My Town Strasburg moves to new location
Lucas Boylan, left, Chris Beck, Mark Lancaster and Tom Patton
My Town Strasburg began as a thought — how to support and help a community — two years prior to its inception on April 11, 2011.
On Sept. 22, My Town Strasburg opened its doors in a new facility at 840 S. Wooster Ave. It is open the second and fourth Sunday of each month from 2-3 p.m. Donations also will be accepted during those hours. The items at the site are free; however, you must be a Strasburg resident and show a valid ID and a paid utility bill. Eventually, they would like to be able to collect items by having volunteers assist with that. Currently, there are 12 volunteers.
Its theme is “Help Strasburg help Strasburg,” and it has grown over the past 13 years to a total of about $10,000 a year in financial assistance and $50,000 a year in donated items assistance.
“In the beginning my wife Pam, Jim Patton and Chris Troyer were talking about how best to live out, in a practical way, Jesus’ command for us to love our neighbor. We all had been raised in Christian homes and attended church regularly, but the way we practiced our Christianity had been rather inwardly focused most of our lives. We felt the need to be more intentional about helping others like Jesus asked us to do,” Tom Patton said.
Patton said they resided in Franklin Township and didn’t really know how to find out about “Strasburgers” who could use a helping hand. They visited the police and asked them if they knew of anyone needing help. After contacting the police several times, former Police Chief Bob Kutcher told them to visit village council to express their concerns.
“Once when the Ramada Inn had six brand-new mattresses and none of the churches had room to take them, Jim Dawson, owner of Synergy Signs and Graphics, offered us the basement of his business at 147 Stoutt Drive NE and told us we could use 1,800 square feet of warehouse space at no charge,” Patton said.
Gary and Chris Troyer donated a furnace, Lions Club donated lights, attorney Richard Fox offered legal assistance, Neidenthal and Company handled the accounting needs, Jim Dawson paid the utility bills, and Mark Paul Miller installed a recessed garage door. A few years later, the Reeves Foundation provided funds, and Dawson helped rebuild the entrance ramp. They then applied for a nonprofit 501(c)(3).
In 2019 Patton recruited Mark Lancaster, Lucas Boylan and Chris Beck to take over the operation. All are Strasburg residents, Strasburg graduates and attend NewPointe Church in Dover.
“We have always been good friends. It takes all three of us to do Patton’s job. He needed to pass on the torch, and we work well together. We love God, the community, and can use our talents and connections to help. We like working together,” Lancaster said. “We certainly appreciate Marcus Weaver of Cross Connection Church that offered this space to us. All was in God’s timing and opened up a place for us to relocate. We are trying to be an extension of God’s love.”
“We love looking for ways to help others. It is a great mission to help the community,” Boylan said.
Beck said volunteering is simply giving back to the community where they grew up and giving back in a small manner.
Paula Lancaster is the resource officer and provides the knowledge to be able to find services for those in need.
Patton said every church and charitable organization in the village has access to what is available.
Information for donating items is available on its Facebook page at www.facebook.com/mytownstrasburg/ or call 330-243-3010. An account is set up at SSB Community Bank in Strasburg for those wanting to donate funds.