Today we’d like to introduce you to Beth Yeingst.
Hi Beth , please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
River’s Place was started in 2017 as a joint project of the Manheim Township Ministerium of Churches and the Manheim Township School District. It began when the goal to clothe children in need had outgrown the space that the school district was able to support. It was then that St. Peter’s Lutheran Church offered to take point for this much needed mission. Formerly known as Lydia’s Closet, it’s name was officially changed in 2024 to honor River, a teen who had been very involved with the mission from its start. River’s Place is a clothing bank for school aged children Kindergarten-12th grade.
Clothing is a basic need that no child should have to worry about. Helping to meet this basic need for children sets the foundation to then support their complex needs of feeling confident, secure, and cared for. We want the children to have good self-esteem and be able to focus on learning when they attend school.
We are located at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church, and are open on the first Saturday of every Month year round.
We initially saw 30-40 children each month and now on average clothe 120-150 children each month. Word has spread across Lancaster County, and we now help support the children of many different school districts.
We try our best to make each shopping experience a fun one for the children that empowers them to choose their own clothing just like they would if they were at the mall.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
No road is ever completely smooth, but we are extremely blessed to have the support of our church family, church neighbors, Manheim Township School District, Community Aid, I Support the Girls-Lancaster, and the community as a whole who keep us extremely well stocked in donations so that we are able to continually meet the needs of the children. If we are low on a particular size or item, we put the word out and our supporters deliver! We also have an Amazon wish-list which makes some of the donating easier.
Finding the best possible way to organize and store everything as our volumes increase is always an obstacle/work in progress, and I literally have dreams some nights about better ways to store or hang clothing,
We can always use more volunteers as we continue to grow, but we are also very fortunate to have a dedicated core group of volunteers who show up weekly, monthly, and sometimes even daily to sort donations and organize clothing. There never seems to be enough hours in a day!
Language/communication is sometimes a challenge when dealing with families who are new to our country, but everyone understands a smile and kindness and there are always translator apps.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am a registered nurse, and have been one for over 40 years. Ironically a majority of the volunteers at River’s Place are also nurses, work in other health related fields, or in education. I think wanting to help and care for others goes hand in hand with all of those professions, we couldn’t stop doing it if we tried, nor would we want to.
Being a nurse has taught me critical thinking, time management and organizational skills which has helped me immensely in coordinating this extremely busy ministry. I like to keep busy…there is always time for sleep later. Between my regular job and River’s Place, I also am a member of St. Peter’s Lutheran Church, the Manheim Township Lions Club, and I volunteer as an interpreter at the Landis Valley Museum.
I am most proud of my family who support me through all of my endeavors. I hope to instill in my grandson the importance of giving back to others, and the importance of taking care of our planet through recycling and reusing.
I am also extremely proud of the impact that River’s Place has made in Lancaster County. It is fulfilling beyond words to see the smiles on the faces of the children and the families that we serve each month. They all become part of the River’s Place family.
Are there any books, apps, podcasts or blogs that help you do your best?
My two favorite lines are from one of my favorite childhood books, “Anne of Green Gables.” The first is: “Tomorrow is always fresh with no mistakes in it” which I try to keep in mind if I have had a difficult or challenging day, the next day is a restart. The other is: “Kindred spirits are not so scarce as I used to think. It’s splendid to find out there are so many of them in the world”, I think many of us could benefit from that last one today. We don’t have to agree with everyone 100% to be “kindred spirits”, but we can look for common ground, we all have it.
Of course I have to add the Bible because I am grounded in my faith which helps me get through everything in life.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/riversplacelancasterpa
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/LydiasClosetPA
