe that uses minimal ingredients that can be provided in increments of 25-150 servings. The 8-week cycle menu rolled out in March and features other menu items such as chili and rice with salad, soup and salad, and shepherd’s pie. Nancy, a mother who has been coming to the free noon meal for years with her children, called the chicken, rice and carrots “delicious” and "well-seasoned" as they were finishing their meals. Nancy eats regularly at the meal to promote the program to friends and family who may be hesitant to try it out, and often refers people she sees on the street who may need a hot meal. It also gives her a chance to relax. “It gives me a break and gets me out of the house,” she said. “And all the volunteers you have here are so respectful, honorable and good.”
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 In October, Doris wasn’t sure what she was going to do. The government delayed the release of SNAP (food stamps), and at the same time it announced that the federal heating assistance program, LIHEAP, would be delayed by a month. Doris lives on a fixed income with her teenage granddaughter in an old farmhouse - and had an empty oil tank. “Everything just came up at the same time. No heating oil, no food, no nothing,” she said. “I just prayed to the Lord. I always believed that if I keep myself on a straight line, He’ll keep a roof over my head, clothes on my back, and food on the table.” At the time, Doris put $150 toward heating oil, but it only provided 45 gallons. That’s when she thought of Lebanon County Christian Ministries, where she regularly shops at the Market on 7th for supplemental groceries. Because of your support, LCCM was able to help hundreds of people like Doris get through a difficult time during the government shutdown. You can help bridge the gap for our neighbors by becoming a monthly donor. Monthly giving provides stability for nonprofits, especially in times of uncertainty. LCCM also operates the upLIFT Lite program, which provides qualifying households with utility payment assistance for water, oil, propane, and electric. The upLIFT Lite program usually requires households to apply for LIHEAP prior to our crisis funding assistance. But in the absence of the LIHEAP program, LCCM made a temporary financial commitment to bridge the gap of funding during the delayed funding period. For comparison, LCCM spent just $885 on heating oil assistance in November 2024. In November 2025, that number skyrocketed to $21,169 due to the crisis. Doris came in for a short interview with upLIFT Lite staff and received heating oil in a matter of a couple of days from her heating oil company. Shortly after receiving oil, Doris was able to get back on her feet when her SNAP benefits were restored and she was able to apply for and receive a grant from LIHEAP to cover heating costs for the rest of the winter. “I just thank God for organizations like you,” she said. “You got me through the roughest time that I’ve had. When you think there’s no hope, there is hope out there because of people like you.” key findings among uplift lite guests 605 people participated in upLIFT Lite between the time it launched in September 2024 and December 2025.
Staff conducted reassessments with these guests 3 months later. Of the 20 percent of households staff were able to reach, those saying that they were more than 30 days behind on utility bills decreased significantly from 70% to 43%, according to LCCM's 2026 upLIFT Lite report. Significantly, food security rose from 28% to 44%. upLIFT Lite staff worked hard to ensure these guests knew about LCCM's Market on 7th. In the initial survey, 41% used the Market on 7th. In the three-month follow up, that number rose to 59%. Because you of you, we can provide households with multiple services to prevent evictions, provide food security, and provide referrals to community resources.  Ashley, left, and LCCM upLIFT coach, Lesvi Vazquez, celebrate after Ashley received her GED. Ashley came to Lebanon County Christian Ministries a year ago looking for help with food and a water bill. Little did she know at the time that this encounter would lead to getting her GED and becoming certified as a phlebotomist. That encounter with LCCM’s Market on 7th charitable food pantry, and upLIFT lite, LCCM’s utility payment assistance program, led to enrolling in the long-term upLIFT coaching program with coach Lesvi Vazquez. “I was just trying to find a way to get back into financial stability,” said Ashley, a single mother of two girls, ages 11 and 4.
Working with Lesvi gave her the motivation to tackle each small step one by one, and she credits conversations, logistical planning and resource sharing by Lesvi with helping her to succeed and stay on track.
“Overall, with the whole program and going to school, I learned to be a little more humble and patient. I have more confidence in myself because I wanted to give up a million times on this journey,” she said. Shopping with Lesvi for food at Grocery Outlet, LCCM’s upLIFT partner, gave Ashley the opportunity to learn how to budget appropriately and stock up on items. “I learned how to budget. I was calculating in my head all the time,” she said. “Shopping with Lesvi was just like hanging out with a friend.” As Ashley begins to plan for the next phase of life, she has some advice for the next group of upLIFT members. “Just have faith and keep showing up, no matter how you feel,” she said. “God is always there. No matter how down you feel, or don’t think you have enough food for the night or how you’ll feed your kids, or how to deal with your emotions. Just show up. Do not give up.”  FRESH Start staff from top, clockwise: Wenda Dinatale, Director of Operations, Amanda Zearfoss, Jay Wimmer and Chris Lopez, Support Service Coordinators. Running a 24/7 shelter for those experiencing homelessness takes a lot of logistical planning. Throw a significant snowstorm in the mix and now it becomes vastly more complicated. But that’s what the staff of the FRESH Start Emergency Shelter & Resource Center did the weekend of January 24-25 when the city of Lebanon received roughly a foot of snow. Preparing for a major snowstorm requires a lot of foresight, especially with 10 guests ranging in age from one year to 58 years old. “We come up with Plan A and Plan B of what we need to do,” said Wenda Dinatale, director of Shelter Operations. “The first thing you start doing is to make sure guests have food and have their medications. We look at a Plan B if we lose any electric.” Want to help your community in a meaningful way? FRESH Start is looking for overnight volunteers to stay at the shelter. Volunteers would arrive by 9 pm, be briefed by a staff member, and then it's lights out for guests at 10 pm. Volunteers can stay awake or sleep in a secured location within the shelter. Shifts are over around 7am when the morning staff arrive. If this sounds like something you'd be interested in, please click below to apply today!  Preparation for the staff started days before. Who needs medication? When are they going to get their groceries? Have guests contacted their employers? And of course, how are staff going to get here? “They depend on us to be here,” said Jay Wimmer, support services coordinator. “If it’s not staffed there’s a huge problem. We all take it seriously.” Three of the four staff members live in town, and one even walked to work and home that weekend. Another staff member trying to leave the shelter needed help digging out her vehicle from the snow. One had to park in an alley way and “skated his way” to the shelter carefully. Staff also shoveled and helped a neighbor dig the vehicle out of the snow with a couple of neighborhood kids. Some guests were concerned about what would happen if electric did go out, but shelter said reassurance and safety of guests were their top priority. This was the first significant snowstorm FRESH Start planned for since moving into the single site location at the Chestnut Street Community Center two years ago. The previous model of FRESH Start was rotational among churches in Lebanon County, which meant more transportation of supplies and guests in poor weather conditions.
I want to publicly recognize our team and volunteers, who stepped up to be the church and fill the gap. Our phones rang, appointments happened, utility payments were made, and our community was assisted. We felt the anxiety of our guests who were coming to the Market on 7th for food assistance and those coming to receive assistance with heating oil so their homes could stay livable. I also want to thank you - because you stepped up to help support this work with financial support. Oh, how blessed we are to live in a community where we care for each other, just like Jesus cared for us. Oh, the sacrifices our community makes - and we thank Jesus for the sacrifice he made. He lived, so he could die! He died, so we could live!   LCCM works in partnership with Ryan Bowman, owner of Bowman Financial Solutions. Ryan provides financial coaching to members of LCCM’s upLIFT program, which supports people as they work toward achieving greater sustainability in their lives. He has worked with over 1,000 people through classes, presentations, speaking engagements and coaching. Ryan and his wife, will host a Financial Peace University class that will run for 9 weeks starting Tuesday, Feb. 3 from 6-8 pm at South Lebanon Community Church, 13 E. Evergreen Road, Lebanon. If you’re considering it, follow this link or contact Ryan for more information: 717-926-1095 | [email protected] Q: Tell us how you got into financial coaching and where you coach today. A: My wife Amy and I married young with a lot of love, but very little money and absolutely no understanding of biblical financial principles. Some very poor financial decisions early on led to debt and ongoing stress in our marriage and family. This was a common theme in our marriage and household for about 13 years. I know how to make a lot of financial mistakes. Poor money management is a symptom of a lot more going on. In 2011, a friend from church introduced me to Dave Ramsey’s teachings and Financial Peace University. We were to co-coordinate an FPU class, but he had to step away just a few days before the class began, Amy and I jumped in. We both read The Total Money Makeover in less than two days, and our financial journey, as well as our lives truly changed with those decisions. In 2018, I attended Ramsey Solutions Financial Coaching Management training in Franklin, Tennessee, and became a financial coach. Today, I own a financial coaching business, helping individuals, couples, families, and businesses build clear, sustainable financial plans both locally and through online video coaching nationwide. Q: What are some common challenges and goals that people have when they set out to improve financially? A. Breaking old habits takes discipline, especially when it comes to money. Budgeting isn’t something you can take a break from—it’s how you intentionally direct your money where you want it to go and protect it from being mismanaged. Committing to a budget every month, no matter what, is essential. For couples, finances work best when they’re handled together. Marriage is built on trust, openness, and unity, and budgeting as a team reflects that oneness. Planning together can be incredibly rewarding when you learn to value and understand each other’s different perspectives. And for single individuals, you need to have an accountability partner that can speak truth into your life. Common challenges include having no written plan, starting a budget but not sticking with it (not executing the budget through paycheck planning), being derailed by unexpected expenses, tension between partners, and emotional spending driven by stress or comfort. Q: What tends to move the needle for most people once they get started? What keeps them stuck? A. When people commit to the plan we build together, real change follows. The system works because it plans for emergencies and the unexpected, helping people stay consistent and accountable. While breaking long-term habits is hard, trusting the coach and the process accelerates lasting change and leads to real financial wins. Once you start stacking wins, you start to see hope and hope is such a powerful tool to help you drive meaningful change. What I love most is seeing God’s faithfulness throughout the journey. Prayer is central, and it’s amazing to watch God work through generosity, surprise payments, and unexpected income—blessings no one could have planned or predicted. People can get stuck when they lose hope or don’t have a plan they trust in. No one is ever going to be perfect with their plan and progress, so it’s important to even understand stuck can be temporary. Q: From a biblical perspective, what advice would you give to churches that want to start a financial coaching ministry? A. Finances are deeply connected to our lives—so much so that Jesus spoke about money in 30–40% of His teachings, second only to the Kingdom of God. With over 2,000 verses on finances, it’s clearly important.
When we stop chasing money and instead steward it God’s way, it opens doors to share Christ’s love and impact others. While many avoid talking about money, it’s too important not to. Where our heart is, our money follows—and when handled well, money becomes a tool to further God’s Kingdom. This can be a powerful blessing to a church community. Partner with trusted organizations and wise, empathetic coaches, because money is a difficult topic filled with pride and feelings of failure. No one grows up wanting to mishandle their finances or struggle to have enough. Maybe even start with a Financial Peace University class for your church members and see who continues the passion as well. Dear church partner and LCCM supporter!
Thank you to those who attended the October delegates meeting. As I mentioned at the meeting, we are about to experience the convergence of three undesirable situations all hitting our at-risk community simultaneously. We are currently without a state budget, SNAP benefits are withheld in November, and the government just delayed the opening of LIHEAP from November 5 to December 3. What does this mean? We need your help! No state budget – the impact of no state budget is a lack of cash resources to procure food and support other community charitable food partners across Lebanon County. The state is currently $100,000 behind on state food funding support and will be another $50,000 behind in January. These are real dollars that purchase food. SNAP – notice has been shared with SNAP recipients that they will receive no SNAP benefits in November. An estimated 2 million Pennsylvanians will not receive the SNAP resources in November, many of whom are already facing food insecurity. It is estimated nearly 18,000 people are receiving SNAP in Lebanon County alone. LCCM is anticipating an increased need in food, impacting the Market on 7th – charitable food pantry. LIHEAP – the LIHEAP energy heating assistance program is on pause through December 3rd, from the initial November 3rd start. This will directly impact the utility assistance program, upLIFT Lite, at LCCM. These are real dollars invested in utilities and will be real dollars covered by LCCMs donors and not be supported through government reimbursement. LIHEAP is a government program aimed at providing cash assistance to fund heating needs. Households requesting this financial assistance can receive from $200 to $1,000 based on household size, income, and fuel type. LIHEAP is a one-time payment, and the funds are sent directly to a utility provider or fuel company to be credited to the household’s account. Our upLIFT Lite program requires households to apply for LIHEAP prior to our crisis funding assistance. In the absence of the LIHEAP program, we anticipate significant increases in the number of people seeking our assistance. We have implemented temporary guidance for our team on how we will address these needs, and the board has made a financial commitment to bridge this gap of funding. The LCCM board has approved the commitment of $350,000 to directly impact the purchase of food and to commit financial resources to address utility assistance. We anticipate $150,000 will be reimbursed by the state food purchase program once a budget is passed, but funds committed to cover the lack of LIHEAP will be donor dollars invested in our community and not recovered. We believe it is time to lead and be the CHURCH! The church is built to support the community when the government fails to act. Help us help our community and consider financial commitment.  Lebanon, PA — October 27, 2025 — The Board of Directors of Lebanon County Christian Ministries (LCCM) has announced a significant commitment of $350,000 to bolster community support programs aimed at addressing food insecurity and utility assistance to combat no state budget, loss of SNAP benefits, and the delay of LIHEAP.
This strategic investment reflects LCCM’s unwavering dedication to serving vulnerable populations and enhancing the well-being of individuals and families in crisis. The funding will be directed toward expanding essential services, including the organization's Market on 7th charitable food pantry and the upLIFT Lite program, providing utility assistance. “This commitment is a powerful statement of our board’s belief in the mission of LCCM and the anticipated urgent needs of our community,” said Bryan Smith, Executive Director of LCCM. “We are deeply grateful for their leadership and vision, which will allow us to reach more people with compassion and dignity.” The $350,000 includes $150,000, which is anticipated to be reimbursed once a state budget is passed, and the State Food Purchase Program is funded. The remaining $200,000 will come from the organization’s crisis reserve funds. “We are very blessed that our community has supported LCCM’s work, and we have been able to be good stewards of financial blessings and have prepared for a time such as this,” Smith continued. Smith invited community members, churches, foundations, and other organizations to partner with LCCM during this time and work to keep the ministry funded! You can impact lives today; no donation or contribution is too small. Current situation No state budget – the impact of no state budget is a lack of cash resources to procure food and support other community charitable food partners across Lebanon County. The state is currently $100,000 behind on state food funding support and will be another $50,000 behind in January. These are real dollars that purchase food. SNAP – notice has been shared with SNAP recipients that they will receive no SNAP benefits in November. An estimated 2 million Pennsylvanians will not receive the SNAP resources in November, many who are already facing food insecurity. It is estimated nearly 18,000 people are receiving SNAP in Lebanon County alone. LCCM is anticipating an increased need in food, impacting the Market on 7th – charitable food pantry. LIHEAP – the LIHEAP energy heating assistance program is on pause through December 3rd, from the initial November 3rd start. This will directly impact the utility assistance program, upLIFT Lite, at LCCM. These are real dollars invested in utilities and will be real dollars covered by LCCMs donors, and will not be supported through government reimbursement. LIHEAP is a government program aimed at providing cash assistance to fund heating needs. Households requesting this financial assistance can receive from $200 to $1,000 based on household size, income, and fuel type. LIHEAP is a one-time payment, and the funds are sent directly to a utility provider or fuel company to be credited to the household’s account. To support LCCM, send a check to: LCCM 250 S. 7th Street, Lebanon PA 17042 or visit www.lccm.us and click “donate now.” About LCCM Lebanon County Christian Ministries is a nonprofit organization dedicated to meeting the basic needs of individuals and families in Lebanon County through food, shelter, and life change programs. LCCM collaborates with churches, businesses, and volunteers to provide holistic care and promote lasting change. Media Contact: Bryan Smith Executive Director, LCCM 📧 [email protected] 📞 717-769-1040 🌐 www.lccm.us Money and marriage: how budgeting and paying off debt brought a young couple closer together5/20/2025  When Jill and Joe* entered into the upLIFT coaching program at Lebanon County Christian Ministries, they were struggling to take care of their family financially and finding it difficult to get ahead. “We were pretty close to hitting rock bottom financially, struggling with basics like diapers, wipes, and formula,” Jill said. “We had the money, but we really didn’t know how to manage it.” The upLIFT program is an intensive walk with people who are ready, willing, and able to work toward goals they set to achieve greater stability in their lives. We made it very, very far. If we didn’t have this program, I don’t know where we’d be as a couple.”  LCCM uses the Financial Peace University model of financial education, which walks its upLIFT participants through the”7 Baby Steps’ developed by personal finance expert Dave Ramsey. Generally, during their time in the program, participants work on steps 1-3. Each member works with an LCCM coach who will help them work toward goals such as getting resources in the areas of health, food, employment, childcare, utility payment assistance programs, and time management.
For those who set financial goals such as budgeting, debt elimination and savings, they have the additional option of working with a financial coach. LCCM uses Bowman Financial Solutions, owned by Ryan Bowman, who is a certified Financial Peace University coach. Financial Peace University is a proven financial program created by personal finance expert Dave Ramsey. It offers a step-by-step guide on how to budget, beat debt, invest wisely, and take control of your money, which has nationally helped millions of people. The young couple worked with both Bowman and LCCM’s life coach to work toward improving their finances. This has allowed them to focus on tackling another stressor – affording a family vehicle. Not only that, but they have an account set up specifically just for their rent payments so they never have to worry about how they’re going to afford it month to month. “This brought us together in a sense because we didn’t originally work on bills together, but now we find a way to work together on it,” Jill said. “We came up with a system for both of us. It made us sit down and have conversations.” Because the financial stress was lifting, Joe’s health improved. A big goal that he worked on with Lesvi Vazquez, LCCM’s upLIFT coach, was finding a primary care doctor and attending appointments. “She was a lot of the motivation,” Jill said. “She was like, ‘come on guys, you got this! Make your appointments.’ She encouraged us to keep going even when we hit a hard spot or got stuck. She encouraged us toward our goals.” Joe said because of the financial stress he was under before the program, he became overweight. Thanks to a budget, they no longer had to buy junk food at the grocery store just because it was cheaper. “We had money to get healthier food for ourselves,” he said. As a result, he lost over 70 pounds during this time period. The financial changes they made not only helped to stabilize their economic situation, but it had a dramatic effect on their marriage. They were encouraged by their coaches to pray together. “We saw prayers being answered in those 9 months and it was really eye opening,” Joe said. Now that they have graduated, they offer this advice to anyone who is struggling like they did: “Don’t be afraid to take the chance on being better. Just reach out for help. You don’t realize how much you need it until you have it,” Jill said. “We made it very, very far,” Joe added. “If we didn’t have this program, I don’t know where we’d be as a couple.” (Names changed).  Did you know that 75.7 million Americans formally volunteered through organizations, contributing over 4.99 billion hours with an economic value of $167.2 billion in 2023? Wow! What a huge number. To think that nearly 1 in 3 people have formally volunteered is staggering to me. But I guess it really should not be. In FY 2023/2024, Lebanon County Christian Ministries benefited from 33,325 verified hours of volunteer time with an estimated value of over $900,000 of personnel cost. This is absolutely humbling . In the 2024-2026 strategic plan, LCCM has made our volunteer engagement and management a priority. We have begun to invest in new ways and there is much more to come.
The first area we invested in is our engagement. First and foremost is getting to know you. While this might seem simple, it is a huge undertaking. We have nearly 120 regular volunteers who touch the ministry on a regular basis. As the director, I make it my mission to see you and be seen. Our leadership team of each pillar of our work is committed to working with our volunteers and helping each person identify an area they match well. This might be working with guests in our market, receiving donations or sorting donations, preparing the noon meal, engaging our noon meal guests, or sleeping overnight at the shelter. Regardless of your role, we are glad you have chosen to spend time with us. Last year we hosted a couple of engagement opportunities as well. This included several “coffee and conversations” with Bryan. And last year we provided tickets to our volunteers for the Lancaster Stormers baseball game!
Another way we have invested in our volunteers is through our software program. This has been huge for LCCM. We now have a singular location to keep our volunteers’ contact information, electronically record hours worked, and complete reporting. The communication element of the software is so important, and a major reason why is because of inclement weather. With one click of a button, our team can share a closure, late opening or early closing to everyone immediately. In the past, this was almost impossible and there is nothing worse than a volunteer pushing through poor weather to just find our building locked and no one there.
We are also able to share about our fundraising events, and if you are a volunteer, keep your eye out for an upcoming volunteer event!
April 1st kicked off volunteer appreciation month. We want to simply say THANK YOU! We could not do this without you walking with us. The work we all do is not easy work. As a team, we often talk about this ministry work. My favorite line is, “if it was easy, everyone would do it. But it is hard, and you were picked and equipped to do it.” We do not only appreciate you in the month of April, but we also appreciate you every day! |
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