When it begins at home, generosity is a learned behavior.

In some ways, Patrick Trimble's story reflects the overall generosity of Lancaster County residents. But it also possesses the power to inspire others and create social awareness.

"My parents were a tremendous influence on me," said Trimble. "My parents weren't people of means, but they did the right things. They taught me how to do the right things. They were simple, hard-working people who raised six children. The value system they instilled in me has helped form who I am today."

Who Trimble is is an altruist. Over the last few years, the 65-year-old resident of Manheim Township has donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to local charitable causes. But to no Lancaster County nonprofit has he donated more money than Aaron's Acres.

"I'm a Christian. I believe in God," said Trimble, who works as a Realtor for Berkshire Hathaway in Lancaster. "Maybe that's a part of it. I don't think of it as 'It's not mine.' I look at it as 'I have it, and I want to give back.'"

Humble, unassuming and empathetic, Trimble has donated more than $250,000 of his earnings to Aaron's Acres over the last 13 years. In addition, Trimble has participated in fundraisers in support of Aaron's Acres, a nonprofit located at 1861 Charter Lane, Suite 114, Lancaster, that assists families with disabilities through recreational activities like summer camps.

"The work they do with the kids is fantastic," said Trimble. "These kids have disabilities, and (Aaron's Acres) runs summer camps. The kids are there, they're playing and it's heart-warming. They're assisting the kids, but they're also supporting the parents. Some of these parents never get a break. (Aaron's Acres is) expanding their programs, and they're giving something to kids and parents. I have friends who have kids with disabilities, so I see the other side of it. I know the money is being used wisely, I like that it's a local organization and that it's flowing to an end result."

Trimble initially became better acquainted with Aaron's Acres' mission through a fundraising golf outing in 2012. To help Aaron's Acres, Trimble began pledging $100 donations to the organization for every home he sold, and then he padded those donations with even more of his funds.

At the beginning, Trimble's intention wasn't to donate a quarter of a million dollars to Aaron's Acres; it just sort of accumulated that way.

"If we had a good year, I'd donate a little more," said Trimble. "Each year we'd donate money. Over the first few years, I really didn't really pay too much attention to it. Then it kind of became, 'Let's see if we can do a little better than last year.' It's kind of evolved. We didn't start with a specific goal."

In his role as a Realtor, Trimble receives a lot of requests from local schools, churches and organizations to donate money or to support fundraisers. His contributions can also serve as business marketing or as a way to promote goodwill in the community.

"I'm successful, and I want to give back," said Trimble. "My father always told me that society functions best when more are giving back than taking. This is my way to give back to society and Lancaster County."

As time has passed and Trimble has evolved as a person, it might be that his priorities have changed right along with his perspective. Maybe he sees things in a different light now.

"There's no doubt about that," said Trimble. "When you're younger, you have a few more bills. Now I have more breathing room, and I've become more generous."

Aaron's Acres was first founded in 1998 as a summer camp to provide recreational opportunities for families with disabled children. Since then, the organization has expanded its services and activities to include year-round programming and include young adults with disabilities.

For additional information, go to https://aaronsacres.org.