Two high school girls from Juniata County have been working hard to put smiles on our guests’ faces since they were in 5^th grade. That was the year Shirley and Emily held their first donation drive for Bethesda. Last year they organized an escape room at their church and they donated all of the proceeds to the Mission.

Because of the pandemic, they couldn’t hold another escape room this year, so they used their creativity and came up with “escape boxes.” They asked individuals and families to give a donation to receive a box with clues that needed to be solved in order to “escape.” The girls raised over $1700 through this effort! When they brought us the money, they also brought Blessing Bags for our guests. Each bag is full of personal care items, socks, and snacks to brighten our guests’ days.

In 2021, they plan to hold a Rock-a-Thon to raise even more money for Bethesda. Individuals will sign up to sit in a rocking chair for 10 hours and ask their friends and family to sponsor them. We look forward to seeing the results of this unique event.

We are so grateful for Shirley and Emily and their desire to inspire hope in men, women, and children in the Harrisburg community!