At the Heart of Amish Country

The shootings at the Amish schoolhouse in Nickel Mines, Pennsylvania, have left a particularly persistent ache with me, since I grew up about 45 minutes from this area and still drive through it every time I visit my mother. The Amish and Mennonite people were not an unusual presence in my hometown. I intend to write more about these peace-loving citizens and their response to this tragic event in my "Wake-Up Call" for October's e-newsletter. In the meantime, if you are moved to respond to this heart-rending incident, here are some actions you can take today:

> At the request of Amish community leaders, Coatesville Savings Bank has established two funds, donations to either of which should be sent to Coatesville Savings Bank, 1082 Georgetown Road, Paradise, PA 17562:

To support victims of the schoolhouse tragedy, mark your donation for the Nickel Mines Children's Fund.

To support the young children of the man who perpetrated the violence, send donations marked for the Roberts Family Fund.

If you live in the region, you can also drop off donations at any of the bank’s branches including Coatesville, New Holland and Oxford.

> Send donations and/or letters of support to the Nickel Mines School Victims Fund, c/o Hometown Heritage Bank, P.O. 337, Strasburg, PA 17579.

> To donate funds to help victims' families with transportation, medical care, supportive care and other needs, call the Mennonite Central Committee (717-859-1151) or the Mennonite Disaster Service (717-859-2210) or donate online at mds.mennonite.net or mcc.org; tell them you wish to designate funds for the Amish School Recovery Fund.

> If you would like to send a thoughtful note or card to the families of children recovering in hospitals, you may wish to send sentiments addressed to A Special Child From Nickel Mines in Your Care:
c/o Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, 34th Street and Civic Center Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA 19104-4399
OR
c/o Penn State Hershey Medical Center, 500 University Drive, Hershey, PA 17033

Let's all keep these children, their parents and the entire community in our most healing thoughts.