DFA’s annual holiday celebration and potluck was held at Valentine Hall on Wednesday, December 5th. The evening started with a group photo near the bags of donations for SCCAP, followed by a delicious potluck dinner.
Following dinner, we held a short meeting. Marty Qually thanked DFA members for their support for his state legislature campaign and challenged progressives to increase their activism and run for local offices.
Will Lane briefly reviewed the activities and accomplishments of Gettysburg DFA over the previous year.
The meeting continued with a brief ceremony honoring a lifetime of commitment by longtime DFA members Lou and Pat Hammann. Lou recently notified us that he will be stepping down from the Steering Committee due to health and hearing problems. Will presented them with a framed photo and tickets to the opera.
Finally, Megan Shreve, executive director of SCCAP, described some of SCCAP’s success stories and some of the challenges they face. She characterized 2018 as a “difficult” year for SCCAP though she also hailed the organization’s many success stories.
She stated proudly that eight of SCCAP’s “Circles” families now have one or more children in college. She noted the important step taken when parents get their feet on the ground and begin to write their future story. “When the parents think about the future, the kids do too.”
In particular, funding for homeless shelters is in jeopardy. Megan noted that homeless shelters are “closing across the country” and that the funding for the Adams County shelter is far from certain.
After the meetup, most of the people attending stayed to watch the video “Run Granny, Run,” which told the story of activist Doris “Granny D” Haddock and her 2004 US Senate campaign in New Hampshire.