Mifflin-Juniata United Way hosted Walk for Warmth

To the Editor:

The 15th annual Walk for Warmth was held on Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025, at Kish Park in Lewistown and in Walker Township Park in Juniata County. This event is held each year in February, when temperatures are low, so that walkers could imagine what families who are struggling might endure. As is often the case, walkers bore the low temperatures as they came out to support this worthy cause. This event is co-hosted by United Way of Mifflin-Juniata and the Mifflin-Juniata Human Services Department. This year’s Walk for Warmth $9,000 will assist 25 households with heating. All proceeds support the local Mifflin-Juniata Energy Bank, which provides heat and rent assistance to families who fail to qualify for Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) funding due to income ineligibility or those 65 or older.

We want to give a special thanks to the Stone Arch Players for making their lobby area available to the participants at Kish Park for registration. Thank you to the energy providers who supported this year’s event: Snedeker Energy, Valley Rural Electric as well as our friends at Lewistown Housing Authority and Pennian Bank. We also thank MERF Radio and Matt Witzel for providing fun, up-beat music and a great atmosphere as walkers as they made their laps around Kish Park; likewise to Dan Sheaffer for playing the tunes for the Juniata County walkers. Special thanks to Pastor Luke Shinskie from Kish Valley Grace Brethren and Pastor Jeff Henry of Lighthouse Community Church for offering an opening prayer in Mifflin County and Juniata County. We also would like to thank Dunkin Donuts for providing hot chocolate and Pine Ridge Coffee for providing coffee to the walkers. A big thanks to both Pine Ridge and East End Coffee for gift certificates for several lucky winners at each walk location. Finally, thank you- the walkers who came out to walk and those who supported them. Your continued support and dedication are greatly appreciated.

This event reminds all of us that when there is a need in our community, we will join together to meet that need. It’s not too late to consider giving to the energy bank. Donations can be made to the United Way of Mifflin-Juniata, 13 East Third Street, Lewistown, PA, 17044. Phone: (717) 248-9636. or online at www.mjunitedway.org.

Colette Hartzler

Lewistown