Elizabethtown College Psychology major Jonah McDonald ’28 is using his passion for performing arts to host multiple on-and-off campus benefit concerts in support of local homeless shelters and outreach centers.
McDonald, an Etown Stamps Scholar, launched his first benefit concert in August 2022 to support often-overlooked and underserved members of the community. The event benefits LifePath Christian Ministries, a York-based organization that provides food and shelter to people experiencing homelessness and partners closely with his local church.
“These events are always the highlight of my year,” McDonald said. “Not only are they life-giving for me, but they also show people experiencing homelessness that we care. I have spoken with many residents of the LifePath shelters who have personally told me how much these benefit concerts mean to them.”
The fifth annual LifePath Benefit Concert will take place on Saturday, Aug. 8, at Church of the Open-Door East York Campus in York, Pa., at 7 p.m., featuring 10 local performers, along with catering services and raffle opportunities.
McDonald, who works as a professional actor, approached his growing network of fellow performers with a proposal to perform at the event and began securing event sponsors. The event proved successful, exceeding the initial fundraising goal by nearly $1,000. Over the past four years, the event has continued to expand, raising over $10,000 for LifePath Christian Ministries.
In November 2025, McDonald continued his philanthropic pursuits on campus, hosting the first-annual ECHOS Benefit Concert with all proceeds supporting ECHOS Lancaster, a local community housing and outreach center. Individual student performers, as well as student-led a cappella ensembles, were featured at last year’s event.
The second annual ECHOS Benefit concert, occurring in Etown’s Leffler Chapel and Performance Center on Friday, Oct. 16, will take on a larger scale and feature a growing number of performers.
Working as a professional actor in television, film, and theater, McDonald has been featured in numerous NBC, HBO, and CBS series, as well as various local theater productions. McDonald is also an active participant on campus, serving as a Peer Mentor and academic tutor. He mentors young aspiring actors as an acting coach and director at local children’s theater camps.
