Mt. Hope Nazarene Retirement Community invites the public to celebrate its mission of providing seniors and people with disabilities a place to call home. For more than 56 years, Mt. Hope has delivered quality nursing care in a family-friendly environment where residents experience belonging.

The Fall Benefit Banquet will be held Saturday, Oct. 25, at Manheim Brethren in Christ Church, 54 N. Penryn Road, Manheim. Doors will open at 5 p.m., with a catered meal served at 5:30 p.m. Dinner will feature an authentic Italian meal prepared by the Amato family, which owns Francesco's Pizza and Restaurant in Manheim and has a family connection with Mt. Hope.

Amy's Mixing Bowl of Manheim, The Country Store of Mount Joy and Kreider Farms will also contribute to the menu. Guests will choose from three Italian entrees with homemade sauces from Carini, Sicily: baked lasagna rigatoni, creamy chicken Alfredo with penne pasta or vegetarian baked ziti with pink vodka sauce. Francesco's will also provide homemade bread, Italian salad with house dressing and garlic knots. Desserts will include gourmet tiramisu cake slices, chocolate cake with peanut butter icing, vanilla cake with salted caramel, vanilla cake with raspberry swirl and Kreider Farms' hand-dipped ice cream. Assorted drinks will also be offered.

Following the meal, a short inspirational program with guest speakers and music will take place. Themed baskets will be auctioned off, including a spa basket, a coffee basket with a Keurig, an autumn basket and a silk flower arrangement from Floral Designs of Mount Joy. Experiences to be auctioned at the fundraising event include a homemade candle-making class for two from Wishing Well Candles & Gifts in Lititz, a handmade earrings class for six from Horst Arts in Manheim and a sourdough bread-making class for four from Four Chicks Farm Stand on Junction.

A variety of themed baskets for the auction will also include homemade and donated items from local businesses and individuals, experiences, and gift cards to local attractions and retail stores, as well as passes to events and local entertainment spots. Catered meals will also be featured to win, including party packs of meats and other items donated by Peters' BBQ in Manheim and served in homes of people with a personal connection to Mt. Hope. Additional items to bid on will include handmade wood-turned bowls and charcuterie boards; a hand-sewn comforter with matching pillows; welded metal art; a gold chain-link bracelet from Koser Jewelers in Mount Joy; an Instant Vortex Plus air fryer; a large outdoor fire pit with a mesh lid along with mountain pie makers, hot dog metal roasting sticks and food items to go along with the fire pit; a 28-inch Blackstone grill/griddle with hood and accessories rail system and outside weather-resistant grill cover; and a condo stay overlooking the Intracoastal Waterway and Barefoot Landing in North Myrtle Beach, S.C.

"The mission of Mt. Hope will be shared, and attendees will also hear personal stories of how Mt. Hope touched people's lives when they needed answers and provided a way to help families in need," explained Mt. Hope's director of advancement, Kris Wilson. "Mt. Hope continues to be inviting and a welcoming place for everyone who needs our services. We continue strong in our founding mission to provide affordable, quality care in an environment based on Christ's model of care for 'the least of these,' regardless of someone's resources or ever-changing financial circumstances."

The banquet will be the community's fourth annual fundraising event, and it is the organization's largest giving opportunity for people in the community to support Mt. Hope.

"We will strive to reach our goal of $55,000," Wilson said. "People attending the banquet will be amazed and excited to hear about everything Mt. Hope accomplished over the past few years. We will share the most recent updates and news about our groundbreaking endeavor to expand with building two new independent, single-floor-living duplex cottages on our campus. These units are rented to qualifying residents with the goal of supporting the 50-bed skilled nursing facility. Often, these units are occupied by spouses or other elderly family caregivers."

According to Wilson, Mt. Hope provides more than $1.4 million in charitable care each year, and the community relies on support from people at events such as the banquet to fund that care.

"A large gap of over $150 a day for each resident on Medicaid exists in what the state reimburses long-term care facilities and the actual cost of nursing care," she said. "Raising funds to assist in helping residents who are not able to afford the cost of their care or benevolent care is a growing need."

To reserve individual, couple or group seating at the banquet, individuals may contact Wilson at 717-682-8026 or advancement@mthopenazarene.org. Event and table sponsorships are also available. The deadline for banquet reservations is Saturday, Oct. 18. The meal is free, but attendees will have the opportunity to support Mt. Hope's mission and contribute a suggested donation toward banquet costs.