Lackawanna College Receives Grant Lackawanna College was awarded a $5,142 grant from the Dollar General Literacy Foundation to support adult literacy. Funds will be used to offer two free English as a Second Language (ESL) programs for Spanish speakers at its Hazleton Center in the summer and fall of 2022. This local grant is part of the Dollar General Literacy Foundation’s recent award of a $10.5 million donation to support summer, family, and adult literacy programs, representing the organization’s largest one-day grant donation in its 29-year history. “We are proud to continue our partnership with Dollar General,” said Casey Weisbeck, manager of the Lackawanna Language Academy (LLA) at the Hazleton Center. “The grant removes a significant financial barrier, giving Spanish speakers with little to no English proficiency access to educational resources. This opportunity opens the door for furthering their education, providing a pathway for future success in our Hazleton community.” Coordinated by the (LLA), the ESL classes will be offered in the summer and fall of 2022 and assist Spanish-speaking students with limited or no English proficiency. ESL classes will benefit 48 Hazleton residents. The 10-week evening courses will be in-person with take-home lessons. After completing the program, students will be eligible for Lackawanna College’s English Proficiency certificate program, an 18-credit program that continues English language learning and prepares students for college-level work. “For nearly 30 years, the Dollar General Literacy Foundation has been proud to invest in literacy and education programs in our hometown communities,” said Denine Torr, executive director of the Dollar General Literacy Foundation. “The recent and significant shifts in the educational landscape have made the Foundation’s mission more critically important. As we work to create access to high-quality instruction for all individuals, we share our gratitude for the educators who are working to uplift and empower others. We hope these funds will have a meaningful impact on students and teachers across the country and look forward to seeing the positive impact they have on learners.”
Drive Your Business Forward With UGI Incentives Are you looking to grow or expand your existing business? The UGI Save Smart Home Energy Upgrades Program is searching for new contractors to join the program to offer UGI customers home energy evaluations and financial incentives when completing insulation and air sealing work. Offering energy efficiency services can expand your business, while UGI rebates can help increase your customer conversion rate. Over the last two years, UGI has paid over $280,000 in homeowner incentives and serviced nearly 500 homes! What type of work is involved? Participating contractors perform home energy evaluations, provide energy savings kits to customers, and offer energy efficiency recommendations for customers to improve their home’s energy efficiency and comfort. Customers who pursue insulation and air sealing work are provided incentives of 25% of cost up to $2,500. What is required to participate? UGI Save Smart Home Energy Upgrades participating contractors must be BPI-Certified, have a PAHIC license number and work within the UGI Gas service territory in Pennsylvania. Learn more about how to become a BPI-Certified contractor. The UGI Save Smart Home Energy Upgrades Program incentives are summarized below: Assessment: Customer cost = $50 paid to participating contractorUGI incentive = $150 paid to participating contractor Upgrades: Air sealing & insulation – 25% of installed job cost up to $2,500 Contact Rob DiVenere at rdivenere@psdconsulting.com or (302) 379-2163 to learn more.
Hooked on State Street Free Meals for Father’s Day Hooked on State Street is spreading the love with free meals for those who need them this Father’s Day. The free fish & fries will be served from 11am-3pm on June 19th in front of the Hooked on State Street Restaurant in Clarks Summit. UPDATE: Due to a mechanical issue with our food truck our fish n fry giveaway headquarter will be moved from The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce Building to the Hooked on State Street restaurant in Clarks Summit on Sunday. Our doors will be open 11-4.
Camp Bow Wow is Hiring Camp Bow Wow is hiring for the following positions: lead camp counselor, camp counselor and dog groomer. Apply now on the Chamber Job Board.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of NEPA to Host Rhythm and Wine Festival Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northeastern Pennsylvania is excited to announce its 2nd Annual Rhythm & Wine Festival on Saturday, August 27 from 12-4pm. The event will be held again this year at the Moonlite Drive-In, 1190 Shoemaker Ave., West Wyoming. This year’s presenting sponsor is M&T Bank. Come join us for a fun-filled afternoon with your friends, family, or business partners to enjoy a variety of wineries, cideries, breweries, food vendors and live music. Back by popular demand is the contemporary rock band, “Down by Five.” Festival chair Dave Kuharchik says “We’re excited to have this fun event returning for 2022 after a successful first year. All proceeds benefit critical one on one mentoring relationships through Big Brothers Big Sisters of NEPA. Please consider supporting this great cause.” Our alcohol distributing vendors include Deep Roots Hard Cider, Staggering Unicorn, Stone Lake Winery, Lucchi Family Cellars, Susquehanna Brewing Company, Nomad Distilling Company, Case Quattro Winery, and Bartolai Winery. Food vendors include, Keystone Farms and Cheese, Fondippity, Sugar Plum Chocolates, Pittston Popcorn, Yogi’s Potato Pancakes, Marianacci’s Restaurant, and Fiamma Rosa. General Admission Price is $40 (includes drink samples, & tasting glass). Designated driver tickets are just $10. General parking is $10. VIP Parking is $20 (limited to 100 spots – includes a tailgate spot & closest spots to the music stage.) Tickets can be purchased online at: www.bbbsnepa.org. Tickets go on sale Monday, June 6th. If you are interested being a sponsor for Rhythm & Wine, please contact Camille Sicolo at csicolo@bbbsnepa.org or visit www.bbbsnepa.org.
Pennsylvania American Water Announces Water Storage Upgrades Pennsylvania American Water announced its 2022 plans to rehabilitate 14 of its water storage tanks and construct seven new structures. Pennsylvania American Water’s tank rehabilitation program of inspecting, sandblasting, and repainting tanks extends their service lives and helps protect water quality. The total cost of the company’s water storage improvements this year is approximately $16.5 million. “Storage tanks are critical to meeting the supply demands of our customers and providing fire protection for our communities,” said Pennsylvania American Water President Mike Doran. “Properly and proactively maintaining tanks benefits our customers because of the cost efficiencies we can achieve by rehabilitating rather than replacing them.” This year, the company will rehabilitate and repaint ground storage tanks in the following municipalities: Bradford Township, Clearfield County – 500,000-gallon City of Uniontown, Fayette County – 1.3 million-gallonClarks Green Borough, Lackawanna County – 300,000-gallonCross Creek Township, Washington County – 1 million-gallonEast Buffalo Township, Union County – 1 million-gallonEast Norriton Township, Montgomery County – 2.8 million-gallonLake Heritage, Adams County – 60,000-gallonLower Allen Township, Cumberland County – 3 million-gallonMount Pocono Borough, Monroe County – 108,000-gallon North Sewickley Township, Beaver County – 300,000-gallonSpring Township, Berks County – 250,000-gallonTurbotville Borough, Northumberland County – 298,000-gallonUnion Township, Washington County – 5 million-gallonUnion Township, Washington County – 500,000-gallon To rehabilitate the tanks, crews will strip the original paint and apply a new coating, which serves as a protective barrier that prevents the steel from rusting and impacting water quality. During construction, customers should not experience impacts on their water service. The company also is constructing seven new ground storage tanks in the following municipalities to provide additional water storage capacity, which will help the company continue to deliver reliable water service to meet customer demand and provide fire protection: Luzerne Township, Fayette County – 560,000-gallonWhite Township, Indiana County – 250,000-gallonJackson Township, Luzerne County – 109,000-gallonCoolbaugh Township, Monroe County– 200,000-gallonParkesburg Borough, Chester County – Two 1 million-gallon tanksParkesburg Borough, Chester County – 750,000-gallon
Geisinger Breaks Ground on Next Cancer Center in Dickson City Geisinger broke ground on a state-of-the art cancer center today, expanding services in Lackawanna County. The center will offer more appointments in the community while keeping world-class cancer care closer to home. The need for cancer care continues to grow in Lackawanna County and is expected to increase over the next four years. Currently, one-in-five patients leave the county to receive care. The planned 55,000-square-foot facility will provide a broader spectrum of services while opening up Geisinger Community Medical Center in Scranton for the hospital to explore more acute care options. “The expansion of cancer care into Lackawanna County allows us to provide more world-class cancer services and contribute to a healthier, more vibrant community,” said Ron Beer, chief administrative officer of Geisinger’s northeast region. “We have served northeastern Pennsylvania for 40 years, and this investment is further proof that we intend to care for and grow with our communities for many years to come.” When the center opens in late 2023, it will be home to 22 infusion bays, three multidisciplinary spaces and a hematology and oncology clinic with 17 exam rooms. The Dickson City facility will also provide radiation oncology — a first for Geisinger in Lackawanna County — a pharmacy, laboratory services and palliative medicine. It will also be home to a variety of patient amenities including food services and a coffee bar, a specialty boutique and a courtyard with lush gardens and natural views. The new cancer center will complement the care already offered at the recently expanded Frank M. and Dorothea Henry Cancer Center at Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center in Wilkes-Barre and its capacity for inpatient care. It will give our patients and caregivers the option of staying in the area to receive the level of care found in any major hub city. At the Henry Cancer Center, patients can receive inpatient treatment for complex blood cancers like leukemia and aggressive lymphoma. Together, the centers house a regional cancer program that offers everything a patient needs right in NEPA. “Adding this new facility is another step toward making sure patients never have to leave the region for outstanding care,” said Rajiv Panikkar, M.D., chair of the Geisinger Cancer Institute. “The cancer program at Geisinger features top-tier providers and comprehensive care teams, and allows for leading-edge treatment, advanced technologies and clinical trials.” To learn more about cancer care in Lackawanna County, visit geisinger.org/cancercare.
Grow Your Small Business with a Fall Internship For existing small businesses located in Bradford, Lackawanna, Monroe, Pike, Susquehanna, Tioga, Wayne, and Wyoming Counties: Could hosting an internship this fall propel your business forward? Join The University of Scranton SBDC, Small Business Internship Initiative, and the Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce in one of two, quick 30-minute sessions to learn about what a paid educational internship is, different types of internships (traditional, micro, hybrid or virtual!), and what makes up a great internship. Determine whether you’re ready to host an internship this Fall and learn more about the Small Business Internship Initiative. Hear from the Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce about their Small Business Internship Fund resource, too! 7/13/22; 4:00 – 4:30 p.m. registration link:https://pasbdc.ecenterdirect.com/events/295697/20/22; 9:00 – 9:30 a.m. registration link: https://pasbdc.ecenterdirect.com/events/29570 How can internships help your business? Watch our videos.
Healthy MOMS Case Manager Presents at U.S. Breastfeeding Committee Conference Marcella Garvin, a case manager of the Healthy Maternal Opiate Medical Support program (MOMS) at The Wright Center for Community Health, recently made the presentation, “It Takes a Village: Utilizing a Collaborative Approach to Promote Breastfeeding Among Women with Substance Use Disorder,” at the U.S. Breastfeeding Committee Conference in June. Garvin’s presentation focused on how the novel program educates mothers in recovery early in their pregnancies about the importance of breastfeeding their newborns. “Breastfeeding is strongly recommended for any new baby. However, women with substance use disorder have lower rates of breastfeeding. When a mother in recovery is utilizing medication as part of their treatment, babies can sometimes experience withdrawal symptoms,” said Garvin. The Healthy MOMS program aims to reduce or eliminate withdrawal symptoms through intensive case management. Part of the collaborative approach includes providing mothers with education about the importance of breastfeeding early in their pregnancy. “We have seen excellent results, improving our breastfeeding rate nearly 40% from the inception of the program. We have also seen that educating and providing mothers with support early in their pregnancy has resulted in better outcomes for their babies,” said Garvin. Data from the program shows a lower incidence of neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) in mothers who join the program more than 30 days prior to delivery and lower incidences or severity in mothers who are breastfeeding. NAS is a withdrawal syndrome that can occur in newborns exposed to certain substances, including opioids, during pregnancy. Garvin joined The Wright Center for Community Health as a case manager for the Healthy MOMs Program in 2020. In her role, she works closely with mothers working to overcome substance use disorder through recovery. Launched in 2018, the Healthy MOMS program has 140 mothers active in the program and has had 177 children born into the program, as of June 2022. The program takes a collaborative, holistic approach to treating mothers with substance use disorder. It aims to help pregnant women and new mothers overcome addiction and embrace a life in recovery. Participants are offered blanket services that include medication-assisted treatment and addiction services, counseling, primary health care, OB/GYN care, parenting tips, legal advice and a range of other support. The program promotes the well-being of both mom and newborn, ideally engaging them in wrap-around services until the child turns two years old. The Healthy MOMS program has served mothers as young as 14, but most are in their late 20s and 30s. Named after a program of the same name in Ohio, it was introduced in this region as a pilot program in two counties, with initial grant funding secured by the Lackawanna/ Susquehanna Office of Drug and Alcohol Programs. Today, it assists women in Lackawanna, Luzerne, Monroe, Pike, Schuylkill, Susquehanna, Wayne and Wyoming counties. The nonprofit Maternal and Family Health Services Inc. and multiple area hospitals are among the many health care, social service and government agencies that power the program’s ongoing success. For more information about the Healthy MOMS program, call 570-955-7821 or visit HealthyMOMS.org.
5k to Honor Fastenal Founder The BK5K Road Race is held to honor Bob Kierlin, founder of Fastenal and lifelong supporter of youth programs. All proceeds go to various area youth organizations/programs demonstrating financial need. Funding grants will be evaluated for merit and dispersed by the BK5K Youth Fund Award Committee.
