NEPIRC Receives Community Needs Grant from Scranton Area Community Foundation The Northeastern Pennsylvania Industrial Resource Center (NEPIRC) is pleased to announce that it is a first-time recipient of a $10,000 Community Needs Grant from the Scranton Area Community Foundation (SAF) to support NEPIRC’s Manufacturing Ambassador Dream Team efforts in Scranton and throughout Lackawanna County. NEPIRC’s Dream Team program is focused on bridging the gap between education and careers in the manufacturing sector. The Dream Team initiative raises awareness of career options in advanced manufacturing amongst high school students by bringing young manufacturing professionals into the classroom to talk to students about their career journeys and how their careers have positively impacted their lives by highlighting real-life experiences. Dream Team Ambassadors are eager to share their stories with students throughout the city of Scranton and in the surrounding areas of Lackawanna County. “With this grant, NEPIRC is poised to further empower students and strengthen the manufacturing workforce, fostering economic growth and opportunity throughout Lackawanna County. I’m deeply grateful to Jenelle Osborne, NEPIRC’s talent stream coordinator, who oversees the Dream Team program; our Dream Team Ambassadors, and the manufacturers they represent, for the outstanding work they have done to promote careers in manufacturing and to help us secure important grants like this one from the Scranton Area Community Foundation,” President & CEO of NEPIRC Eric Joseph Esoda said.
Lackawanna College Receives Grant to Support Adult Literacy Lackawanna College was recently awarded a $5,000 grant from The Dollar General Literacy Foundation (DGLF) to support adult literacy. This local grant is a part of the Foundation’s more than $10.6 million donated to support adult, family and summer literacy programs in the 48 states in which Dollar General operates. With today’s grants, the DGLF also surpasses helping more than 20 million individuals achieve their educational dreams since its inception in 1993. The Lackawanna Language Academy (LLA) will provide free ESL classes to benefit the residents of Hazleton, PA. The LLA will offer three, 10-week ESL classes that will occur in Summer and Fall 2024 and Winter 2025. Experienced ESL Instructors will provide responsive, individualized, in-person instruction of literacy skills. Additionally, take-home lessons will assist Spanish-speaking individuals with limited English proficiency to improve their speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills by at least 2 proficiency levels to attain Adult Basic English proficiency. Lackawanna College also offers Continuing Education Certifications for the Workforce and an English Proficiency college certificate in an 18-credit program that advances English learning and prepares learners for college-level work. “We believe individuals of all ages deserve access to a quality education, and the Dollar General Literacy Foundation is thrilled to support thousands of learners across the country as they enrich their lives with literacy and education,” shared Denine Torr, executive director of the Dollar General Literacy Foundation. “This year’s spring grant cycle is equally exciting as we surpass impacting more than 20 million individuals. We hope these funds provide resources needed to positively change students’ lives, helping them to build a brighter future for themselves and generations to come.” The Dollar General Literacy Foundation supports organizations that increase access to educational programming, stimulate and enable innovation in the delivery of educational instruction and inspire a love of reading. Each year, DGLF awards funds to nonprofit organizations, schools, and libraries within a 15-mile radius of a Dollar General store or distribution center to support adult, family, summer and youth literacy programs. The Foundation also offers a student referral program for individuals interested in learning how to read, speak English, or prepare for the high school equivalency exam. Referrals to a local organization that provides free literacy services are available online here or through referral cards found in the Learn to Read brochures that are available at the cash register of every Dollar General store.
Greater Scranton YMCA Receives Grant In June, the Greater Scranton YMCA was awarded a $7,000 Youth Sports Access Grant from YMCA of the USA. Grant funding will be utilized to provide 125 children with one free session (one month) of youth sports programming. Funding will also support the purchase of much-needed youth sports equipment, including equipment for youth basketball, youth soccer and youth pickleball. Through this project, the Greater Scranton YMCA’s goal is to increase access and equity in youth sports. Thus, scholarships for low-income and/or underserved youth 14 and under will be prioritized. “Here at the Y, we believe all children should have equal access to youth sports,” said Rich Surridge, Interim CEO, Greater Scranton YMCA. “For many families, though, the financial resources are not available. Thanks to grant funding from YMCA of the USA, we are so proud to provide children in our community with the resources needed to participate in youth sports programming at our YMCA.” The Greater Scranton YMCA has created a form that families who are interested in participating in youth sports can complete. After 125 responses have been received, the YMCA will close the form. The form will open on Monday, June 24th and it can be accessed here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfLOTfmBC3xNvYYbxTd6meCCWgrMtcis-K9QBd6g0Ydi0JJ5g/viewform?usp=sf_link. For more information about this scholarship opportunity and youth sports at the Greater Scranton YMCA, contact Brandon Whipple, Senior Program Director, at bwhipple@gsymca.org.
Keystone Mission’s Rejuvenation Project Receives Grant Keystone Mission’s Rejuvenation Project received a generous $10,000 grant from The Scranton Area Community Foundation’s Community Needs Grant. The Rejuvenation Project aims at equipping individuals experiencing homelessness with the tools they need to rebuild their lives. Through this project, Keystone Mission is establishing the Seeds of Hope Community Garden, expanding access to showers, and offering comprehensive training through the Pathfinders’ Vocational Program. Thanks to the generous funding, the Rejuvenation Project has a tangible impact on homeless individuals, providing them with the resources and opportunities to rebuild their lives and regain independence. “We are grateful for the partnership of the Scranton Area Community Foundation. Together we are creating a greater impact on the lives of our guests.” says Danielle O. Keith-Alexandre, CEO & Executive Director. “It is essential for the unsheltered community and those experiencing economic hardship and food insecurity to have access to the necessary tools required for their betterment.” Keystone Mission is thankful for community partners like Scranton Area Community Foundation for supporting the mission to bring help and hope to the homeless, hungry, and hurting people in Northeast PA.
Greater Scranton YMCA Receives Grant In April 2024, the Greater Scranton YMCA was awarded a $15,000 Community Needs Grant from the Scranton Area Community Foundation. The grant will support the purchase of outdoor playground equipment at the Y’s new Early Learning Center in Olyphant. The center opened in April 2024. Through the opening of the new center, the Greater Scranton YMCA’s goal is to offer our community much needed childcare services, allowing parents to work knowing their child(ren) are in a safe and nurturing environment. The center will provide children with the tools and resources needed for success in kindergarten and beyond, and the outdoor playground equipment will provide children with daily opportunities for outdoor play. The new center, which is licensed to serve up to 125 children, will also aid jobseekers, creating 16 full-time and two part-time positions. “It’s because of the incredible generosity of community partners like the Scranton Area Community Foundation that the Greater Scranton YMCA is able to serve so many members of our community,” said Rich Surridge, Interim CEO, Greater Scranton YMCA. “The opening of our second early learning center will allow our Y to provide care to the substantial number of children and families in need of childcare services. The outdoor playground will be such a wonderful asset to the center.” For more information about early childhood education at the Greater Scranton YMCA, contact Tressa Parker, Senior Director of Education, at tparker@gsymca.org or visit the Y online at www.greaterscrantonymca.org.
Keystone Mission Recipient of Leadership Lackawanna’s Tomorrow’s Leaders Today Grant Keystone Mission has been selected as a grant recipient for Tomorrow’s Leaders Today, a leadership program comprised of high school juniors in Northeastern PA, for their 2024 grant cycle. In conjunction with Scranton Area Community Foundation, administrator of the Tomorrow’s Leaders Today Fund since 2007, a check was presented to Keystone Mission’s Scranton Pathfinders Program. Pathfinders is a workforce development program used to teach and train “guests” on the needed on-the-job skills while connecting them with sustainable employment. Since its inception, we have seen over 320 individuals come through the program, gaining skills and sustainable employment. As the program continues to grow in popularity among those whom Keystone Mission serves, the program will begin offering certifications in areas like ServSafe, Peer to Peer, Flaggers, Certified Nursing Assistant, and more. “Keystone Mission is honored to have been selected as a recipient of this year’s SACF and Leadership Lackawanna Tomorrow’s Leaders Today grant. We believe in the work that is done to help prepare our young people and will have an indelible impact on their lives for many years. We wish the class of 2024 the very best in their current and future endeavors,” says Danielle O. Keith-Alexandre, CEO & Executive Director.
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.
Johnson College Receives Grant from Robert H. Spitz Foundation Johnson College has been awarded an $8,000 grant from the Robert H. Spitz Foundation’s 2023 grant cycle to support recycling and sustainability enhancements throughout its Scranton campus. The funding will be used to update the College’s current recycling receptacles with more user-friendly containers. The College displayed the new receptacles to the campus community during an Earth Day celebration on Monday, April 22, 2024. The event featured environmental-themed games and activities throughout campus including a scavenger hunt to introduce students to the locations where the new recycling containers will be located. The new, three-stream receptacles will be placed in heavily traveled areas of the Scranton campus. They will be more consistent in appearance than previous receptacles and feature vibrant, color-coded bins to improve recycling practices at Johnson College. The new recycling bins will support the College’s campus-wide recycling and sustainability plan reducing the College’s environmental footprint. Supported efforts include reducing the amount of recyclable material going to the landfill and dumpsters currently used on campus, and turning some of the College’s highly recyclable educational program materials like lumber, copper, and wiring back to the community for use where possible.
Lackawanna College Awarded $150,000 Grant to Further Assist Parenting Students Lackawanna College received the Parent Pathways Grant for $150,000 from the Pennsylvania Department of Education Office of Postsecondary and Higher Education. The funds from this grant will expand existing resources for parenting students to directly impact the persistence of parenting students with tuition assistance, emergency funding, and support services. “We are thrilled to receive the Parent Pathways Grant, allowing us to grow our support services for parenting students,” Brian Costanzo, vice president for government affairs & special projects said. “At Lackawanna, we are dedicated to ensuring that all students, regardless of their family responsibilities, have the resources and support they need to succeed academically and personally.” The Parent Pathways grant aims to provide essential resources directly tailored to the needs of parenting students, ensuring their success in academic endeavors. Initiatives in the grant include childcare costs, scholarships, emergency funds for parenting students who require assistance with an academic or basic need affecting their education. These enhanced support services will benefit approximately 21% of Lackawanna’s parenting learners, providing them with the necessary assistance to navigate the demands of both parenthood and higher education. “We strive to offer as much support as possible to our students, and initiatives like the Parent Pathways Grant help further our mission to provide a quality education to all persons who seek to improve their lives and better the communities in which they live,” Costanzo said. For more information about Lackawanna College and its support services for parenting students, please visit Lackawanna.edu.
Northeast Regional Cancer Institute Receives Donation from Foundation The Northeast Regional Cancer Institute recently received a $50,000 grant from The Hawk Family Foundation, in memory of their daughter, Carolyn Hawk Horter. Carolyn passed away in 2023 from colon cancer at the age of 46. Funds will support the Northeast Regional Cancer Institute Community Based Cancer Screening Navigation Program and specifically colon cancer screenings. The Navigation Program is a cancer screening initiative focused on education, barrier reduction and facilitation of screenings for breast, cervical, colon and lung cancer targeting low income un/underinsured individuals, while connecting or reconnecting all participants to a medical home to ensure ongoing preventative care. “We are very appreciative of the Hawk Family Foundation grant that provides critical support for the colon cancer screening component of the Community-based Navigation Screening Program. Targeting low income, un/underinsured individuals, these funds will be used to reduce barriers to colon screening and ensure that those most vulnerable are up to date with these potentially life-saving cancer screenings,” said, Laura Toole, Executive Vice President at the Northeast Regional Cancer Institute. This funding was awarded as part of the open applications for The Hawk Family Foundation.
