2024 Year in Photos
To our supporters
Two thousand twenty-four has been a year of hard work and progress in the neighborhood. Please allow us to review some of the activities that happened during that year.
Chrystal’s Place at 216 Chestnut Street continues to serve as a neighborhood hub. Chrystal’s Place is named after Chrystal Sexton-McEachin. Chrystal was a neighborhood resident beloved by all. She was the initial Director of NENA and fully committed to the betterment of her fellow residents. Her passing in 2017 left a large void.
NENA distributed over 350 Easter bags donated by Guinston Church at Chrystal’s Place. Neighborhood resident Ricky also used our Little Red Wagon to distribute some of them throughout the neighborhood. Our Block Party on the grounds of Goode School was well attended. Information booths were manned by different organizations. The food was plentiful. The Cake Giveaway sponsored by Rise Foods along with the quilt drawing were very popular. National Night Out was also well attended. It featured our second appearance by the Temple Guard along with inflatables provided again by Three Monkeys. The Block Party was made possible in part by a grant from Main Street York. Our December Christmas Tree lighting featured smores and cocoa and a Toys 4 Tots give away. Asbury U.M.C. provided gift cards for distribution during the Christmas season.
York College students won an national award for telling the story of Chrystal’s Place in the short video documentary category. Chrystal’s Place: A Beacon of Hope
We are still partnered with StillMeadow Church, York Campus at their Chestnut Street facility in a program called ‘Feeding the Need’. During two Thursday’s each month they will distribute boxes containing most of what you need to make full meals. The Central Pa. Food Bank also supplies their pantry. We oversee it and help with the administration and ordering. What we are finding initially is there is very little overlap between the services provided at that location and services provided at Chrystal’s Place.
In December 2023 NENA was awarded a grant from York County Community Foundation to continue its Neighbor Improvement Program (NIP) of home repairs in 2024. Using those funds, we were able to do ten projects in the neighborhood working on windows, porch decks, siding and the like. There was no cost to homeowners. Another grant from York County Community Foundation enabled us to invent what we called a ‘Cookware for All’ program. NENA purchased microwaves, Slow Cookers, Air Fryers and the like to give away to residents to enable them to prepare what food we were distributing. The Delta Sigma Theta Sorority alumni chapter supplemented that with other kitchen ware and utensils.
We continue to receive stock weekly from the York County Food Bank. Saubel’s Markets on East Market Street continues to be a large contributor to our food supply. Other regular food donors such as Big Lots (White Street), Panera Bread (East York), Weis Markets (White Street), Rise Foods, Martin’s Chips, Calvary U.M.C., Yorkshire U. M. C. and Guinston Church helped with a steady supply of food. Over the summer, York Fresh Food Farms and once again Guinston Church helped ensure fresh vegetables were available for distribution. Some of our own garden raised stock was donated by individual gardeners for distribution.
It was another successful year in the garden. Bruce Manns was by early in the year to answer questions and give tips. All plots were once again tended. Some of the produce was used for distribution at Chrystal’s Place. The gardeners were able to have their year-end communal meal. Groups from York College of Pa. and the youth of StillMeadow did the year end clean-up as a project. The debris was recycled. York College of Pa. Track and Field athletes did volunteer work during their January break. We are the recipient of Grace’s ‘Little Library’, a Give a Book – Take a Book, now mounted in the rear of Chrystal’s Place. Indoors we now have A Hope Notes Box compliments Nancy Franklin Wright.
York Benevolent Society once again helped with our utility bills. Pastors Jade & Chastity from StillMeadow Church, York Campus, made their facilities available whenever needed. Long term supporters such as Calvary U.M.C., Asbury U. M. C. and First Presbyterian continue to help financially and in other ways. Other invaluable private donors supported us both financially and with donations of goods and services. The Give Local York fundraiser remains a strong contributor to our funds and also allows NENA to connect with the wider public about our mission. Top Drawer Consignment Shop has helped keep our clothing room well stocked with quality woman’s wear. We revised our Bylaws to reflect recent changes and voted to include a DEI statement.
The Food and Clothing Center is open to any low-income person, not just in the Northeast Neighborhood, but to anyone in York County subject to certain rules. We remain one of the few walk-in pantries, no appointment necessary, in York County. Our Food Bank served over 7,000 households comprising well over 15,000 individuals. That number includes adults, children and seniors. Our upstairs clothing center gave out over 25,000 items to families. NENA successfully experimented with Monday evening appointments at Chrystal’s Place. NENA continues to deliver to the senior population at the Delphia House. First Presbyterian has a system in place for us to distribute household goods, furniture, bikes, toys, baby items etc. without NENA having to store the items. We benefited from quilt drives from Advent Lutheran, Quilts 4 Kids and Stitches of Love.
The Redevelopment Authority deeded two vacant lots on Walnut Street to NENA. We are investigating possible uses for them. Through their community outreach, the Appell Center supplied us with tickets for the November 2024 Big Bubble Bonanza show and the April 2025 Stinky Cheese Man show. The York Revolution also gave us vouchers to distribute during our National Night Out celebration. We connected with WellSpan Health in their ‘Health Equity Journey’. WellSpan provided their mobile Mammogram machine at StillMeadow York Campus for our Breast Cancer event. Blood pressure readings were also taken at the same time by nursing staff. Ron also advised us to apply for a Bombas Socks donation. We were for 2024 awarded another 2,000 pairs. Darlene distributes them at Chrystal’s Place and, weather permitting, takes that Little Red Wagon filled with them around the neighborhood to help her do outreach. We have also become the go to source for other churches and nonprofits for their inventory.
Our December Christmas Tree lighting featured smores and cocoa and a Toys 4 Tots give away. Asbury U.M.C. provided gift cards for distribution during the Christmas season.
All of this was possible through the leadership of Darlene and her hardworking dedicated staff of volunteers. NENA has successfully navigated 2024. We all hope that 2025 will be even better!