Our Stories
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Pursuing Adventure Through Service
“Being involved in the trail care community is a natural outgrowth of our enjoyment of walking and backpacking in Penn’s Woods. I can’t tell you the number of times we’ve come to a vista or a waterfall and I think, ‘How can anyone say there isn’t a God? So much beauty.’ ” – Ernie Werstler Ernie Werstler and Jane Huston look forward to moving into... Read More
The Electric Lady
John and Jeanne Bomberger attended Messiah College in the late 1970s, married in 1981 and settled in southern Lancaster County. In 1985 they purchased a property on South Hess Street in Quarryville and used it as the “shop” for John’s electrical contracting business. Jeanne says, “We renovated the building and invested tons of sweat equity. I’m a farm girl so I was used to hard work; John and I worked... Read More
Finding Joy in the Midst of Mourning
In November 2011, Katie Mable, a Garden Spot Village team member, wrote a children’s book. The manuscript was inspired by her husband Skip, who was a graphic artist. Each Christmas Skip created what he called an ArtisTree, a holiday gift for his clients that reflected his family’s life for that year. While trying to design the 2011 ArtisTree, he was in the midst of mourning the loss of his father and mother. Skip and... Read More
Exploring Opportunities to Serve
“The possibilities are unlimited for volunteering at Garden Spot Village. Volunteering provides an opportunity for me to stay active and engaged,” says Bob Collins, a Garden Spot Village resident since November 2016. Bob says he got his first volunteer metalworking job the summer after 2nd grade. He and his family lived in downtown Reading and one of his neighbors had a broken chain on her bike. Inspired by his older brother’s expertise in metalworking, Bob fixed the... Read More
A Heart to Bless Others
“Each day, the prayer for Dan and me is, ‘Who can we bless today?’” says Gladys Kolb, who moved to Garden Spot Village in April 2018 with her husband Dan from Spring City, Pennsylvania. Gladys truly lives her prayer, reaching out to people around her and ministering one-on-one through Caring Connections and A Quiet Presence. Through her gift of hospitality she serves quietly, making people feel comfortable, welcome and important, wherever they are. After her first husband... Read More