To Matt Brummell, his two years of working at Homeland Center have been “a blessing.”
“It’s like a home environment here,” he says. “It’s a safe space, and there’s a homey spirit to it. Everybody is working together. It’s more like family.”
In the afternoons and evenings, Matt is the friendly guy wearing a colorful shirt and a smile as he greets visitors in Homeland’s 6th Street Kunkel Plaza entrance.
Matt sees himself as a connector, linking residents and their families to whatever they need to make their days better.
“Families come in, and even though they smile, maybe their heart is broken,” he says. “So my service is to make them laugh. I’ve got the joyous spirit. I hear them out. If they have questions about any department here, I work with the families, because this whole building is about the residents.”
Matt joined Homeland in June 2024 when his cousin, who works in Homeland’s kitchen, suggested that he consider serving as a pantry aide. In that job, he interacted directly with residents, asking what they wanted for their meals.
“I love the residents,” he says. “I feel like they’re like my own family. I treat them as my own family. They’re all God’s children.”
From there, Matt worked full time in dietary before learning how to work the front desk, plus a few life tips from Homeland’s longtime, beloved receptionist Ron Clark.
“Even though I’m at the desk, the residents come by and talk,” Matt says.
Matt grew up in Harrisburg, attending Susquehanna Township schools before moving to Central Dauphin East for middle and high school.
“I loved East,” he says. “They accepted me as family. I played football. I wrestled. I did a little bit of track and field. Central Dauphin East taught me about diversity and embracing it, which prepared me for the different cultures I had to embrace in adulthood.”
Although he adds with a laugh, “I didn’t run the 100. I did shot put.”
In his junior year, Matt started pulling closer to God — the beginning of a faith journey that continues to this day. When God told him to quit football at the beginning of his senior year, he did, even though it meant disappointing close family members and coaches.
“At the end of the day, I had to trust God,” he says. “Something that God will tell you to do, mankind will disagree with, and the closest people to you may not understand.”
Matt also did the announcements during his junior and senior years. Being on the microphone helped him connect with people and also prepared him for eventually becoming a receptionist at Homeland.
After graduating, his heart for mission work took him to the Marshall Islands. For a year, he taught children in elementary school. Living in shacks and getting sick made the assignment tough, but he was eager to learn the culture.
“I believe ministry is serving people and how you treat people,” Matt says. “Are you doing the right things even when nobody’s looking, or even when everybody is looking?”
After leaving the Marshall Islands, he encountered another culture shock while attending Bible college in rural Texas.
“They got wasps that are huge, and they’re red!” he recalls. “Everything is big. Even the grasshoppers, they fly at you.”
In Texas, he worked in a warehouse where he did his best to learn Spanish and understand the values of his Mexican co-workers. With his love for different cultures, he even started attending rodeos.
“I didn’t wear cowboy boots and a hat,” he jokes. “Those things take a little longer in Texas.”
Matt’s faith has taught him to “be prepared for every season,” so he felt ready but humble when he stepped into the Homeland receptionist role.
“That’s my service,” he says. “I make people laugh. I give them some joy, and it’s not forced. It’s natural.”
Communication “is key,” he adds. If families aren’t sure where to turn, Matt will call the appropriate Homeland department to make sure they receive the help they need.
Families enjoy returning the laughs and smiles. Walking through the Homeland Florida Room one morning, visitors called him by name and marveled at his eye-catching, spiky shoes that matched his colorful shirt—a look he cultivates every day.
Outside of work, you’ll find Matt at his church, Elevated Life in Christ Community Church. For Matt, going to church is vital for a believer and an important part of living a Christian life.
“As believers, we need fellowship with one another,” Matt says. “We all have some brokenness in us, and we need the church. We cannot walk through this life God has given us alone. Even Jesus had His disciples. We need people around us who will encourage us, strengthen our faith, and help us continue growing in Christ. Man was never meant to be alone.”
That belief in Christian fellowship, service and caring for others ties directly back to Matt’s role at Homeland.
“We all need somebody,” Matt says. “The residents need our help. We have to be there to assist them in any way possible. If I can’t do it because I can’t leave the desk, I’m going to call somebody to let them know, because this is their home, and they need somebody.”
For Matt, serving the residents is more than simply doing a job. It reflects the same Christian principle he strives to live by both inside and outside of church: serving others and treating people with love, compassion and respect.
“We’re here to serve them.”
