Keeping It in the Family

Family is everything for Masonic Children’s Home alumnus Danielle Leach. Thanks to the care and support of staff and donors, she has the determination and resources to give back where it matters most.

Originally from Middletown, Danielle could most often be found playing outside, coloring and watching TV with her three sisters, Dana, Cynthia and Melissa. Though their world was tumultuous at times, Danielle credits their bond for helping them through the toughest times.

“Being together made us feel safe, and it still does,” she said. “They are my best friends.”
Danielle, along with her sisters, first moved to the children’s home in 1998. Due to space available, the sisters were separated into two cottages, which was tough for the girls.

“I remember so much about moving to the children’s home,” she said. “At first, it was very scary.”

Just 8 years old on the day she arrived, Danielle’s fears subsided when she met house parent Diana Reigner, who would become one of her favorite “mothers” at the children’s home.

However, Danielle was still nervous about meeting her cottage mates when they returned from school for the day. She immediately noticed she was much — younger and quieter — than the girls who flooded into the kitchen that afternoon.

“They were so loud, and it seemed like there were so many, though I think there were only six other girls,” she said. “They didn’t notice us right away in the hallway, until Ebony turned and yelled, ‘Aw, they’re so cute!’”

The following Saturday, Danielle would meet her “second, equally fantastic ‘mom,’” Nancy Harlow, who informed the girls they were watching cartoons incorrectly.

“She plopped herself down on the floor on her stomach, with her head in her hands and her feet in the air, and told us to come join her. She was so fun!” Danielle recalled.

From there, Danielle settled into her new home and soon became accustomed to her cottage mates and their noise, to which she happily added. Her time at the children’s home changed Danielle in more ways than one, as her new “sisters” and dedicated staff became like a family to her.

“Miss Harlow and Miss Mac would sing on Saturday mornings — they made me a morning person. I loved those Saturdays,” Danielle recalled. “Mr. Shaffer would always take us skating on Friday nights, to Roots on Tuesday evening for fries and ice cream and to the Fudgery in Baltimore to see Dru Hill sing. He was our weekend ‘dad.’”

As she neared high school graduation, Danielle wasn’t sure what she wanted to do. A marriage, two kids and three moves later, she found herself back in Elizabethtown in 2018, this time with a family of her own and in need of a job.

“I started working at Masonic Village in the environmental services department cleaning some of the new cottages,” she said. “I was just looking for a job where I could help people, and I figured, why not work at home?”

Just a year after joining the environmental services team, Danielle felt ready for a new challenge, where she could take a more hands-on role in assisting and caring for residents. She registered for a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) class on campus in 2019 and has been employed in the department ever since.

“I was actually nervous I wouldn’t be able to handle this job, but here I am three years later,” she said. “I’ve grown so much from being a CNA, and now I’m ready to take it a step further and go to practical nursing school this winter.”

Since returning to Masonic Village for work, Danielle’s familiar commute reminds her of the family she made at the children’s home.

“Driving up the main entrance past all the trees was always like coming home,” she said. “After four years, that has changed a bit — now it’s also the route to work.”

Today, Danielle enjoys spending time with her husband, Sam, and their two sons, Sam Jr. and Jeremiah, usually doing outdoor activities.

“All of my current hobbies include doing things with my family,” Danielle said. “We camp a lot and spend as much time as we can with my sisters and their kids. I know the only people in the world who had the same childhood experience are my sisters, and that has kept us close to each other, even after all these years.”

While Danielle’s own family has certainly grown over the years, she is thankful to donors of the Masonic Children’s Home for giving her the opportunity to include house parents, cottage mates and campus staff among those she treasures most.

“I am so grateful my sisters and I had the opportunity to live in a safe, healthy and happy home with so many great resources,” she said. “Now, as adults, we do everything in our power to make sure our children are loved, well taken care of and feel safe and happy.”

Danielle is excited for another new transition on the horizon. “My husband and I are also planning on buying our first house soon,” she said. “For now, I’m just hoping to do a good job at raising my children to be good people.”