Judy McGovern has always been a people person.


From managing social establishments throughout her life where she connected with her customers, to now serving as the head of the social committee at Landis Place on King, Judy seeks out connections and community wherever she goes.


J


udy moved to Landis Place on King in June of 2023 and immediately felt right at home. She’d been craving the kind of connections available at Landis Place


on King. “Here, I found a community I can get involved in!” she said.


When she first moved in, she admits that she visited the original manager’s office several times to ask if she could coordinate different events for the residents. “Tat led to becoming head of the social committee,” she recalled. Bringing people together has always been a special gift of hers and it fills her with joy to forge new friendships.


Now the social committee includes other residents who share her passion for deep relationships and meaningful community. Tose residents help her organize community building events. Some of these events are for connection and some are to serve others. Te committee has organized food drives in the past and Judy hopes to institute even more food drives in the building in the future as a way to show care and thoughtfulness for others.


To plan what is important to her neighbors, Judy engages in what she refers to as Chit Chat Tuesdays, when she walks around the building, spends time in the lobby, and


14 • Landis.org | FLOURISH | Spring 2026


restocks and reorders for the communal coffee station. Information about events is then communicated via flyers, word of mouth, and emails. Judy estimates that at any given activity, 30 to 50 percent of Landis Place on King residents participate.


Te social connections and community that Judy has developed at Landis Place on King have proven to be invaluable to her, especially as she strives to be as independent as she can possibly be. Judy has inclusion body myositis (IBM), a rare progressive disease that affects the muscles. Judy was widowed 14 years ago when her husband passed away from early onset Alzheimer’s in his fifties. Although she has support from her son, three stepchildren, and a grandson, she is grateful for the rich community found in neighbors at Landis Place on King, and with the Lancaster Downtowners, where transportation has been a significant blessing for her.


According to Judy, the Downtowners is a great place to find community, especially for someone who is living in Lancaster City for the very first time. Trough the Downtowners, and with her neighbors at Landis Place on King, Judy has opportunities to meet new people and enjoy all of the art, experiences, and architecture Lancaster has to offer!


Te community and camaraderie that Judy has found and facilitated are her favorite aspects of living at Landis Place on King. “We want the surrounding community to know that we’re neighbors helping neighbors,” she said, “and it is the people who make a place home.”


Lancaster Downtowners is an independent non-profit organization that engages in a collaborative partnership with Landis Communities via a Management Services Agreement to facilitate office space, Human Resources for staff, and consultation with select centralized services.


CULTIVATING COMMUNITY


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20