Laurelville Retreat Center connects with its community
600-acre property near Pittsburgh is in the scenic Laurel Highlands
Nearly 250 children learned to swim in Laurelville Retreat Center’s pool last summer. That’s about 10 times the number of kids Laurelville leaders expected.
Executive Director Jeanette Lahm figured a couple dozen children would sign up for the new public program, offered for the first time in 2021.
The response was a clear sign the community needs the center’s facilities and services, she said.
Laurelville Retreat Center is slightly more than an hour’s drive southeast of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The nearest town is Mount Pleasant.
The 600-acre property formerly was known as Laurelville Mennonite Church Center. The board of directors approved a branding change after research showed many people didn’t know Laurelville is open to visitors other than Mennonites.
In fact, Laurelville is steeped in Mennonite tradition but has served all denominations and a variety of corporate clients for more than 75 years, Lahm said.
How does the future look?
As its leaders pondered Laurelville’s future, Lahm said the question was, “Do we want to be a private retreat center or a community resource?”
The board of directors – of which retired Everence CEO Larry Miller is chairman – decided Laurelville should be a community resource.
Laurelville offers several lodging options, dining options and, of course, day camps and week-long camps for children.
Special events during the year bring in more people, including Pittsburgh residents who long for a back-to-nature experience in the scenic Laurel Highlands.
Donors are responding enthusiastically to Laurelville’s outreach, even amid COVID-related challenges. One couple recently provided a six-figure gift, and earmarked project gifts overall totaled more than $450,000 in 2021.
Donors and volunteers also stepped up after fire destroyed the center’s maintenance building on Feb. 12. About 70 volunteers came to help clean up the debris – down to the concrete floor.
Many of those who’ve responded to the fire had no previous contact with Laurelville.
Lahm said, “We are thankful for Everence Foundation’s partnership with our organization to help us invest and steward donor resources wisely.”