Scranton Area Community Foundation NEPA Healthcare Foundation Welcomes New Board Members The Northeastern Pennsylvania Healthcare Foundation (NEPA HCF) is pleased to welcome several new members to its Board of Directors. The newly elected board members are: C. Catherine Mihalick, JD, CTFA Michael Elmo Clemente Attorney Terrence R. Nealon, Jr. Patrick G. Connors, MD Jason R. Woloski, MD, FAAFP, FCPP These elections reflect the NEPA HCF’s ongoing commitment to bringing together dedicated professionals to support the Foundation’s mission of improving the health and well-being of the region’s people, particularly the most vulnerable and underserved. The Foundation thanks its departing board members for their service and contributions over the years and looks forward to the continued growth and impact of their work in the region. For more information about the Northeastern Pennsylvania Healthcare Foundation, please visit www.nepahealthcarefoundation.org.
The University of Scranton Ranked in U.S. News For more than 30 consecutive years U.S. News has ranked The University of Scranton in the top 10 “Best Regional Universities in North.” U.S. News & World Report has once again ranked The University of Scranton among the top 10 regional universities in the north, placing Scranton No. 6 in its 2025 edition of the “Best Colleges” guidebook, which became available online today. This marks the 31st consecutive year the U.S. News has ranked Scranton in the top 10 in its category. U.S. News ranked Scranton No. 6 among “Best Regional Universities in the North” in its 2025 “Best Colleges” guide, marking the 31st consecutive year that Scranton was ranked in the top 10 universities in its category. U.S. News also ranked Scranton No. 6 in its category for “Best Undergraduate Teaching,” a selection of the top colleges in the nation that express a strong commitment to undergraduate teaching. Three of Scranton’s academic programs were among the top 50 in the nation. U.S. News ranked Scranton among the nation’s “Best Undergraduate Programs in Analytics” at No. 26 in the U.S.; “Best Undergraduate Programs in Accounting” at No. 41; among the “Best Undergraduate Programs in Finance” at No. 43. Other programs also enjoyed national recognition: “Best Undergraduate Nursing Programs” at No. 149; and among “Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs” at No. 190 (where a doctorate is not offered). Scranton’s was also listed among the 584 “Best Undergraduate Computer Science Programs” in the nation. Scranton also ranked No. 248 among America’s “Best Undergraduate Business Programs,” which listed only schools that hold accreditation by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). For these program listings, U.S. News only ranked schools holding the highest recognized national accreditations in their fields. The rankings were based solely on dean and senior faculty recommendations from peer institutions. In addition, U.S. News ranked Scranton No. 53 as a “Best Value Regional University in the North,” which compares academic quality of programs to cost of attendance. This is the 11th consecutive year U.S. News has recognized Scranton as a “Best Value” school. Scranton was ranked No. 116 in its category in “Top Performers on Social Mobility,” which looks at the success of schools that enroll and graduate students who were awarded with Pell Grants. U.S. News uses data on nearly 20 measures of academic quality to rank bachelor’s degree colleges in America. For its rankings, U.S. News considers a range of quality indicators that include a peer assessment of academic excellence; faculty resources; financial resources; graduate indebtedness; freshman retention; graduation rates; Pell graduation rates, and graduation performance rates, which compares a school’s actual graduation rates with predicted graduation rates based on characteristics of the incoming class. U.S. News ranking analysis also includes student selectivity, as measured by SAT or ACT scores and high school ranking of students in the top 25 percent of their class. U.S. News categorizes colleges for their rankings based on the official Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching classification of universities. The 2025 U.S. News “Best Colleges” rankings became available online Sept. 24.
The University of Scranton Welcomes Guest Performers for Family Weekend Joseph Boga and The Scranton Ramblers with guest guitarist Stephane Wrembel, and an appearance by the University Concert Choir set for Sept. 21. On Saturday, Sept. 21, Performance Music at The University of Scranton will present a concert featuring Joseph Boga and the Scranton Ramblers with guitarist Stephane Wrembel, as part of the University’s annual Family Weekend festivities. The concert, which will also include an appearance by The University of Scranton Concert Choir, begins at 7:30 p.m. in the Houlihan-McLean Center, Mulberry Street and Jefferson Avenue. Admission is free and the concert is open to the public. Seating on a first-come, first-seated basis. “All of us in Performance Music are delighted to present such an outstanding Family Weekend concert, especially where our choir gets to perform a piece alongside musical powerhouses Joseph Boga and Stephane Wrembel,” said Janelle Decker, conductor and co-director of Performance Music at Scranton. Boga, an area native, is a member of the legendary group Vince Giordano and the Nighthawks, which appears in New York City every Monday in their roost – Birdland. In addition to his work with Giordano and The Nighthawks, Boga also leads his own groups and has performed and/or recorded with a variety of other ensembles such as Stephane Wrembel’s Django New Orleans, David Ostwald’s Louis Armstrong Eternity Band, Jazz Museum in Harlem All-Stars, James Langton’s New York All-Star Big Band and The Kyle Athayde Dance Party, as well as with artists such as Stephane Wrembel, Wycliffe Gordon, Adrian Cunningham, Loren Schoenberg, Wynton Marsalis and many others. His film appearances include Killers of the Flower Moon, season 2 of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Capote vs. The Swans and others. Stephane Wrembel is quite simply one of the finest guitar players in the world. Though specializing in the Django Reinhardt style, he revels in transcending and expanding, and the breadth and range of his playing and compositions are unmatched. His music incorporates jazz, blues, classical, swing, flamenco and rock. All of these influences come together as a genre identifiable only as Stephane Wrembel. This prolific musician, composer, educator and musical director has released a steady stream of music since 2002, truly making his mark as one of the most original guitar voices in contemporary music. He tours the world and has headlined venues such as Jazz at Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, The Town Hall in N.Y.C. and The Lyon Opera House in France, and has dazzled audiences at events like Montreal Jazz Festival, Rochester International Jazz Festival, Django Reinhardt Festival in France, Ellnora Guitar Festival, Caramoor Jazz Festival and many others. Wrembel won a Grammy award for his tune Bistro Fada, which Woody Allen used as the theme song for his 2011 Oscar-winning film, Midnight in Paris. Other musicians performing with The Scranton Ramblers for the concert will include trombonist Sam Chess; guitarist Roy Williams (a native and current resident of the Scranton area); Will Reardon-Anderson, alto sax and clarinet; and Jay Rattman, bass saxophonist (a native of the Delaware Water Gap area. The University of Scranton Concert Choir is an soprano, alto, tenor and bass (SATB) mixed choir comprised of members of the University community from majors and departments spanning the curriculum – none of whom are music majors – who are brought together by their mutual love for making music. They will be performing “La Vie En Rose” with the featured guest ensemble. For further information on the performance, call 570-941-7624, email music@scranton.edu or visit the Performance Music website. For more on Boga, visit josephboga.com, and for more info on Wrembel, visit stephanewrembel.com
Outreach Center Receives Robert H. Spitz Foundation Grant Outreach’s programs and services awarded $15,000 for The Robert H. Spitz Foundation grant to support Outreach’s programs and services to the regional community. Outreach Center for Community Resources delivers a variety of programs to promote family stability and economic self-sufficiency. Outreach improves the lives of over 4,900 adults and children each year, and evidence-based family development programs support individuals as they navigate life’s challenges.For over 35 years, Outreach has made helping families thrive our highest priority. Outreach builds strong families and communities by offering resources for employment training, parenting, early childhood education, youth mentoring, community reentry, adult GED services, wrap-around case management, and more. Outreach is very grateful to the Robert H. Spitz Foundation for its continued support. This funding has helped Outreach advance its mission of assisting families in our region.The Robert H. Spitz Foundation awards grants to nonprofit organizations, providing support for programs that aim to break the cycle of poverty, remove economic barriers, and encourage independence in adults and children through access to safe, affordable housing, transportation, and education to Northeastern Pennsylvania. Robert H. Spitz was born in Scranton and was a 1955 graduate of Scranton Central High School and the University of Miami, Florida. Before retirement, Mr. Spitz had been employed by the U.S. Department of Labor and owned several local Arby’s restaurants. Since 2015, the Robert H. Spitz Foundation has provided over $4.6 million in funding to the community. The Scranton Area Community Foundation serves as the administrator of the Robert H. Spitz Foundation.
Scranton Area Community Foundation Hosts 2023 Annual Community Celebration The Scranton Area Community Foundation will host its 2023 Annual Community Celebration on the evening of Thursday, December 7, at the Hilton Scranton and Conference Center. The Annual Community Celebration is an opportunity for the Scranton Area Community Foundation, its Board of Governors, its supporters, and the community to celebrate their impact in 2023. Laura Ducceschi, CEO and President of the Scranton Area Community Foundation, and Barbara O’Hara, Esq., Chair of the Scranton Area Community Foundation Board of Governors, will host the event. Posture Interactive will provide production services, including video production, streaming, and designing the stage dressing. At the event, members of the Scranton Area Community Foundation Board of Governors will celebrate the generosity of donors and friends that enabled the Foundation to distribute almost $8 million in grants and scholarships from charitable funds and an additional $2 million from foundations under management, the highest since the Foundation’s inception in 1954. The event will also recognize the contributions of featured community partners and funds who have led the way in making a significant impact in 2023. Featured Community Partners are Scott R. Thorpe, Accountant/Partner, Ostrowski Beckley and Thorpe PC; Chris Bohinski and WBRE-TV; and Jack Nogi, Esq. Featured Funds are the Fendrock Family Fund; Susan Burke Foundation for Colon Cancer; and the Sondra G. and Morey M. Myers Charitable Gift Fund. The 2023 Annual Community Celebration will begin at 6:00 PM on Thursday, December 7th at the Hilton Scranton and Conference Center. This event is free to attend and open to all in the community. Refreshments, hors d’oeuvres, and dinner will be served. Please visit SAFDN.org to RSVP for the celebration.
Marywood University to Host Forum Addressing Violence with Bestselling Author The Defenders of Democracy, a nonpartisan grassroots advocacy organization currently focused on a collaborative community approach to violence prevention, will host a forum in response to the growing epidemic of violence in our country. The forum, “A Community Confronts Violence: A New Vision,” will be held on Thursday, October 12, 2023, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Nazareth Hall, Marywood University. The event is free to attend and is open to the public. Michael Fanone, the former District of Columbia Metropolitan Police Officer who nearly died on January 6, 2021, at the Capitol in Washington, D.C., will be the keynote speaker. Officer Fanone will discuss his bestselling book, Hold the Line, which addresses many of today’s most critical issues and how they impact our lives. Joining Officer Fanone will be Dr. Matthew Schaffer, the Director of Psychological Services at Marywood University and an expert in threat assessment, who will lead an interactive discussion about creating a community initiative to prevent violence in our region. The event’s goal is to bring together the various governmental, public, and private entities working on violence prevention and to explore models that have been effective in other communities and countries. The Defenders of Democracy was established and is administered through the Scranton Area Community Foundation to foster issues in civic engagement. “The Scranton Area Community Foundation supports events that bring the community together to work on solutions that enhance the quality of life for all people in Northeastern Pennsylvania,” stated Laura Ducceschi, President and CEO of the Scranton Area Community Foundation. “This event aims to convene the community to work on solutions that address violence within our communities. It is an important topic that has come up more and more frequently in community conversations, both locally and nationwide.” Copies of Officer Fanone’s Hold the Line book will be available for sale. Officer Fanone will stay to autograph copies following the event. Munley Law is the presenting sponsor. While the event is free and open to the public, registration is required. Register at https://www.campusce.net/marywood/course/course.aspx?catId=62.
Geisinger to Host Free Events across Pennsylvania In observance of Earth Day, Geisinger will host free community shred events across northeastern and central Pennsylvania throughout the month of April. Employees and members of the public are invited to bring any personal or professional confidential documents — such as bank statements, credit card bills and tax forms — to be securely shredded on-site and recycled. Each person is limited to three boxes. Do not use bins for non-paper waste or garbage. For more information, call 570-271-6030. Community shred events: Monday, April 3 – Geisinger Mt. Pleasant, 531 Mt. Pleasant Drive, Scranton, 7 – 11 a.m.Tuesday, April 4 – Geisinger Healthplex State College, 132 Abigail Lane, Port Matilda, 7 – 11 a.m.Friday, April 7 – Geisinger Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine, 1175 E. Mountain Blvd., Wilkes-Barre, 7 – 11 a.m.Monday, April 10 – Geisinger Health Plan, Hughes Center, 9 Stearns Lane, Danville, 7 – 11 a.m.Tuesday, April 11 – Geisinger Jersey Shore Hospital, 1020 Thompson St., Jersey Shore, 7 – 11 a.m.Thursday, April 13 – Geisinger Lewistown Hospital, 400 Highland Ave., Lewistown, 7 – 11 a.m.Friday, April 14 – Geisinger Shamokin Area Community Hospital, 4200 Hospital Road, Coal Township, 7 – 11 a.m.Monday, April 17 – Geisinger Medical Center Muncy, 255 Route 220, Muncy, 7 – 11 a.m.Friday, April 21 – Geisinger Bloomsburg Hospital, 549 Fair St., Bloomsburg, 7 – 11 a.m.Monday, April 24 – Geisinger Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine, 1175 E. Mountain Blvd., Wilkes-Barre, Noon – 4 p.m.Friday, April 28 – Geisinger Health Plan, Hughes Center, 9 Stearns Lane, Danville, Noon – 4 p.m.
FNCB Bank Donates $15,000 to Friendship House FNCB Bank, locally based since 1910, today announced a $15,000 Pennsylvania Neighborhood Assistance Program/Special Program Priorities (NAP-SPP) donation to the Friendship House for their downtown Scranton building renovation project. The project, which encompasses the Murray Building at 413-415 Biden St. and the Davidow Building at 200-216 Wyoming Ave., when completed, is expected to house substance abuse, mental health and pharmacy services for the community. “The services Friendship House provides are a great benefit to our community,” said Jerry Champi, FNCB Bank President and CEO. “Our downtown Scranton Community Office is adjacent to the Friendship House’s new location and we are excited to witness the rebirth of two well-known buildings in the city.” Including the Friendship House donation, FNCB Bank has made NAP-SPP commitments to seven different community projects in Northeastern Pennsylvania. As a true, local community bank, FNCB is making a difference through volunteerism, donations, and outreach programs.
PA Route 6 Alliance to Hold Informational Webinar Join PA Humanities and the PA Route 6 Alliance on March 17 from 9:30 – 10:30 a.m. to learn about Community Heart & Soul™, an innovative community planning process that engages residents in identifying hopes and ideas for their town. Since 2015, PA Humanities has been working with Community Heart & Soul to engage residents across the Commonwealth in planning for their town’s future. Twelve (12) communities have gone through the process and seen: ● New volunteers and leaders emerge ● Updates to zoning ordinances ● Valuable community feedback for comprehensive and local community plans ● New businesses emerge ● Town beautification efforts launched (facades, updates to parks, community clean ups) ….and so much more. Learn about how PA Heart & Soul can help spark community into planning and development efforts – and how to bring the process to your community! PA Heart & Soul Information Session is to learn more about Community Heart & Soul, please join for a webinar presented by the PA Humanities to discuss the benefits of this program and how interested communities can start the applications process. Below you will find information about the program, including the link to join the webinar. PA Route 6 Alliance will be applying for funding for communities within the Route 6 Corridor who wish to apply to become a PA Heart & Soul community.
Outreach Center Coordinates Toyland Workshop Outreach – Center for Community Resources is currently coordinated its annual Toyland Workshop to provide pajamas, socks, books, educational toys, and grocery gift cards for children and families in our shared community. Through an incredible outpouring of support, numerous contributions, grants, and in-kind donations by several foundations, corporations, local businesses, charitable organizations, and individuals were made to Outreach for its annual Toyland Workshop. This year, Outreach is providing gift packages to over 200 participant families. Outreach FamilyDevelopment Specialists are delivering gifts to more than 330 children for the holiday season. Manytoys were purchased online through our Amazon Wish List. Contributors that were logged into Amazon Smile had an additional percentage of their purchase donated to Outreach by Amazon in support of the numerous programs provided to our shared community. Students from the University of Scranton and Holy Cross High School also shared their goodwill by collecting toys and adopting Outreach participant families this season. For more information, please call Lori Ryan at (570)-558-7565. Outreach Center for Community Resources delivers parent/child and workforce development services and programs to the regional community to promote family stability and economic self-sufficiency. Outreach provides evidence-based early childhood programs that help families and children gain the skills needed to be healthy and productive members of the community. Outreach improves the lives of over 4,000 individuals each year with programs that support people as they navigate life’s challenges.
