Select residents of Atglen Borough were able to begin the new year with fewer bills to pay thanks to Penningtonville Presbyterian Church. Congregation members collected $5,700 - enough funds to pay the bills of borough residents who were behind on their sewer and water payments.

"Penningtonville Presbyterian Church has been deeply rooted in this community since 1851. We love Jesus and we love our community," stated pastor Eric Dorville. "God has blessed each one of us so that we can be a blessing to others. (2020 was) a hard year for so many people, and members of the leadership team thought a good way to demonstrate the love of Jesus was by loving our neighbors."

Dorville explained that the church contacted the borough in November of 2020 to see what amount would be needed to pay the bills, noting that updated amounts were provided as the year came to an end. He emphasized that the church donated the money, but the names of those whom it helped remained anonymous.

When the money was gathered, Dorville presented a check to Atglen Mayor Darren Hodorovich on Jan. 13. "Once we gave the check to the mayor, I wrote a letter explaining that, as a church, we want to be a blessing and we want (people) to know (their) debt has been paid for. We gave copies to the borough to send to the recipients," he said, noting that residents also received a phone call from a borough employee, who is also a church member. "People she talked to were overjoyed."

The church had planned to raise funds through donations it received during an outdoor live Nativity on Christmas Eve, but the event was canceled due to inclement weather. Despite the cancellation, the congregation was able to raise the needed funds. "Because we had to adjust our game plan, people sent offerings to the church office," Dorville said.

The most recent outreach is representative of the church's history of service. Also in January, the church organized a clothing drive and collected diapers, coats, blankets and gift cards for a local family with two young children whose home on Main Street in Aglen was destroyed by a fire.

Dorville also wrote a letter to congregation members thanking them for their generosity. "We ... enabled members of our community to have a fresh start heading into 2021. They no longer have to carry the weight on their shoulders," the letter stated. "You have given them real hope. I cannot tell you how touched I am by your generosity. You chose to spread joy and light. Thank you for making such a difference in our community."

Currently, the church offers livestreamed services at 10:30 a.m. on Sundays through its YouTube channel, and it plans to continue its community outreach. "I hope going forward we can do similar things to meet practical needs and bring the hope, joy and light of Jesus (to others) because that is what we are called to do," Dorville said.

Penningtonville Presbyterian Church is located at 406 Main St., Atglen. For more information, readers may call 610-593-2173 or visit http://www.penningtonvillechurch.org. To access the church service, readers may visit http://www.youtube.com and search for "Penningtonville Church."