In the summer of 2022, a set of Story Shacks appeared in key areas around the Garden Spot Village campus. Handcrafted by members of the Wood Shop and handpainted by members of the Art Guild, the miniature libraries were filled with memoirs and biographies that explore the African American experience. The following summers, the libraries have held books about other cultures such as indigenous peoples and Latinos. Through summer 2025, books about Southeastern Lancaster County culture have filled the Story Shacks.
Story Shacks are just one part of the cultural awareness that Tapestry brings to Garden Spot Village.
A HISTORY OF CULTURAL AWARENESS
SaraJane Munshower, a Garden Spot Village resident since May 2019, says, “In the summer of 2020, in the wake of George Floyd’s death, Chet Yoder [director of Pastoral Services] invited me to a prayer vigil that the ELANCO Ministerium was hosting at the New Holland Community Park. After the prayer vigil, Chet and I began to talk about what might be done to explore racial literacy at Garden Spot Village.”
Paul Kelley, a Garden Spot Village resident since June 2007, joined SaraJane and Chet as they explored a series of book studies. “We previewed a dozen or so books over the summer of 2020, with the intention of representing male and female and White and Black voices and different generations. We also wanted to challenge people intellectually and worked very hard not to bring a political bias to the group,”
SaraJane says.
Forty-five people participated in that first set of book studies. Chaplain Karyn Nancarvis joined the committee as a discussion group leader; she continues to serve as pastoral leadership of the team.
Over the next couple of years, a movie series, presentations, a podcast, additional book studies and learning tours expanded cultural awareness at Garden Spot Village. Ruth Dunlap, a Garden Spot Village resident since March 2018, also joined the group.
In 2023, the group enlisted the help of the New Holland Historical Society as they explored the experience
of African Americans and indigenous peoples on the nearby Welsh Mountain. A storytelling bus tour engaged so much interest that repeat tours were scheduled.
Tours and presentations in May 2024 explored the Latino experience in Lancaster County. People from local Spanish churches were involved. This year, for the first time, the group invited the greater New Holland community to participate.
WEAVING A FUTURE
In 2024, the group adopted the name Tapestry. Chet says, “We chose Tapestry because we felt it reflected what we were trying to achieve. We want to create a space where we can recognize how our stories, our differences and our lives weave together, like a tapestry.”
To celebrate, the group scheduled a series of Tapestry Talks. These presentations included people from the Garden Spot Village community—board members, residents, team members—who brought unique
perspectives and strands to make the tapestry stronger.