When Community Comes Together: Pillows, Hygiene Kits, and Heartfelt Connections
Whitney Poole (left), Family Services Manager, and Adriel Resh, Director of Jewish Life and Culture at the York JCC, stopped by Bell’s Main Office with a generous donation of hygiene kits during Give Local York.
In York County, something extraordinary occurs when people and organizations collaborate, lives are empowered, comfort is shared, and resiliency is restored.
Over the past few weeks, Bell has been the grateful recipient of several generous acts—each one a powerful reminder that when our community works together, the impact is limitless.
Through Leadership York’s Leadership Training Program, five dedicated participants—Teddy Fisher (York County Parks), Micah Davis (Counsel Trust Company), Dani Manjarres (Family First Health), Lissuannette Rivera Mercado (York County Economic Alliance), and Holly Schultz (RKL LLP)—came together to collect over 300 pillows for individuals and families in our service programs. These aren’t just pillows—they’re symbols of care.
At Bell Family Shelter, every family who transitions to permanent housing takes their pillows with them—a small gesture that brings lasting comfort. For individuals entering our Mental Health and Intellectual/Developmental Disability Services, a pillow is a warm welcome at the beginning of a new chapter. We’re so thankful to these community leaders for making York County a little cozier.
We also received a meaningful visit from the York JCC during Give Local York. Whitney Poole, Family Services Manager, and Adriel Resh, Director of Jewish Life and Culture, delivered thoughtfully assembled hygiene kits to our Main Office. Each kit included essentials and a handwritten note of encouragement. These thoughtful messages will be handed out through our Next Door Program, reaching more than 2,500 people annually who are experiencing homelessness or facing housing insecurity.
Another incredible show of support came from York Wellness Courts, led by Laura Westover, Community Outreach & Engagement Coordinator/Supervisor. In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month and National Treatment Court Month, Laura and the participants in the program donated 120 pillowcases, 22 sheet sets, and 18 pillows—items that will bring warmth and comfort to people when it is needed most.
These acts of kindness are more than donations, they’re reminders that in York County, nonprofits and community partners don’t just coexist. We collaborate, uplift, and support one another.
To everyone who gave their time, resources, and heart, thank you. You are proof that when we work together, we all can thrive.
Members of the Leadership Training Program with a few of the 300 pillows they collected for individuals and families in our service programs.
Who says leadership training can’t be fun? The Leadership Training Program group shared lots of laughs during a spirited pillow fight at Bell Family Shelter!
Laura Westover from York Wellness Courts drops off generous donations collected by program participants, showing how small acts of kindness can make a big impact.