The Homeless Advocacy Board is a community outreach program of the Lancaster Moravian Church. To donate in support of our work, enter HAB in the special instructions field on the Lancaster Moravian online giving site.
About Us
Our Mission
Through lived experience, we advocate for unhoused people to remove the stigma of homelessness (and fight for more resources and services for those who need them while pushing for systemic change).
Our Board Members
Dave Anctil spent more than three years sleeping first in the cemetery and then in the park. He now lives in a small apartment in the city but spends a great deal of time out on the streets telling folks what resources are available. He has a knack for making connections. Dave loves to talk about how we can take care of our planet and different spiritual viewpoints. He is a founding member of the Homeless Advocacy Board.
David Nagel is a founding member of the Homeless Advocacy Board. After spending a couple of weeks on the street and a brief period of time in the emergency shelter, David made his way to Water Street Mission. In December of 2024, he moved into his own apartment. David is fluent in Spanish and has used that skill to teach Spanish classes as well as offering tutoring and interpreting services. David pays attention to detail and has his finger on the pulse of what is happening politically in our community. He serves on the Steering Committee for the Coalition to End Homelessness and its Grants Subcommittee.
Mirta Galarza is the newest member of the Homeless Advocacy Board. Her tell-it-like-it-is personality, along with her nonjudgmental and ever-caring demeanor, are welcome gifts to the group. Mirta is 10 months clean from alcohol and has moved into a shared living placement after several years of homelessness. She enjoys spending time on the porch with friends and reading. She is affectionately viewed by many as a second mom.
Mandy Mastros has been the pastor of the Lancaster Moravian Church and an outreach worker for the city of Lancaster since 2017. She was born and raised in Lancaster County and loves her community. She completed her doctorate at Lancaster Theological Seminary in 2025 with a focus on the inclusion of individuals with a lived experience of homelessness on the boards of non-profits that serve them. It was from that project that the Homeless Advocacy Board was born. She feels blessed to work with such an amazing group of individuals.
Rodney Moore is a vital part of the Homeless Advocacy Board. Rodney was street homeless for several months before moving into an emergency shelter. From there, he moved into a rooming house and has since moved into a bigger space and adopted a dog named Oreo. He is also an active member of the Lancaster Moravian Church and uses his culinary gifts at meals and cookouts. He wants to use his experiences to help others understand the ways people end up homeless and how to help them.