Sometimes the Greatest Convenience Is Knowing You’re Not Alone

When Jill Weisberg moved to Landis Place on King in March 2025, she was looking forward to everything downtown Lancaster had to offer. What she didn’t expect was discovering a resource that would make everyday life even easier.

Just a few months after settling into her third-floor apartment, a conversation with a Lancaster Downtowners ambassador introduced her to the organization’s Just One Call service. Today, it’s one of the amenities she appreciates most.

 

“I just love it!” Jill says simply. At first, the service solved a practical need: transportation. Like many older adults, Jill found herself juggling numerous medical and dental appointments. While she still appreciates the public transportation options she had been using, Just One Call offered something different.

“It’s much nicer,” she explains. “You get to meet the driver and chat with them. They’re residents just like you or people who live nearby.”

But, it turns out, transportation is only the beginning!

Through an online request system—or by phone for those who prefer it—members can ask for help with a wide variety of everyday tasks. Volunteers with different skills step in whenever they can, creating a community where neighbors truly help neighbors.

Jill experienced that firsthand after an unexpected accident that broke her TV. Suddenly she had two problems: getting rid of the broken television and setting up the replacement! She submitted a request through Just One Call, hoping someone might be available to help. Within just a few days, volunteers had removed the damaged television, taken it to be recycled, and returned with friends to install the new one.

“It was remarkable,” Jill says. “A few days later, I had a working TV again!”

She has also discovered that the network includes volunteers with technical expertise who help members troubleshoot computers, printers, and other technology challenges. Need assistance with a household task? A ride? Help figuring out a device? Chances are someone in the community has the skills and is willing to lend a hand.

“It really is marvelous,” Jill says.

Perhaps that’s what makes life at Landis Place on King so distinctive. Residents enjoy the excitement of downtown Lancaster, but they’re also connected to an extended network of services, volunteers, and caring neighbors through partnerships like Lancaster Downtowners.

It’s the kind of support that can’t be measured by square footage or amenities alone.

Sometimes, the greatest convenience isn’t simply having help available… It’s knowing that when life throws you an unexpected challenge, you have to make just one call!