Empathy is a powerful subject for leaders according to Virginia “Ginny” Harriger ’24 M.S., who recently completed Wilson’s Master of Organizational Leadership program in Spring 2024. One of the program requirements is a course in empathy which for Harriger turned out to be the most impactful class in the program and the one that led her to define her graduate project. “It is such a powerful subject for leaders, trying to understand where someone is coming from rather than imposing everything you feel on someone without knowing their situation. I thought that was a phenomenal course,” she said.
By day, Harriger is the executive director of the Greater Chambersburg Chamber Foundation, where she brings non-profit, educational, and business partners into the chamber leadership programming that is run by the foundation. In her personal life, Harriger, a native of Lancaster County, Pa., earned her bachelor’s degree in public relations and marketing from Juniata College. She and her family moved to Chambersburg in 1996 when her husband, Dana, accepted a faculty position at Wilson and they still reside in the borough, though he now teaches at Harrisburg University of Science and Technology. They attend Central Presbyterian Church in Chambersburg where she volunteers with their Diaper Depot ministry that offers free diapers to qualifying area residents each month. This organization became the focus of her master’s project as she realized, and empathized with, the importance of its mission.
The success of the Diaper Depot stems largely from its collaborative nature. By partnering with various organizations, such as local farmers, the Lions Club, and Kiwanis, the initiative provides not only diapers but also additional resources like breakfast, fresh produce, and winter clothing to community members in need. Beyond those services, its organizers have had little time to search for new opportunities for the community. However, with Harriger’s assistance and as a part of her master’s project, the Diaper Depot team was able to identify new avenues to expand their services.
Rather than organizing a single large event, Diaper Depot opted for a layered approach, introducing two or three new, different services each month. This strategy allowed for continuous engagement with the community and ensured that families could access resources without feeling overwhelmed; notably by including local health services, such as drug and alcohol rehabilitation awareness; information on prescription drug safety and disposal; and the distribution of materials for home safety and wellness. By fostering a compassionate environment and understanding the needs of families in the community, the organization now not only provides essential resources but also creates a supportive network for those in need.
Part of what Harriger said she learned about herself in the classroom was what she was able to experience through the project. “I am so task driven that sometimes I forget that as a leader you have to bring other people in,” she said. “With this project, I was helping the organization, and I was learning from it. I got away from trying to do everything myself and became a different type of leader.”
Engaging the Youth of Franklin County
One program Harriger supports through her role with the Greater Chambersburg Chamber Foundation is Leadership Franklin County Youth (LFCY). Founded in 2009, the mission of LFCY is to invest in promising high school sophomores from public, private, and home-schools, by providing them with the tools to emerge as leaders in their personal lives, schools, and communities. Key curriculum components are leadership skills development, community awareness, and service learning.
Competitive selection of participants includes an application and interview with LFCY committee members. The committee selects up to 25 students from across Franklin County to take part in the year-long program. Activities start with an orientation in May and a daylong retreat in June, followed by monthly sessions from September through April, where participants learn how to become engaged in responsible, ethical, and effective leadership.
Each year, Wilson College sponsors this program and provides space on campus for the monthly sessions. “Wilson’s been a phenomenal partner with us and the students love coming to campus,” said Harriger. “Holding the sessions on Wilson’s campus really expands the students’ purview of learning. It allows the students to see themselves in that world, too, which is good for them to see.”
For more information, visit Chambersburg.org/leadership.
