Greater Pike Community Foundation’s Snyder Fund supports FSA’s PA 211 Help Line

The Family Service Association of Northeastern Pennsylvania (FSA) recently received a $5,000 grant from the Greater Pike Community Foundation’s Richard L. Snyder Fund in support of the nonprofit’s Pennsylvania 211 Northeast / Help Line program that provides free information and referrals to emergency health and human services in Pike County.

FSA’s PA 211 NE / Help Line is a free and confidential service that helps people in the communities of Pike County face life’s challenges by connecting them to local resources. The service is available 24-hours a day, seven-days a week, 365 days a year to any resident in Pike County. It saves time and frustration by eliminating the need to navigate a maze of health and human service agencies by organizing all available resources in one localized database.

Contacting 211 connects people to highly trained and experienced caseworkers who can address a diverse set of needs. The database provides information that connects people in need with vital services to address food and housing insecurity, crisis management, emergency shelters, vaccination sites, health clinics, domestic violence, utility and rent assistance, home-delivered meals, mental health, drug and alcohol services, and much more.

“We are thankful to have the Greater Pike Community Foundation and Richard L. Snyder Fund as regional partners in ensuring people have free access around the clock to the information and referral services they need to meet their needs,” said Janyne Gurnari, interim chief executive officer of Family Service Association of Northeastern Pennsylvania. “The pandemic and its repercussions have reinforced the value of community foundations and the vital work they do to support and build resilient, family sustaining communities.”

The Greater Pike Community Foundation enables generous people, families, and local businesses to maximize their charitable support through organized, targeted, long-term

community philanthropy. The foundation provides a permanent and personal way to give back to the region that so many have nurtured and maintained through the years. For more information about establishing a fund, or to discuss how to realize charitable goals, please contact Jenni Hamill, executive director, at jennihamill@greaterpike.org or call her at (570) 832-4686. Additional information about the foundation is available at www.greaterpike.org or on its Facebook page, Facebook.com/GreaterPike.

“The Family Service Association of Northeastern Pennsylvania provides a vital service to residents of Pike County through its Pennsylvania 211 Northeast program,” said Hamill. “The board and foundation are proud to be able to support a worthwhile program that has a positive impact in the daily lives of the residents we serve.”

A group of involved and concerned members of the community established FSA in 1895 in order to provide diverse services that empower children, individuals, seniors and families to reach their full potential by building healthier relationships, and ultimately stronger communities. Today, FSA’s 13 programs provide services to residents in 17 counties, including Bradford, Clinton, Columbia, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Lycoming, Monroe, Montour, Northumberland, Pike, Snyder, Sullivan, Susquehanna, Tioga, Union, Wayne and Wyoming counties. Any resident in PA 211 NE’s coverage area can access it by calling 211, texting 211 (898-211, plus a zip code), or by logging on to www.pa211ne.org.

For more information about FSA or to support its programs, please log on to www.fsanepa.org, call, (570) 823-5144, or email, families@fsanepa.org.

Family Service Association of Northeastern Pennsylvania received a $5,000 grant from the Greater Pike Community Foundation’s Richard L. Snyder Fund in support of the nonprofit’s Pennsylvania 211 Northeast / Help Line program that provides free information and referrals to emergency health and human service needs 24-hours a day, seven-days a week, 365 days a year. PA 211 NE / Help Line is a free service that helps people in Pike County face life’s challenges by connecting them to the local resources they need.

Participating in the ceremonial check presentation, from left, are Paul Krzywicki, senior grant writer and communications manager, Family Service Association of Northeastern Pennsylvania, and Jenni Hamill, executive director, Greater Pike Community Foundation.

The Family Service Association of NEPA to Host ‘Breaking Clays for Kids Clay Shoot’

The Family Service Association of Northeastern Pennsylvania (FSA) is holding its 6th annual “Breaking Clays for Kids Clay Shoot” on Friday, June 18 at Rock Mountain Sporting Clays in Springville in support of the 125-year-old nonprofit organization’s Children’s Center of Susquehanna and Wyoming Counties. The safe and socially distanced onsite registration begins at 9 a.m., with a shotgun start at 10 a.m.

To register, please contact Theresa Langan at the FSA at (570) 823-5144, ext. 312, or email her at tlangan@fsanepa.org. Registration costs $90 per person or $325 for a four-person team, and includes an event T-shirt and a ready-made, pre-packaged lunch from Red Rock Barbeque. Ammunition is not included in the entry fee. Specially designed awards will be presented to winners in three categories – female, male and juvenile – at a later date due to COVID-19 safety precautions.

In addition, various levels of sponsorships are available at the clay shoot, including for lunch, awards, T-shirts and display advertising, such as scorecards, shooting stations, event-sponsor boards and more. Businesses, corporations and friends of the Children’s Center, a child advocacy center in Montrose, can also donate gift certificates and gift cards in lieu of gift baskets, as part of the socially-distanced raffle at the end of the event. Participants who win a raffle will have the gift certificates or gift cards mailed to them after the event.

Please contact Janine A. Fortney, LSW, director of FSA’s Children’s Center, at (570) 823-5144, ext. 370 or jfortney@fsanepa.org, to reserve a sponsorship opportunity and/or donate gift certificates or gift cards to the raffle. Deadline for sponsorships and donations to the raffle is June 1.

“Breaking Clays for Kids Clay Shoot” is the primary fundraiser for the Children’s Center. The center provides a safe, comfortable environment for children and their families as they go through the interviewing and examination process after disclosing some type of traumatic experience. Since the Children’s Center opened in 2015, 402 children have received services at the nonprofit, including trauma therapy, forensic interviews, medical examinations for sexual and physical abuse, and more.

“The Children’s Center of Susquehanna and Wyoming Counties is dedicated to serving the children in the community who have been affected by some form of abuse,’’ said Fortney. “We work tirelessly to comfort and provide the best possible care for these children during the worst possible time in their lives. Together, the collaboration of community and care ensures we are there for these children during their moments of need.”

The “Breaking Clays for Kids Clay Shoot” is part of FSA’s 125th anniversary celebration. Established March 15, 1895, the nonprofit organization launched its annual campaign in January. The Spring Fling in April honored the Thalenfeld family for three generations of philanthropy and benevolence. The family’s dedication to the organization began with the late David R. Thalenfeld, the former CEO and co-founder of Trion Industries, and continues to this day with his son, John, the president of Trion Industries, and his grandson, Adam. Together, the Thalenfeld family has played a prominent and lasting role on the board.

A group of involved and concerned members of the community founded FSA to provide diverse services that empower children, individuals, seniors and families to reach their full potential by building healthier relationships and stronger communities.

Today, its 14 programs provide services to people in 17 counties, including Bradford, Clinton, Columbia, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Lycoming, Monroe, Montour, Northumberland, Pike, Snyder, Sullivan, Susquehanna, Tioga, Union, Wayne and Wyoming counties. FSA’s PA 211 Northeast (NE) / Help Line provides free information and referral services to address food and housing insecurity, emergency shelter, aging, homelessness, victim services, and utility and rent assistance, as well as mental health, drug and alcohol services, and after-hours answering services and crisis management for local municipalities and government offices.

PA 211 NE / Help Line is available 24-hours a day, 365 days a year by Internet (helpline-nepa.info), text message and telephone at 1-888-829-1341 and/or 211. For more information about FSA or to support its programs, please log on to www.fsanepa.org or call (570) 823-5144.