Category: Stories

In October 2017, more than 100 students and school employees from across York County attended the Leadership Summit: Dialogue on Race to learn about what they can each do to make their schools and our community more inclusive. Hosted by the YWCA of York, the event was supported with a grant from the Fund for…

Chris Herren, former NBA player, now travels across the country speaking to young people about his drug and alcohol abuse and recovery through the Herren Project. In September 2016, he gave his motivational talk to students at York Catholic High School. What made this presentation different was the family of Spencer Kubala sitting in the…

By 2024 more than 1 million skilled jobs will need to be filled in Pennsylvania, according to a June 2016 report from the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education. Based on current data, this need cannot be met, specifically for the “middle skills” jobs, or those that require training beyond high school, but less than…

As journalists, Pat and Carol Innerst lived wherever their work would take them. Both York County natives, they met while working for the York Daily Record/News and spent the next four decades working as colleagues. They each worked for the Philadelphia Bulletin and retired from the Washington Times. When it came time to retire, they chose to return to York…

James traveled every day for 40 years delivering propane throughout York County. An unknown infection took his foot, his livelihood, and his independence last year. Since then he has been confined to his home because he cannot get a wheelchair down the steps of his front porch. At 61 years old, James relies 100% on…

Christine Beddia’s family planted roots in York County in 1957, when her father, Frank Beddia, immigrated from Sicily, Italy, at the age of 13. His hardworking entrepreneurial spirit provided for her family and served the York community well.  When he suddenly passed away in the fall of 2007, Christine and her family searched for a…

Children in poverty are burdened with stresses most of us can barely imagine. After researching ways to best help as many students as possible, YCCF joined the community schools movement, partnering with the United Way of York County, our Women’s Giving Circle, and community philanthropists to bring Communities In Schools to the City of York.…

Jeff and Cindy Lobach’s varied and eclectic volunteer service led them to create the Jeff and Cindy Lobach Community Fund at the Community Foundation. Jeff, a former Community Foundation board director, said, “I had a front row seat at the transformation of the Community Foundation to its present proactive and impactful state. With college in…

Michael and Judy Rutter’s York County roots run deep. Their family dairy business and farm store began as a retail dairy business in the 1920s. When Michael and Judy began working with their attorney to plan for retirement and create an estate plan, their deep roots tugged at them. They liked the idea of everlasting…

Joe Wagman has philanthropy in his blood. His father taught him lessons of giving, passing along his own father’s simple adage: “You must attend to your family, your business, and your community, in that order of priority.” Joe and his wife, Susan, take that responsibility seriously. They are passionate about the York community, particularly its…