History

Our beginnings were modest, our mission unwavering.

On April 29, 1959, Lutheran lay people, clergy, builders and guests gathered together in York for a program of dedication for the York Lutheran Home for the Aged. That day of dedication marked the beginning of SpiriTrust Lutheran^® as we know it today. Forward thinking pioneers in social ministry, however, actually had begun the process in 1950 when they studied the needs of families and the elderly in their community and then reached out to meet those needs.

Sister Charlotte Weissgerber, a prominent social service worker from Philadelphia, came to York in 1951 as the first executive director of Lutheran Welfare Service. The fledgling operation began with $9,000 and a modest office on Market Street in York. In the counties west of York, the Lutheran Inner Mission was providing similar services for individuals and families.

In 1965, Lutheran Welfare Service merged with the Lutheran Inner Mission to provide additional services throughout the entire south central Pennsylvania region. In 1995, our organization became Lutheran Social Services of South Central Pennsylvania, a name that served us well for almost two decades.

Today, SpiriTrust Lutheran is one of the leading not-for-profit organizations in the region serving nearly 6,400 people each year.