By Brenda Maguire
Item Correspondent

On June 11, the Pennsylvania Dutch Camp-ground in Bernville will be helping a disabled 15-year-old’s family in their Extreme Makeover Pa. Dutch Camp-ground Edition.

The program was intended to help seniors with health and financial problems spruce up their campsites. When learning about the health problems of Franki Steckel, the family was immediately elected to be in the program.

“This just all came to light about two weeks ago. It’s a new family; they really hardly know anybody because they didn’t bring their trailer in until after we closed for the season,” said Carolee Powell, president of the campground. “Once we heard the situation with the young man and the family we wanted to help. We’ve gotten a wonderful response from our own camping community.”
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By Brenda Maguire
Item Correspondent

Laura Keller, a 2004 Hamburg Area High School graduate, will leave on May 17 for Tanzania, Africa, to educate rural villages about HIV/AIDS.

View and purchase photosLaura Keller, a 2004 Hamburg Area High School graduate, will be leaving on May 17 for Tanzania, Africa, with a program called Support for International Change to educate rural villages about HIV/AIDS.

“I got a chance to go to Tanzania (while studying in South Africa in college), and basically when I was there I experienced how HIV/AIDS impacts Tanzania,” said Laura Keller, via telephone from her current residence in Los Angeles. “These are people who you can clearly see are vividly sick, but they have to continue working because their community needs them.

“When I saw that, I thought, I’d like to return and give back to the community in more of a volunteer capacity, instead of a tour capacity.”
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