Greater Scranton YMCA Receives Grant from Local Foundation

Funding will support the inclusion of STEM equipment and supplies in to the YMCA’s Early Childhood Education Department.

In 2023, the Greater Scranton YMCA was awarded a $16,244 grant from AllOne Charities. Grant funding will support the inclusion of STEM equipment and educational materials in the YMCA’s Early Childhood Education Department.

The addition of STEM equipment and activities into the Greater Scranton YMCA’s Early Childhood Education curriculum will allow staff to make a greater educational impact on the growing number of children we serve. Through exposing young children to STEM activities and initiatives early in life, the groundwork will begin being laid, helping children enter kindergarten with a broader knowledge base and the tools and resources needed for success.

“We are so grateful to AllOne Charities for this generous grant award,” said Trish Fisher, President & CEO, Greater Scranton YMCA. “Enrollment in early learning programs continues to grow. We are so proud to provide the children in our care with access to daily opportunities to engage in STEM activities, as exposure to STEM initiatives is a critical component to academic success.”

For more information about the Greater Scranton YMCA’s Early Childhood Education Department, contact Tressa Parker, Education Director, at tparker@gsymca.org or visit the YMCA online at www.greaterscrantonymca.org.

Jeannine Luby Presents Grant to Boys and Girls Clubs of NEPA 

The Humor Therapy Fund of the Scranton Area Foundation is a donor-advised fund that was initiated in 2006 by Jeannine Luby, owner of Laugh to Live, as part of a graduate project at Marywood University.  The fund was created with the purpose of promoting therapeutic laughter and humor throughout the greater Scranton area, which Luby says is needed now more than ever. Each year a grant is dispersed to a local 501c3 nonprofit organization and this year that recipient is the Boys and Girls Clubs of Northeastern Pennsylvania who will use the funding to bring in the award-winning ‘Josh and Gab’ kindness and bullying-awareness musical comedy program that focuses on healthy choices, creativity, and community.

Pictured in photo from left are Angel, Tricia Thomas, Executive Director of the Boys and Girls Club of Northeastern Pennsylvania; Jeannine Luby, owner of Laugh to Live & donor adviser of the Humor Therapy Fund of the Scranton Area Foundation, and Willow. 

Keystone Mission Receives Grant

In June 2023, Keystone Mission received a $1,000 grant from The Giant Company, supporting the ongoing food needs at the Transformation Center. This grant bolsters Keystone Mission’s Make a Meal Program.

“Residents are given weekly responsibilities to cook meals, and we are seeing a positive impact on their mental and physical health. A healthy diet reduces the risk of chronic diseases and improves the chances of a sustainable lifestyle,” says Justin Behrens, CEO & Executive Director.

Giant is one of Keystone Mission’s local partnerships that provides residents with the ability to shop locally and reap the benefits of healthy eating.

NeighborWorks NEPA Awards Home Improvement Grants

NeighborWorks Northeastern Pennsylvania is pleased to partner with both the City of Scranton and the City of Carbondale to announce the block groups selected for funding in the 2023 Beautiful Blocks program cycle.

With a total of 103 properties in Scranton and 34 properties in Carbondale being awarded grant funding, NeighborWorks staff and local officials expect to see a significant positive impact in neighborhoods where projects are set to take place. A full list of groups receiving funding is attached to this release.

Beautiful Blocks is a home improvement program which provides matching grants of up to $1,000 per property to groups of residents to help them make exterior improvements to their homes. 2023 represents the fifth consecutive program cycle in Scranton for Beautiful Blocks, with the program entering its third consecutive cycle in Carbondale after launching in the Pioneer City in 2021.

Members of selected groups have until November 1 to complete their individual exterior home improvement projects, with groups also eligible for a $500 stipend to conduct a community celebration or service project.

According to NeighborWorks President & CEO Jesse Ergott, “Beautiful Blocks is all about bringing people together to improve the neighborhoods they call home. We are thrilled that the program is resonating with so many of our neighbors in both Scranton and Carbondale and are greatly appreciative of all of the funding partners who help to make it happen. We are looking forward to continued growth of this program in both communities as we facilitate both physical improvements to homes and strengthened connections between neighbors.”

“It is so exciting to see our residents working as a team making improvements to their home and their neighborhoods,” said Michele Bannon, Carbondale City Clerk and former board chair for NeighborWorks Northeastern Pennsylvania. “Year two of Beautiful Blocks has made a tremendous impact on the City. Each year the program is growing bringing more homeowners together. It’s amazing to see the impact of committed, empowered homeowners on our community.”

Beautiful Blocks in Carbondale is made possible with support from Lackawanna County Commissioners Jerry Notarianni, Debi Domenick, Esq., and Chris Chermak; with additional support from Millennium Packaging, Coterra Energy, Gentex, and other local businesses.

“It’s inspiring to see the improvements made to our neighborhoods thanks to Beautiful Blocks
program and out community-minded residents,” said Scranton Mayor Paige Gebhardt Cognetti.
“We’re thankful to the team at NeighborWorks and their volunteers who work with us to make
Scranton a beautiful place to live.”

Beautiful Blocks in Scranton is made possible with support from the City of Scranton, with
additional support from Community Bank, NA, The Dime Bank, M&T Bank, and The Honesdale
National Bank.

Over the first four cycles of Beautiful Blocks in the City of Scranton, more than 340 individual
projects have been completed by Scranton residents, grouped into 45 block groups. More than
$287,000 in grant funding has been distributed to as part of these projects, with participating
residents contributing more than $735,000 in matching funds to improving their neighborhoods.

In the first two years of the Beautiful Blocks program operating in Carbondale, seven groups of
neighbors have participated, with more than $37,000 in grant funding awarded. This grant
funding helped to leverage more than $66,000 in funds invested from participating
homeowners.

Residents of Scranton and Carbondale who are interested in participating in future cycles of
the Beautiful Blocks program are encouraged to access more information by visiting the
program homepage at https:// www.nwnepa.org/programs/beautiful-blocks.html. More
information is also available by contacting Gerard Hetman, NeighborWorks Northeastern
Pennsylvania Community Development Specialist, at (570) 558-2490 or
ghetman@nwnepa.org.

Greater Scranton YMCA Receives Grant

The Dollar General Literacy Foundation recently awarded the Greater Scranton YMCA a $ 3,000 grant to support its summer literacy program, Summer Scholars. This local grant is a part of the Foundation’s largest, one day literacy donation of more than $13 million throughout the 47 states in which Dollar General operates to support adult, family and summer literacy programs.

The Greater Scranton YMCA’s Summer Scholars Program is a free research based and research
proven six week summer learning program with a goal to get elementary students on track to
read at or above grade level by the start of their next school year. In summer 2023, the program
will serve rising first, second and third grade students attending the Dunmore School District.

Participants’ days consist of 2.5 hours of literacy in the morning followed by lunch and enrichment
in the afternoon. Enrichment activities include field trips, as well as trips to the Greater Scranton
YMCA for use of the pools. The program is instructed by certified teachers and YMCA staff.

Outreach Center Gains Support from Robert H. Spitz Grant

The Robert H. Spitz Foundation awarded a $20,000 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 4,500 adults and children each year with evidence-based family development programs supporting individuals as they navigate life’s challenges.

This Robert H. Spitz Foundation 2022 grant supports Outreach family-serving programs and services that are being provided at the Center on Seventh Avenue, virtually, and through home visiting child-serving programs. The Robert H. Spitz Foundation provides operational support for Outreach to respond to the increased need being experienced in the community for early childhood education, workforce development, adult education, and family services.

The Robert H. Spitz Foundation supports initiatives and programs serving the residents of Lackawanna County and 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 was also the owner of 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.

In photo (left to right): Brittany Pagnotti, MBA, CFRE, Donor Relations and Communications, Scranton Area Community Foundation; Angela Seibert, Outreach – Center for Community Resources, Child and Family Programs Director, Cathy Fitzpatrick, Grants & Scholarship Manager, and Frank Caputo, Grants & Communications Coordinator, Scranton Area Community Foundation.

The Wright Center Receives Grant

The Wright Center for Community Health has received a $25,000 grant from The Scranton Area Community Foundation in partnership with the City of Scranton American Rescue Plan Non-Profit COVID Relief Grant program.

The grant will support a project to provide innovative IT infrastructure for data integration at the county level. It will enable nonprofit, community, and educational organizations, the city of Scranton, Lackawanna County, and health care, mental health, and social service organizations to collaborate on successful partnerships and community initiatives. It will create a shift from problem-focused to solution-focused analysis and has the capacity to provide the knowledge needed to optimize health and well-being while addressing structural racism, equity, privacy, and security.

The Wright Center for Community Health (TWCCH) was the first community health practice in Northeast Pennsylvania to offer outpatient COVID-19 testing and the first to roll out coronavirus vaccines for health care personnel. Overall, The Wright Center for Community Health’s network of primary and preventive care practices conducted more than 44,564 COVID-19 tests from 2020 through July 2022, with 11,150 performed at the Scranton Practice.

In the early days of the pandemic, TWCCH quickly responded to community and patient needs, acquiring personal protective equipment (PPE) and hygiene supplies to safeguard patients and health care providers throughout the region. The nonprofit enterprise implemented new policies to comply with the governor’s orders on matters such as social distancing, hand washing, and face masking.

The Scranton Area Community Foundation enhances the quality of life for all people in Northeastern Pennsylvania through the development of organized philanthropy. A public 501c3 community foundation, the Scranton Area Community Foundation serves as a steward, a grant maker, a charitable resource, and a catalyst for change.


The foundation manages more than 200 charitable funds established by philanthropic individuals in the community and have granted more than $18 million to assist the educational, human service, environmental, civic, and arts and cultural organizations in Northeast Pennsylvania. The foundation also manages assets of more than $31 million through two private foundations, the Northeastern Pennsylvania Health Care Foundation and the Robert H. Spitz Foundation.

The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) of 2021 is a $1.9 trillion economic stimulus bill passed by the 117th United States Congress and signed into law by President Biden on March 11, 2021. Of the $1.9 trillion bill, $350 billion was allocated to state and local governments to enable them to address strategic economic and infrastructure investments and address governmental budget shortfalls.

The city of Scranton has been awarded $68.7 million in ARPA funds to respond to the COVID-19 public health emergency and its economic impacts. Scranton City Council approved ARPA funding to be made available as grants to community organizations, nonprofits, and small businesses that have faced economic hardship resulting from or exacerbated by the pandemic.

For more information about The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education, please go to TheWrightCenter.org or call 570-230-0019. 

Outreach – Center for Community Resources Receives Grant from the Scranton Area Community Foundation

Outreach – Center for Community Resources received an $18,500 grant from the Scranton Area Community Foundation in June of this year for Outreach Early Childhood and Parenting Programs for Moms and their Children.

The grant will provide necessary funding for programs administered by Outreach, a state-designated Family Center, during the fiscal year of July 2022 to June 2023, which support family needs in early childhood education, parenting, workforce development, financial literacy, and others. Additionally, Outreach case managers connect families to supplemental services that are available from the numerous nonprofit partners in the Scranton region, providing a safety net of unique services. Outreach connects families with services and programs they need to gain family stability and economic self-sufficiency throughout Lackawanna and Luzerne Counties.

Outreach child-serving programs aim to improve school readiness through high-quality activities that enhance cognitive, social, emotional, and physical development. Outreach parenting programs allow parents to gain the skills to implement positive parenting techniques that result in improved behavioral outcomes for their children and connect them to a social network of other parents.

The Scranton Area Community Foundation has been serving the Northeastern Pennsylvania region for over 65 years as a steward, a grantmaker, a charitable resource, and a catalyst for change and growth. The Scranton Area Community Foundation was established as a community trust in 1954 by the Scranton Family, whose initial gift was the seed that has grown into a permanent vehicle for donors to accomplish their philanthropic goals while helping to support positive change within our community. Today the Scranton Area Community Foundation holds and manages a variety of funds from individuals, organizations, and corporations. Through these gifts, the Foundation responds to community needs and has provided grants to support regional nonprofits.

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 4,500 individuals each year with award-winning workforce and family development programs that support people as they navigate life’s challenges.

Pictured (left to right) Outreach Family Development Specialists Alyssa Savitski and Kathy Kutsop with Scranton Area Community Foundation Board of Governors Chair Barbara O’Hara, Esq. and David Price, Foundation Board Treasurer.

Scranton Area Community Foundation Grant supports The Wright Center

The Wright Center for Community Health was recently awarded a $3,000 grant by the Scranton Area Community Foundation in support of the collaborative Healthy Maternal Opiate Medical Support program (Healthy MOMS) that focuses on helping pregnant women and new mothers overcome addiction and embrace a life in recovery.

Through the CHILDCARE Helps MOMS work program, the grant will support working mothers in the Healthy MOMS program who need assistance paying for emergency child care costs. The program provides financial assistance so mothers can return to work, closing the gap until the mother receives subsidized child care assistance. The grant will be able to fund 67 weeks of child care.

The project fulfills an unmet need by providing financial assistance for mothers in the Healthy MOMS program who are seeking to return and remain in the workforce. In addition, Healthy MOMS 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 supports. The program promotes the well-being of both mom and newborn, ideally engaging them in wrap-around services until the child turns 2 years old.

Launched in 2018, the program serves Lackawanna, Luzerne, Monroe, Pike, Schuylkill, Susquehanna, Wayne and Wyoming counties. To date, Healthy MOMS has supported more than 300 mothers and 189 babies.

“We are grateful for the Scranton Area Community Foundation’s financial support and the community partnerships that enable this program to touch two generations in our regional communities,” said Maria Kolcharno, the director of addiction services and a leader of the Healthy MOMS program at The Wright Center. “The lack of affordable child care continues to be a challenge for women enrolled in Healthy MOMS.”

In addition to primary care, oral health and women’s health services, The Healthy MOMS program realizes that mothers with substance use disorder would be identified via Social Services, such as the local Child Welfare Office, via the legal system, and by additional MAT providers in the area. Mothers who enter the Healthy MOMS program always have a choice as to who their medical providers will be.    

For more information about the Healthy MOMS program, call 570-955-7821 or visit HealthyMOMS.org.