Building Community at Ville’s Front Door

The Loft Community Partnership, a nonprofit food pantry that focuses on providing resources for the community, has rooted themselves in Millersville University's Jefferson Hall. The Loft partners with others to raise funds and collect resources to provide community members and Millersville students with what they need. They provide their neighbors with a substantial food pantry, toiletry, diapers, clothing, furniture and more.

[Link]The Loft is open Wednesdays 3 p.m. - 7 p.m., Thursdays 10 a.m. - 2 p.m., Fridays Seniors Only: 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. and Saturdays 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Millersville alumna Jenna Graeff '22, executive director at the Loft, shares how the organization helps students at Millersville, "We have a significant number of MU students who come here for food. We see nontraditional students such as graduate students who have families, international students and others who are welcome to shop at our food pantry once a week just like our other food pantry neighbors. We are here to be a consistent source of stability for them."

Currently, several Millersville students volunteer at the Loft. Graeff encourages more students to volunteer or join their growing internship program to have a meaningful and rewarding experience. The Loft is still a young organization, and by joining their team, students have the unique opportunity to experience what it is like to be a part of something that starts from their roots, blooming to become something bigger for the community. Interested students should stop by The Loft during their business hours.

On Dec. 12-14, the Loft at Jefferson Hall will be holding their Christmas event which will allow low-income families in the community to "shop" for gifts up to $50 for their kids, so they can celebrate Christmas. Families will also be given holiday essentials such as candy canes, hot chocolate, stocking stuffers, toiletries (provided by the Penn Manor school district), socks, blankets and warm clothing. "We are excited to give people the joy of Christmastime without the extreme costs of the holiday," says Graeff.

The Loft is also seeking advice and guidance from the Conestoga Valley Seeds' program, to provide non-English speaking community members with stronger services.

"For those who don't know 33 different languages are spoken in homes within the Penn Manor district. Most of these English Language Learners come to the Loft as well, so we see a significant need to have the ability to support them with English language learning, employment supports, workshops, gatherings and meals," explains Graeff. This program, the Loft @ Zion, will come to life in 2025.

The Loft has recognized that many community members who have used their services go on to become volunteers themselves. "We walk alongside our neighbors. What we do here is not an 'us and you' thing; it's a 'we' thing. With the continuous rise of food insecurity in our community, we see ourselves sticking around for a very long time," concludes Graeff.

To learn more about the Loft, which is renting space in Jefferson Hall, visit https://www.loftcp.org/.

Food Pantry Hours:
Wednesday:3 p.m. - 7 p.m.
Thursday:10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Friday: Seniors Only: 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Saturday:9 a.m. - 1 p.m.

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