4 Girls on a Mission is a certified nonprofit that strives to put “Action Behind Hope,” seeking and meeting the needs of individuals and families in the community. They are committed to serving their neighbors in the Denver, Lancaster City and County, Berks County, and Robinson areas through fundraising, direct donations, and humanitarian assistance.
Treasurer, Sheri Golembiewski, Vice President, Jody Eberly, President, Allison Weber, and Secreatary, Cathy Davidson, who founded 4 Girls on a Mission, have shared a long history. Their friendship began in high school. Initially, the trio included Golembiewski, Eberly, and Davidson, along with Eberly’s younger sister, Weber.
After high school, the friends kept in touch. The importance of family reunited the group after the loss of Eberly and Weber’s shared family member.
“Seven years ago, my aunt died of pancreatic cancer,” Jody Eberly said. “Ali had a vision of a 5k [to benefit the American Cancer Society]. I knew a couple of people who could put that vision to life, so it spun off from there and we started raising money.”
Around the same time, Davidson’s father also passed away from cancer. Wanting to bring awareness for the same cause, she teamed up with Eberly, Weber, and Golembiewski to help organize the 5k.
Following a successful race, the four friends realized their capabilities and wanted to continue work that gave back to the community. Their first initiative raised money for a “donation bucket” to help pay for groceries, gas, and other supplies while a family in need went through cancer treatment.
Building off their strengths and strong suits, they fundraised regularly, making soup, cookie dough, and pine wreaths. They even planned bingo nights and raised enough funds to fully support a family one Christmas. Thus brought 4 Girls on a Mission into fruition.
Seeing a Need, Putting “Action Behind Hope”
“Not everyone has a family or a trusted network to rely on during tough times,” Golembiewski noted. “We strive to be that support system. Despite what the world might suggest, we firmly believe that one small act can change the world.”
4 Girls on a Mission has distributed a total of $104,077 directly to members of the community from June 2022 to September 2024. They supported 35 families in 2023, raising $45,000 to support the cost of rent, transportation, emergency shelter, utilities, furniture, clothing, groceries, household supplies, and Christmas gifts. 59% of their grants went towards individuals needing rental assistance.
In 2024, they assisted 67 families with similar needs and expenses as in 2023. Rent and housing assistance increased in need in 2024. 87% of 4 Girls on a Mission’s grants were directed towards rental assistance.
Additional outreach included distributing hot food, warm clothing, blankets and toiletry kits to unhoused men and women preparing to sleep on the streets.
“We are definitely not an easy button, but yet our greatest need is rental assistance because the prices are staggering and infuriating,” Davidson comments.
Part of Davidson’s role at 4 Girls on a Mission is to visit their referral’s home if needed. Sometimes it can be helpful to see the condition of a residence to provide the proper assistance. Following the visit, Davidson may check in with the referral, provide one month’s rent, or start a discussion for a future payment plan.
Another notable contribution to 4 Girls on a Mission’s funding came from ExtraGive in 2024. Participating for the first time helped kickstart their funding efforts thanks to the donations from old and new donors, volunteers, and members of the community.
“Even though we are small, it’s amazing how many people have heard of us and have come out of the woodwork to donate money to us individually or through their company,” Eberly noted.
Referrals
Meeting community needs as a nonprofit while working full-time jobs can lead to a heavy workload.
“We have a waiting list because we can’t immediately reply to everyone. If someone contacts our email inbox directly, we’ll have an instant reply sent to try and give realistic expectations,” Davidson commented.
The referral process for an individual or family can take form in several ways. Most of 4 Girls on a Mission’s requests come from their website or Facebook, with occasional tips from personal contacts or connections. Referrals take into consideration the “lasting impact” or long and short-term effects of an ask and may vary depending on need and urgency.
At times, requests may be denied due to a lack of funding or a shift in a need in the community. While turning people away can be “heartbreaking,” 4 Girls on a Mission do their best to consider their options and provide additional resources if necessary.
An additional “level of vetting for potential candidates” comes from Eby’s General Store, Inc; Good Samaritan Services, the School District of Lancaster, Lancaster City Housing Authority, and the Ephrata Area Social Services. Partnering with 4 Girls on a Mission, a span of social workers (School District of Lancaster) as well as Resource Coordinators (Lancaster Housing Authority), help to filter through requests.
Upcoming Goals
This year, 4 Girls on a Mission hopes to continue building and maintaining relationships with individuals, families, and organizations in the community and create a resource guide to aid the referral process. Davidson is spearheading this process.
“There’s an immense amount of information that people don’t necessarily know about,” Davidson said. ‘Utilizing the knowledge of organizations in the community will help fill in these gaps.”
If you’d like to support 4 Girls on a Mission’s impact in the community and stay up to date, visit their Facebook page. Visit website to make donate and sign up for newsletter.
