Some of my favorite Christmas gifts from family and team members have been a goat, some chickens, a water well, a 20-pack of socks, and children’s winter coats. None of these was given TO me, but rather on BEHALF of me. They went to communities in Africa through World Vision and to families right here in Lancaster.

Giving to and serving others have long been part of my DNA. It’s also been a driver of our company’s annual holiday gift to clients. Here are some remarkable organizations to which we’ve paid forward part of our year’s “riches” on behalf of those clients who greatly contributed:

• Community Action Partnership’s Reunion social enterprise
• A Week Away
• Lancaster Housing Opportunity Partnership
• Samaritan Counseling Center’s TeenHope
• Global Disciples
• First Response Team of America
• Lancaster General Health’s Ann B. Barshinger Cancer Institute
• Water Street Mission’s food bank
• Lancaster City elementary schools’ libraries

We serve our clients on a daily basis. And when five o’clock rolls around, it’s hard for many of us to turn off the service mode. As individuals, we serve and/or support these great organizations:

• A Week Away
• Bible2School
• Central Pennsylvania Youth Ministries
• Domestic Violence Services
• Ephrata Community Church
• Food for the Hungry
• Girl Scouts
• Humane League of Lancaster County
• Lancaster Chamber
• Lancaster County Conservancy
• Lancaster County SPCA
• Lancaster RMO
• LCBC Church
• Planned Parenthood
• Power Packs
• Rafiki Africa
• Samaritan Counseling Center
• The Common Wheel
• Warwick School District
• Water Street Mission
• World Vision
• Worship Center