Mt. Hope Nazarene Retirement Community, located in Rapho Township, is more than just a skilled nursing facility. It's a place where seniors and people with disabilities receive compassionate care, regardless of their financial circumstances. As a 50-bed skilled nursing facility, Mt. Hope also includes six independent living cottages, offering residents a sense of autonomy and comfort. The community is dedicated to serving individuals in need, particularly those who face financial hardship.

"Many at Mt. Hope don't have resources to cover costs of care, and so a gap of about $200 per day exists between what a resident is able to pay and what their care actually costs," said Kris Wilson, director of advancement. "At our core, we're known to have a reputation as an encouraging, supportive community providing quality nursing care that focuses on providing dignity, hope and love regardless of someone's financial status."

This gap, however, doesn't stop Mt. Hope from its mission; the facility provides over $1 million in charitable care each year.

To help support its residents, Mt. Hope will hold a Sweetheart To-Go Benefit Meal at LCBC - Manheim Campus, 2392 Mount Joy Road, Manheim, on Saturday, Feb. 22, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The curbside pickup meal will include Peters' BBQ fire-grilled chicken, gourmet cheese potatoes, sweet and sour green beans with bacon, applesauce, a dinner roll with butter and a dessert.

Proceeds from the meal will help fund resident care and other projects at the community, including construction of new cottages.

In an effort to continue its mission, Mt. Hope is expanding its independent living offerings with two new duplex cottages, adding four additional single-floor living apartments. This project, slated for completion by 2026, will help increase the facility's long-term revenue and provide space for families and volunteers who support the nursing home residents.

The total cost of the project is estimated at $1.2 million, a goal that Mt. Hope is actively working toward through fundraising.

"Mt. Hope provides a reasonable option for individuals in Lancaster County and beyond who would have nowhere else to go," Wilson said. "Fundraising is an ongoing requirement for Mt. Hope to meet its mission and provide care to those in need. These cottages will increase our revenue, and thereby reduce our reliance on donations to meet ongoing operational needs."

Mt. Hope will also raise funds through the sale of a 28-acre farm on the property. "The facility is not able to build on this agricultural land," Wilson explained. "Mt. Hope has always aimed to be good stewards of its resources and manage them conservatively. The sale of the farmhouse will allow us to build four new living units in an area where we are allowed to build and bring in income to support the nursing home." Open houses for the sale will be held from 10 a.m. to noon on Feb. 22 and on Saturday, March 1.

Wilson shared how Mt. Hope fulfills its mission in unique ways. "Mt. Hope tries to provide an option for families who have loved ones in need of our services," she said. "Being able to move in a spouse of a current resident or an employee of Mt. Hope at the same time is the sweetest act of care for a family. Recently, Mt. Hope provided a room for a team member's spouse."

She explained that Tammy Lutz, longtime dietary manager at Mt. Hope, was able to have her husband of 45 years, John, come to Mt. Hope for care after he was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer.

"It felt like a weight had been lifted," Tammy shared. "I could work and be with John as much as I could be. I could see my husband was more relaxed and at peace at Mt. Hope. Everyone was so kind and caring. I never worried he wasn't being cared for because I knew he always would be."

John was at Mt. Hope for 28 days before he passed away this past fall. "I felt so blessed John could be at Mt. Hope and we could be together," Tammy said. "Mt. Hope was exactly that - hope. We felt compassion, love and respect from everyone."

Wilson encourages people to support Mt. Hope through the purchase of a Sweetheart To-Go Meal. Preorders will be taken for meals and saved under the name provided when ordered. To preorder, call Wilson at 717-682-8026 or email advancement@mthopenazarene.org by Saturday, Feb. 15. Extra meals will be available while supplies last. No handling of money will occur on the day of food pickup. When picking up meals, customers may leave payment in a drop-box in the form of exact change or checks made payable to "Mt. Hope Nazarene Retirement Community." The cost of the meal is $17.