Echo Winter 2025 - 9

nonprofit developed a close partnership with
Millersville University (MU) and offers several
services, many of which cater to the physical
needs of students.
Nearly one-third of MU students are food
insecure. The Campus Cupboard, located
within The HUB, exists to ensure that MU
students have enough food to eat, distributing
over 400 pounds of food to students each
week. The shelves are stocked with canned
goods, frozen meals, fresh produce and
hygiene products, which are available to
students at no cost.
" We have a very good relationship with
[MU], " said HUB Director and LBC grad Jacob
Marino ('12 & '14), " which is very unique
because we're an unapologetically Christian
organization and Millersville University is an
unapologetically secular organization. "
HUB volunteers serve free meals in the
café three times a week, including Taco
Tuesday and Thursday Lunch. A beloved
LBC tradition-Late Night Breakfast-was the
model for The HUB's French Toast Fridays,
where students can enjoy breakfast food
and live music from 9 p.m. to midnight. The
introduction of game nights in The HUB's
living room began from a student's passion
to reach gamers for Jesus.
" Everything that happened in this space
was because someone had a heartbeat for
reaching people in a certain area, " said Vicki,
adding that at the heart of every offering at
The HUB is the desire to start conversations
with people, focusing on gospel, community
and mission.
" You look at what we do here, it's not rocket
science, " stated Jacob. " But, for us, it's a really
organic and effective way to make disciples of
people who are hostile toward the gospel or
don't know Jesus. It's a very secular university.
The only way you're going to have a gospelcentered
conversation is if you build the
relationship first. So what we do is set the
table. We do what Jesus did, and we invite
them to eat with us. "
In the summer of 2021, Ed passed away
unexpectedly following a heart attack.
Then-widowed with five children to care for,
Vicki questioned how they would continue
at The HUB without Ed. However, she had
a realization that helped set the course for
a way forward. " As unique as Ed was, we
all have the same spirit, " she expressed. " So
whatever God was up to before, God is still
doing what God set out to do. "
It looks different than what they originally
planned, but God was still moving. When Ed
passed, the church that owned the building
at the time-First United Methodist-was
readying to sell, and Ed had received approval
from The HUB board to purchase it, granted it
received nonprofit status and raised $750,000.
After Ed's death, Jacob-who had been hired
shortly after Ed-asked Vicki for her blessing
to step into Ed's role as HUB Director and
usher forward a new era of the organization,
which meant tackling a massive undertaking.
Jacob recalls one person coming up to him
and saying, " Hey, this was impossible to begin
with, but I thought with Ed, it might have
been possible-and you're not Ed. "
" I wasn't even mad, " Jacob said with a
chuckle. " I was like, 'You are right.' "
But with the help of The HUB team and
board, community, local churches,
organizations and donors, Jacob and Vicki
accomplished the next steps. Partnering with
Millersville Bible Church to purchase the
building jointly, they made it happen, officially
launching The HUB as a nonprofit and giving
it a permanent home.
" I desire for people to know we are
unapologetically mission-oriented, " Jacob
said. " We exist as a mission, not in just
providing people with physical needs-
that's an important part of hospitality-but
hospitality is our missional strategy. A lot
of where we are is because of what God
brought to us. "
The HUB is true to its name, bringing together
students from all backgrounds and walks of
life-many of whom would never voluntarily
walk through the doors of a church. There
have been believers and nonbelievers,
Muslims, Hindus and members of the LGBTQ+
community, among others.
" They keep coming back, " Jacob said. " I don't
know if it's because of the free food or the
spiritual meeting, but either way, they're there.
God has brought us through so much that we
have no excuse not to demonstrate faith in
how we walk and live as a ministry. "
Either way, The HUB continues to welcome
all students while wielding hospitality as its
" primary weapon for the gospel, " as Jacob says.
" It's the melting pot of campus, " said Vicki.
" Students drop their labels at the door and are
just human beings. "
While two LBC alumni run The HUB,
three current students are also involved
with the ministry. James " Dryver "
Henderson ('27) volunteers with
The HUB while pursuing his Master
of Divinity at LBC. Tyriq Clark ('26) is
working toward his Doctor of Ministry
while serving as The HUB's Director of
Discipleship.
Brayde Erb ('25), above, a Business
Administration major, grew up in
the church that used to operate the
building The HUB now occupies.
Over the years, he became friends
with Jacob Marino ('12 & '14), The
HUB's Director, who offered him the
opportunity to work as the bookkeeper
for the nonprofit. As The HUB's
Financial Admin, Brayde tracks costs
and income, manages the budget and
provides reports to increase visibility
to grant writers.
" As a current business student at LBC,
my finance professors equipped me
with a great grasp on the financial and
accounting principles needed for every
aspect of generating reports for The
HUB, " Brayde explained. " Some notable
courses like Finance and Financial
Modeling have taught me how to
understand profit and loss statements,
balance sheets and cash flows, which
have been essential to the financial
process at The HUB. "
ECHO 9
Echo Winter 2025

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Echo Winter 2025
