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Our Mission
To rebuild communities by helping families find housing and financial solutions.
Our Vision To rebuild communities by serving as the recognized, premier housing and budget counseling organization in central Pennsylvania.
Our Heritage
In 1968 Tabor was founded by members of the Mennonite community to help people help themselves, assisting low-income families in managing their finances and assisting them in buying their first home.
Since that time Tabor has added an array of services that help people solve their budget and housing problems.
Read more of our History
- Founding Purpose
"We believe that the New Testament teaches Christians to be concerned with meeting the needs of persons; that others best understand the love of God in the context of action; and that the call to be peacemakers requires us to help remove the barriers that separate us from one another, as well as those that separate us from God. In response to the call to be peacemakers, we commit ourselves to combat disruptive forces that mar peaceful existence in the community. Among those forces destructive to peace are racial discrimination and inadequate food, clothing and shelter. We offer our energies and resources to work at the problems of poverty and racial discrimination. We hope, by promoting peace in the community through alleviating conditions which breed resentment, hatred, crime and violence, to give witness to the love of Christ."
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- Timeline
Click on "Timeline" for a full timeline of Tabor.
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- Recent Program Developments
- East King Improvement District (EKID)
- In 2004, Tabor collaborated with five other local agencies to launch the East King Improvement District, a comprehensive community revitalization effort in the City's eastern end along the East King Street corridor. EKID's Neighborhood Center and staff offices are housed in an annex adjacent to Tabor's Eastern Market building.
- Transitional Living Center (TLC)
- In 2004 Tabor also merged with Transitional Living Center (formerly Harb-Adult) to provide 54 rooms along with case management and supportive services for homeless individuals, couples, and families.
- Beth Shalom
- Also in 2006, Tabor merged with Beth Shalom, a program which offers transitional housing (five apartments) coupled with supportive services and case management for women exiting prison and their children. The Beth Shalom apartments were extensively renovated by Habitat from Humanity and opened in December 2007.
- Community Homeless Outreach Center of Lancaster County (CHOC)
- In December 2007, Tabor, in conjunction with Water St Rescue Mission, launched Lancaster's Community Homeless Outreach Center (CHOC), a day-time refuge for those experiencing homelessness. Its open doors allow people to relax, grab a snack, use a restroom and gather resources to help end their homelessness.
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- Today
 Today Tabor provides a wide array of services in four key program areas: housing counseling, financial counseling, supportive housing, and community development.
Tabor is the only County agency which offers a continuum of services, making it possible to come to Tabor homeless, participate in our financial and housing counseling programs, and exit our programs as a homeowner. Tabor currently manages over 4,000 family cases, involving over 10,000 individuals, in Lancaster County, PA, per year.
- Click here to View the Annual Report
Adobe Reader, a free program, is required to open the above PDF file.
Click here to download Adobe Reader.
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- Accreditations, Awards, and Anniversaries
 Tabor became a HUD approved counseling agency in 1971, a member of the National Foundation for Consumer Credit in 1988, and accredited through the Council on Accreditation in 1998.
Tabor was named National Foundation for Consumer Credit National Pace Award Winner - 2001 Agency of the Year.
2008 was Tabor's 40th anniversary! Tabor has been privileged to be trusted with family and community revitalization for so long.
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- Tabor's Name & Mt Tabor History
- - Geography
 Orie Miller proposed Menno Housing's nonprofit agency should be named Tabor Community Services. The name is a reference to Mount Tabor located in Lower Galilee at the eastern end of the Jezreel Valley in Israel.1
Photo: Todd Bolen, "Mt Tabor from Nazareth ridge," retrieved Feb 2009.
- - Biblical References
 The mountain has a long biblical history, including serving as the site for an important military victory for Israel. In Jeremiah, the mountain is mentioned as an easily recognizable and important landmark: "'As I live,' declares the King whose name is the Lord of hosts, 'Surely one shall come who looms up like Tabor among the mountains..." (46:18a NASB)
Folklore and oral tradition also speculate Mount Tabor was the site of the transfiguration. In the Gospels according to Saints Matthew, Mark, and Luke while Jesus and his disciples were traveling from Caesarea Philippi to Capernaum, Jesus took Peter, James, and John onto a high mountain to pray. While they were praying Elijah and Moses appeared with Jesus to the disciples. Peter offered to build a shelter for each person in the transfiguration. Instead, the voice of God countered, the disciples should listen to Jesus rather than build him a home.1
Photo: David Landis, "Tabor-1," retrieved Feb 2009. Shows the entrance to Mt. Tabor.
- - Founders' Interpretation
 The Bible does not state the transfiguration happened on Mount Tabor and it is very unlikely Mount Tabor was the site of the transfiguration. Despite the lack of scriptural reference and historical evidence about Mount Tabor as the site for the transfiguration, the point of the story as the founders of Tabor Community Services saw it was that Peter offered to build a shelter for Jesus but was told instead to listen to Jesus, which according to their interpretation meant that a better way to build for Jesus was building for those who needed housing. Explaining this connection, founder A. Grace Wenger maintains Jesus summarized this idea in these words, "Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." (Mt 25:40)1 Photo: Ofir Ben Tov, Untitled. retrieved Feb 2009. Shows the road up Mt Tabor.
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- Tabor's Name: Acronyms1
1982-1986
In 1982, executive director Nevin Horst made the name Tabor into an acronym, assigning the following meaning for each letter:
T=Teaches: Giving cash assistance or free housing is not sufficient. By giving limited cash assistance in emergencies coupled with education TABOR works at preventing the causes of homelessness, teaching the families skills to control personal finances and pay housing costs on time.
A=Advocates: Most people would like to ignore the needs of the homeless or do more "band-aiding." TABOR being aware of the needs of the homeless brings these needs to the attention of government, business, and community in ways to effectively meet these needs - being an advocate on behalf of our clients.
B=Brothers: The homeless or financially troubled do not need a lecture but an understanding person to "walk" with them, to show the way to break the cycle of dependency. TABOR is a brother.
O=Obeys: TABOR board and management accepts their mission as being obedient to the Gospel mandate of "giving shelter to the stranger." Christians are concerned with meeting the total needs of persons. Others best understand the love of God in the context of action. The call to be peacemakers means to help remove the barriers that separate man from man as well as from God.
R=Rekindles: Hope is rekindled, people's eyes light up when they realize someone cares, someone will help them "house themselves," and break the downward spiral. TABOR rekindles hope.
1991-
The Horst acronym for Tabor was used from 1982-1986; then in 1991, a whole new acronym was designed for TABOR:
T=Tabor,
A=Advocating,
B=Bridging,
O=Obeying,
R=Renewing Hope.
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- Published History
 Jean-Paul Benowitz recently completed a 40-year history of Tabor. He is on the faculty at Elizabethtown College in the Department of History, Lebanon Valley College in the Departments of History and American Studies, and Penn State University Harrisburg School of Humanities & School of Public Affairs.
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- Histories of Beth Shalom & TLC
Two of Tabor's programs started as separate organizations. To read about their histories, click on the links below:
History of Beth Shalom
History of Transitional Living Center
1Paragraphs quoted from Jean-Paul Benowitz, "Make Yourself At Home: Tabor Community Services: Housing and Financial Counseling: Forty Years of Rebuilding Lives and Community, 1968-2008," 2008.
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