“This organization is all about the people in this room. Favors Forward Foundation was founded in 2009 due to people who could not sleep at night if they knew their family, friends or total strangers were in pain. We step in during the darkest hours,” said foundation director Beth McMahon.

“Favors embodies the belief that when a community unites and lifts up its most vulnerable members, it creates a rippling effect of healing, empowerment and shared humanity that enhances the health and strength of all of us,” she said.

Existing as a bridge, connecting families and individuals to community resources and volunteers dedicated to helping those during times of need, the organization focuses its efforts on children and adults not currently receiving assistance from other agencies or organizations, the foundation’s website said.

“We encourage our clients to complete a contract that states they will “pay it forward” once they are back on their feet and are able to do so,” the site said,

Several of the organization’s community partners were present for the celebration including representatives of the YWCA, state Rep. Jamie Flick, R-South Williamsport, Children and Youth Services and Lycoming College and several student volunteer groups.

Around 150 of the college’s athletes take part in the organization’s spring cleanup campaign, which included work at community parks, along the river and in around 40 homes.

“These are people that are disabled, the elderly and others facing hardships. The coaches and volunteers here are amazing donors and they always come through for us,” McMahon said.

“This community has earned this award today because of your quiet, unrelenting commitment to humankind,” McMahon told those assembled.

“What we do within hours, maybe a day, is when a woman and a family move out of shelter. We have their house set up with beds, with refrigerators, with spring cleanups, with whatever they need to get their life started again,” she said, citing just one example of the foundation’s many acts of goodwill.

The organization’s board of directors are also heavily involved in their improvement efforts, including through their Adopt a Family project.

“Each year, we adopt 15 to 20 families,” she said, adding that when gifts and other donated items totaling around $500 were stolen from the porch of the receiving family, program coordinator and former Executive Director Shoneez Frelin rebought all of the stolen items, ensuring the family had a magical Christmas.

“That’s the kind of people that we have on our board of directors,” she said.

That spirit of community can be contagious with many who previously received assistance from the organization later paying it forward, including Cecilia Olson.

Olson’s husband, Bill, a former football player for Lycoming College before going on to coach at the school for over 40 years, developed Alzheimer’s Disease at the age of 61.

The Olson household was included in the organization’s spring clean up a couple of years ago, which included McMahon.

The team, including college football players, did various tasks around the house for three to fours, at one point being invited to have a rest and some lasagna prepared for them by Cecilia.

“Right next to the kitchen is their living room, and in a hospital bed, one month from the day he dies, is her husband. You don’t want to share your life with that. It’s some of the darkest times in your life, but Cecilia acted like she was honored to have them in the home. She asked if one of the football players could help move Bill up to his bed. As he moved him up, I saw a tear out of his eye,” McMahon said.

Presenting the award to Favors Forward Foundation was Lisa Davis, director of the state Office of Rural Health since 1999, an Associate Professor of Health Policy and Administration at Penn State University, who also oversees coordination of technology, assisting organizations that focus on rural health delivery.

“This award recognizes an exemplary health program that addresses an identified need in a rural community using unique, creative and innovative approaches,” Davis explained.

“It was very clear that this foundation exemplifies the spirit of the Rural Health Program of the Year Award through its compassionate, creative and community driven approaches to addressing health and human service gaps in Lycoming County,” she continued.

“The Favors Forward Foundation has transformed countless lives and built enduring community partnerships that have proven that a genuine human connection is the foundation of lasting rural health and resilience,” Davis said, calling the foundation “a cornerstone of hope and strength for the region.”

“At its heart, Favors Forward, serves as a bridge and a lifeline, connecting individuals and families facing life changing hardships such as illness, disability, domestic violence, homelessness, job loss or the death of a loved one, with volunteers and community resources ready to help,” the director said.

Davis lauded the foundation for its quick response time, often providing assistance within 24 hours of first being made aware of a particular situation.

“Ensuring that immediate needs are met before families spiral into deeper crises that can lead to chronic health issues, heightened stress, hopelessness and long term financial struggles, this rapid response system provides the critical support that’s needed, including basic needs supplies, transportation, home repairs and food assistance,” she said.

“The foundation has served hundreds of residents annually, helping them navigate crises while preserving dignity, stability and health through specialized programs such as the Partners to Promise Youth Initiative and the Adopt a Student Back to School Initiative,” Davis highlighted.

“The foundation addresses the broader social drivers of health that shape well being in rural communities. At its core, the foundation embodies the belief that when a community unites to lift its most vulnerable members, it creates a ripple effect of healing, empowerment and shared humanity that enhances the health and strength of all, ensuring that everybody wins,” the director concluded.