Check-In

Please join us for check-in and networking.

Jess Grier, MS, MBA, LPC (she/her)

Who is my neighbor? A deeper dive.

The keynote will kick off the conference and frame our central question: Who is My Neighbor? It will provide a high-level overview of Lebanon County’s current population and demographics, and include insights from grassroots community leaders. Together, we’ll explore practical ways to connect with and support our neighbors.

Moderator: Jess Grier

Content expert: Nicole Gray

Panelists: Laurie Funk, Maggie Progin, Guadalupe Barba, Richard Mahida, Amber Abreu

Stretch Break

Thirty minute break for coffee, stretching, brain breaks.

Michael Diller, PsyD.

Fatigue to Fortitude: Strategies for Sustaining Advocacy and Compassion

Our presentation, titled "Fatigue to Fortitude: Strategies for Sustaining Advocacy and Compassion," will explore various aspects of wellbeing and mindfulness. We will discuss the definition of wellbeing, the importance of mindfulness, and the benefits it brings, specifically for one who is an advocate for self and others and addressing the fatigue that follows. Mindfulness has so many benefits, such as reduced blood pressure, decreased cortisol levels, and improved immune function. Additionally, we will highlight the significance of self-compassion, positive self-talk, and human connection in maintaining mental and physical health. The presentation will also include insights from landmark studies and practical tools for fostering a path from Fatigue to Fortitude.

Speakers: Mike Diller and Selena Coachman

Loice Byler

Welcome Home: Embracing New Americans in Our Neighborhoods

This presentation invites participants to reimagine what it means to truly say "Welcome Home" to New Americans—individuals and families who have arrived in our communities as refugees, fleeing war, persecution, and displacement. Drawing from compelling narratives, including the films The Gods Must Be Crazy and The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, the story of Tanitoluwa "Tani" Adewumi, and the parable of the elephant and the giraffe, we will examine how cultural misperceptions, system design, and empowerment intersect in the process of integration.

Speaker: Loice Byler

Corinne Goodwin

The State of LGBTQ+ Rights

A review of your rights under the law in areas that include: Education, Employment, Housing, Public Accommodation, Healthcare and other areas. This presentation will include a discussion on legislative, administrative, and judicial regulations and enforcement. We will also review what advocates anticipate could be on the horizon and the actions LGBTQ people can take to protect their rights.

Speaker: Corinne Goodwin, PA Trans Equity Project

Lunch and Networking

Zack Zook, MPA

Food Insecurity and Improving the Neighbor Experience in the Charitable Food System

The presentation will present a framework for developing, implementing, and evaluating food security policies and programs through discussing the current food insecurity situation in Pennsylvania and then reviewing the results from Community Hunger Mapping projects conducted across central Pennsylvania including in Lebanon County. Food pantries measurably reduce hunger and they can also be the lowest-barrier social service providers, but there are many ways in which the charitable food system can reduce significant remaining access barriers including through improving the neighbor experience and provision of culturally familiar foods.

Speaker: Zack Zook and Shila Ulrich