Hourglass

Call Directions Website Contact the organization

Hourglass This information is gathered through research, observation, and conversation with our partners. Supporting Future Growth:
Lancaster County is growing.

We exist to provide information, encourage collaboration, and inspire innovative ways of thinking and, in doing so, protect the County’s unique character and enviable Quality of Life. Our Influence

Observation and Research:
We pay attention to trends happening in our community, throughout the state, and beyond that might affect Lancaster’s future. Consulting Leaders and Informing the Public:
Through our forums and publications, we inform the public in key Quality of Life areas. We also work with leaders in Lancaster County to empower them to make informed decisions. Encouraging Collaboration and Innovative Thinking:
Complex legacy issues require coalitions of people and organizations to tackle them. We connect stakeholders and decision makers and create the space for innovative problem solving to take place. Preserving Our Legacy:
As our County grows, we are committed to protecting what makes Lancaster special: its farms, rich culture, and historic cities, towns, and boroughs. We are focused on making sure that growth continues in a socially, economically, and environmentally responsible way.

09/16/2026

Did you know that in the City of Lancaster sits 70 acres of wildlife? Did you know that it will soon be a nature preserve and environmental center? At the link in our bio, listen to Diana Martin, representing her role as Executive Director of Partners for Environmental Stewardship talking about the steps taken to bring this project to life.

06/24/2026

Preventing eviction before it reaches the courtroom.

In the latest episode of Listening to Lancaster, Judge Adam Witkonis and Amos Stoltzfus of SoWe discuss Lancaster City’s Eviction Diversion Program, an initiative designed to connect tenants and landlords with resources and support before housing disputes result in eviction.

With promising results in its pilot year, Amos and Judge Witkonis express their desire to see the program grow. By offering a proactive approach to addressing housing instability in Lancaster City, they discuss how the program not only helps individuals but our community at large.

Listen now on our YouTube channel or website!

Only 36% of public library funding comes from government sources; the rest comes from you! Earlier this month, we welcom...
06/22/2026

Only 36% of public library funding comes from government sources; the rest comes from you!

Earlier this month, we welcomed local librarians to discuss how the Lancaster Public Library system works behind the scenes and the many programs and services it provides throughout the community. From the Business & Reference Center and the On-the-Go Mobile Library to multilingual storytimes in English, ASL, Spanish, Arabic, and soon Swahili, Lancaster’s libraries do far more than lend books.

Panelists discussed a recent petition effort that would allow voters to decide on a dedicated library tax referendum this November. You can learn more about this at https://voteyes4libraries.org.

A special thank you to Lissa Holland, Jon Heinly, Theodore Griffiths, and Shannon Schinagl for sharing their expertise and helping us better understand the impact of our local libraries.

You can watch the full video on our YouTube channel and website. Thank you!

At Hourglass, our strength has always been keeping our sights set on local solutions to what are sometimes national and ...
04/14/2026

At Hourglass, our strength has always been keeping our sights set on local solutions to what are sometimes national and even global issues. This is why we are proud to present a robust conversation on AI in Lancaster County schools, and we’d love to see you there.

On May 7th, we will host Our Schools, Our Future: Navigating Artificial Intelligence Together. Our hope is that this conversation can demystify some of the ambiguity around artificial intelligence. While there is a lot we still don’t (and can’t) know about the future of AI, we can speak to tangible ways it is being embedded in Lancaster County schools, and we can do that through hearing from their leaders directly. Head to the link in our bio to purchase tickets!

04/08/2026

One of many important and thoughtful moments from our April first Friday forum on LNP | Lancaster Online as they transition into a non-profit.

The full video is now available on YouTube and our website! Thank you to David Greene and Tom Murse for your thoughtful insights and time with our audience.

ICYMI: March’s Hourglass forum focused on Lancaster City’s Vision Zero Action Plan! We were grateful to have Cindy McCor...
03/17/2026

ICYMI: March’s Hourglass forum focused on Lancaster City’s Vision Zero Action Plan!

We were grateful to have Cindy McCormick and Laura Ahramjian talk about how they are gathering research and implementing policies for safer streets. Learn about the two-way restoration plans and hear what our audience’s thoughts were on reimagining Penn Square! Video available on our website and YouTube channel!

Here’s our favorite photo from our annual forum, Ask the Commissioners! Thanks to  for always capturing the best moments...
01/21/2026

Here’s our favorite photo from our annual forum, Ask the Commissioners! Thanks to for always capturing the best moments from our forums.

Go to Youtube to tune in and make sure you’re on our email list to get it right to your inbox with key takeaways each month!

Thank you to our commissioners for your time and insight!

Need something to watch this weekend? How about our final First Friday Forum of 2025!This forum was packed with informat...
12/12/2025

Need something to watch this weekend? How about our final First Friday Forum of 2025!

This forum was packed with information, with three excellent community experts who shared their knowledge about power and energy. In the age of AI, people are concerned about whether Lancaster County is prepared to handle incoming strain to our electrical grid. Our speakers included: Eric Sauder, Founder and President of RegenAll; Lori Porreca, Owner and President of A1 Energy; and Chris Buck, Vice President of Operations at Donsco, Inc. We thank them for their dedication to educating Hourglass members and hope that this information can be helpful to the community at large.

If you don’t yet subscribe to our newsletter, you can do so at our website and ensure that these videos, with notes on what we learned, get delivered to your inbox each month.

You can find the video on our Youtube channel and website. Thank you!

Address

922 N Queen Street
Lancaster, PA
17603

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Hourglass posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Organization

Send a message to Hourglass:

Shortcuts

Share