Leadership Lackawanna announces Core Program Class of 2026-27 Leadership Lackawanna, a division of The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce, is pleased to announce the 39 professionals selected for its Core Program Class of 2026–27. The 10-month Core Program develops participants’ leadership, interpersonal and managerial skills while expanding their understanding of issues affecting the greater Scranton region. Through monthly sessions led by recognized specialists, participants explore topics that may include community and economic development, government, health care, law, education, quality of life, sustainability, regional history and media. A cornerstone of the program is the Core Class Project experience. Working in teams alongside local nonprofit organizations, participants develop and implement service projects that address genuine community needs. The projects give class members practical experience in strategic thinking, goal setting, teamwork, consensus building, problem solving, fundraising, resource development, marketing, public relations, equity and inclusion, conflict resolution and evaluation. The Leadership Lackawanna Core Program Class of 2026–27 includes: • Emily Arcaro, NeighborWorks Northeastern Pennsylvania • Nicole Ash, Aramark at the University of Scranton Catering Dept. • Alyssa Bartoli, Fidelity Bank • Rik Bhattacharyya, The Procter & Gamble Paper Products Company • Jonathan Brady, Fidelity Bank • Melissa Calachino, The Wright Center for Community Health • Dylan Cawley, Geisinger • Nicole Cesarini, Children’s Advocacy Center of NEPA • Camille Dantone, Everhart Museum • Sean Dempsey, Alliance Wealth Advisors • Samantha Donahue, The Arc of NEPA • Brittany Dougherty, Penn State Scranton • Laura Dunn, Merrill Lynch • Angelina Elders, NBT Bank • Elizabeth Ephault, The Wright Center for Community Health • Kevin Farrell, Marywood University • Morgan Farrell, Geisinger College of Health Sciences • Kyle Frable, Benco Dental • Lauretta Graham, The Wright Center for Community Health • Claire Guarneri, Peoples Security Bank & Trust Co. • Natasha Hazzouri, The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education • Kristen Hoover, Maximus • Teresa Kalinay, Montage Mountain Resorts • Fletcher Kanas, Barry Callebaut • Curt Kromko, Prudential • Kim Lazuka, Greater Scranton YMCA • Kristen McGoff, Peoples Security Bank & Trust Co. • Todd Monahan, Stone House Investment Management, LLC • Elisheva-Lydia MR, United Neighborhood Centers of Northeastern Pennsylvania • Rich Mullen, Posture Interactive, LTD • Nicole Piccoletti, Outreach – Center for Community Resources • Theodor Radu, The Honesdale National Bank • Monica Reich, Penn East Federal Credit Union • Alondra Vazquez Rivera, Wells Fargo • Lewis Schweppenheiser, Penn East Federal Credit Union • Nicholas Sherman, Friends of the Poor and Catherine McAuley Center • Kelly Siekierka, Plaskolite Pennsylvania • Jeff Snyder, Allied Services • Anthony Walaitis, Plaskolite Pennsylvania
Outreach – Center for Community Resources to host Children’s Career Fair Outreach- Center for Community Resources will host its annual Children’s Career Fair on Saturday, August 22, from 10 am to 1 pm. The career fair will be at 431 North 7th Avenue in Scranton and will have the theme “Professions for Parents, Too!” Kids ages 2 to 12 and their parents will be able to explore more than 40 career options and discover their interests in a fun, hands-on environment. Professionals from local industries will lead interactive activities. Parents and caregivers will also be able to speak with local employees to learn about potential career pathways and opportunities in the area. This year’s “Professions for Parents, Too!” component will allow adults to explore careers alongside their kids. Each child will complete a “career passport” as they move through the booths at the event. When it’s complete, they can choose an educational item from the free children’s store. There will also be face-painting, live music, STEAM projects, free back-to-school haircuts, back-to-school supplies, take-home career materials, and complimentary food and treats. “We believe that every child deserves the opportunity to dream big and aspire to greatness,” said Lori Chaffers, MSW, President/CEO of Outreach. “The Children’s Career Fair gives children the chance to explore different professions, spark their imaginations, and picture a bright future. By connecting parents with local employers at the same time, we support the whole family in working toward stability and self-sufficiency.” For more information about this event, you can contact Liz Ratchford at (570) 558-7562 or lratchford@outreachworks.org.
Outreach Hosts Volunteer Appreciation Breakfast to Celebrate National Volunteer Month April is National Volunteer Month, a time to celebrate and honor those who give back to their community. Volunteers are at the center of Outreach—Center for Community Resources‘ work. To show this appreciation, Outreach hosted a Volunteer Appreciation Breakfast on Friday, April 4th, at the Seventh Avenue Center in Scranton. The breakfast invited those who give their valuable time and resources to the organization throughout the year to come together and be honored for their efforts. Volunteers are crucial to the success of Outreach’s programming. Volunteering opportunities include tutoring GED participants, becoming a youth mentor as part of the Skyview STEM after-school programming, sorting and wrapping gifts for Outreach’s Toyland Workshop, helping clean the grounds of the Center, and so many more opportunities and events throughout the year. If you are interested in learning more, contact Julie Chowanec at 570-558-7569 or email outreachworks@outreachworks.org Since 1988, Outreach – Center for Community Resources has served individuals and families in Northeastern Pennsylvania. The mission of Outreach is to help individuals and families attain economic self-sufficiency and family stability through evidence-based programming. Outreach has served over 30,000 individuals throughout the region in 35 years, including many living at or below the poverty line. Outreach is committed to helping move families forward towards brighter tomorrows.
Outreach Hosts Early Childhood Community Meeting On March 4th, Outreach – Center for Community Resources, members of the Scranton School District board and staff, Maternal & Family Health Services (MFHS), the United Way, Children’s Issues in a Changing World, and other key regional stakeholders came together for a valuable discussion on building school readiness, promoting parental involvement, and improving the coordination of services for children throughout Northeastern Pennsylvania. The event was held at the Allied Services Luger Scranton Rehab Center on Morgan Highway. The more than 50 attendees explored topics such as early identification, engaging parents, transitions between birth to 3 and 3 to 5, and transitions between 3 to 5 and kindergarten. Outreach President/CEO Lori Chaffers (L), Scranton School District Assistant Superintendent Al O’Donnell, and John F. Kennedy Elementary School Principal Nora Phillips (R) opened the meeting by discussing the critical needs of our community’s youngest members. Following the opening remarks, attendees were divided into four discussion groups, each tackling a different topic of interest. Staff members of the Scranton School District and Outreach facilitated the groups, helping guide the conversation. By the end of the discussions, the group determined the next steps, including discussing the possibility of creating a nonprofit index for Lackawanna County and increasing opportunities for parental engagement. This was the first in a series of discussions regarding early childhood in Northeastern Pennsylvania. Outreach and the Scranton School District have not announced a date for the next meeting.
Outreach Receives Grant to Support Adult GED Program The Robert H. Spitz Foundation has awarded a $20,000 grant to support Outreach’s Adult GED Program. Since 2021, Outreach has been offering individualized GED tutoring and preparation for individuals in Scranton free of charge. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that individuals with a GED earn, on average, 25% more than those without (2022). Outreach offers flexible, personalized instruction and subject-specific tutoring that allows individuals to learn at their own pace and around their work and family schedules. GED programming aligns with Outreach’s mission to help individuals and families gain economic self-sufficiency and family stability. Many GED participants are able to advance their careers upon completing their GED credential. For more information on the GED program, call Outreach at 570-348-6484 Frank Caputo, Grants and Scholarships Manager, Scranton Area Community Foundation; Joel Skivington, GED Instructor and Lori Chaffers, President/CEO, Outreach – Center for Community Resources; and Cathy Fitzpatrick, Director of Grants and Scholarships, Scranton Area Community Foundation.
Outreach – Center for Community Resources Will Host 2024 Mighty Oak Awards Outreach – Center for Community Resources will host the 2024 Mighty Oak Awards on Thursday, September 26, 2024, from 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM at the Glenmaura National Golf Club in Moosic. The Mighty Oak Awards honor pillars in Northeastern Pennsylvania for their leadership and contributions to the community. This year’s event will recognize two individuals who exemplify Outreach’s mission: Attorney Tobey Oxholm III and Ms. Anne Quinn Butler. Attorney Carl “Tobey” Oxholm III will be awarded the Mighty Oak Award for helping individuals receive pardons as the creator of the Pardon Project of Pennsylvania. Atty. Oxholm has worked with Outreach to expand the Pardon Project to Lackawanna County. He graduated from Harvard Law and the Kennedy School of Government in 1979 and previously served as Chief Deputy Solicitor for the City of Philadelphia and General Counsel for Drexel University. He lives in Gouldsboro with his wife of forty-six years, Kim. Ms. Anne Quinn Butler is this year’s Beth Beh Community Spirit Award. Ms. Butler has been a part of the Outreach community for two decades. She previously was employed at Outreach as the Life Skills Program Manager at the Lackawanna County Prison. Since stepping down from her role, she has continued volunteering at Outreach by serving on various committees and is a Past President of the Board of Directors. She enjoys spending time with grandchildren and children in her free time, traveling, and gardening. Beth Beh Community Spirit Award recognizes and honors an individual or group with a long-standing devotion to community service through education, volunteer work, and citizen connections. Beth Beh founded the Women’s Employment Program (WEP) in 1986, the flagship program of the Employment Opportunity Training Center (EOTC), now Outreach. She devoted her life to developing and expanding community services that focused on single mothers and children in the region and provided mentorship to childcare professionals. The Mighty Oak Awards will include cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, live music, and basket raffles. Tickets are $125 and can be purchased online at www.outreachworks.org or by contacting Lori Ryan, Community Outreach & Resource Development Manager, via email at lryan@outreachworks.org or by calling 570-558-7565. Outreach Center for Community Resources delivers family educational 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 to be healthy and productive community members. Outreach programs support families experiencing adverse life events, including economically disadvantaged families, individuals seeking services that are involved in the Women’s and Veteran’s Treatment Court System, residents at the Lackawanna County Prison, and justice-involved juveniles. Outreach improves the lives of over 5,000 adults and children annually with evidence-based family development, early childhood education, adult GED services, and workforce programs that support them as they navigate life’s challenges
Outreach – Center for Community Resources to Host Ribbon Cutting Outreach – Center for Community Resources will host a ribbon cutting for its new Young Adult Center (YAC) on Thursday, July 11, 2024, from 10 AM – 1 PM. The ribbon cutting will take place at 11 AM. The YAC is located on the lower level of the Outreach Seventh Avenue Center, 431 North 7th Avenue, Scranton, PA, 18503. Outreach is excited to celebrate the opening of the YAC. The YAC is a newly renovated space at the Seventh Avenue Center and has been serving young people ages (14-24) since January. Programs include youth services to help young people transition into adulthood. Many of the young people served by the Center have had previous involvement in the justice system, are aging out of the foster care system, have withdrawn from high school, or need an extra support system due to family circumstances. The Center is staffed with a Youth Services Manager and three full-time Independent Living Case Managers. The YAC works closely with other Outreach team members to provide full wraparound services, including GED tutoring, workforce development training, life skills, and parenting classes. When needed, Outreach refers to outside agencies for additional services. Outreach – Center for Community Resources offers a variety of programs, with respect for the individual and with the highest professional standards, that promote family stability and economic self-sufficiency. For over 35 years, Outreach has served residents of Northeastern Pennsylvania with evidence-based programming, including home-visiting programs Parents as Teachers®, SafeCare® Augmented, Parent/Child Play & Learn Groups, the Incredible Years® parent training program, family reunification, supervised visitation, prison reentry, life skills programming, GED, and workforce development services. Outreach was privileged to serve nearly 5,000 individuals across the region last year. For more information, please visit www.outreachworks.org Upcoming Events.
Outreach Center for Community Resources to Hold Ribbon Cutting Outreach – Center for Community Resources will host a ribbon cutting for its new Young Adult Center (YAC) on Thursday, July 11, 2024, from 10 AM – 1 PM. The ribbon cutting will take place at 11 AM. The YAC is located on the lower level of the Outreach Seventh Avenue Center, 431 North 7th Avenue, Scranton, PA, 18503. Outreach is excited to celebrate the opening of the YAC. The YAC is a newly renovated space at the Seventh Avenue Center and has been serving young people ages (14-24) since January. Programs include youth services to help young people transition into adulthood. Many of the young people served by the Center have had previous involvement in the justice system, are aging out of the foster care system, have withdrawn from high school, or need an extra support system due to family circumstances. The Center is staffed with a Youth Services Manager and three full-time Independent Living Case Managers. The YAC works closely with other Outreach team members to provide full wraparound services, including GED tutoring, workforce development training, life skills, and parenting classes. When needed, Outreach refers to outside agencies for additional services. Outreach – Center for Community Resources offers a variety of programs, with respect for the individual and with the highest professional standards, that promote family stability and economic self-sufficiency. For over 35 years, Outreach has served residents of Northeastern Pennsylvania with evidence-based programming, including home-visiting programs Parents as Teachers®, SafeCare® Augmented, Parent/Child Play & Learn Groups, the Incredible Years® parent training program, family reunification, supervised visitation, prison reentry, life skills programming, GED, and workforce development services. Outreach was privileged to serve nearly 5,000 individuals across the region last year. For more information, please visit www.outreachworks.org Upcoming Events.
Outreach Receives Grant for Doula Services Outreach – Center for Community Resources recently received $100,000 from the Highmark Foundation to support the postpartum doula program. In 2022, Outreach introduced its postpartum doula program as part of the Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL), funded through the Parents as Teachers® (PAT) program. The Outreach Doula program was expanded in 2023 with funding support from AllOne Charities and Maternal and Family Health Services. The Highmark Foundation grant funding will allow Outreach to add another full-time Doula to serve families with newborns in need of parenting support and educational services. Outreach doulas are certified by the Pennsylvania Certification Board as Certified Perinatal Doulas. The program follows the evidence-based PAT curriculum and consists of two to three home visits lasting up to three hours for ten to twelve weeks. Doulas provide critical support to parents during their pregnancy through their newborn’s earliest days. In fiscal year 2022-2023, Outreach served 20 parents and 21 infants through the doula program. The community has received the program very well. Outreach will continue to seek funding to expand these services to support families in need of this critical support.
YMCA News YMCA to Hold Cooking Classes The YMCA will be gathering in the kitchen and café every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday in January for cooking lessons and healthy habits discussions. The Tuesday and Wednesday classes go together, with the Tuesday class a discussion on what will be prepared on Wednesday. Our Thursday class will be a standalone class focusing on preparing meals on a budget. Registration is required for each individual class. For members, each class costs $5.00 and for non-members, $10.00. View the schedule and reserve your spot by visiting us online! https://www.greaterscrantonymca.org/…/kitchen-club/. YMCA to Hold Outreach Program We Are Y is an inclusive community outreach program that provides individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities access to recreational activities that encourage staying active, building interpersonal relationships among peers, self-sufficiency, and aid in developing cognitive abilities. Recreational activities will rotate weekly and will be followed by light refreshments before departing. JANUARY PROGRAM SCHEDULE:1/5: Post Holiday Craft – Draw what made us most happy during this holiday season!1/12: Imagination Playground – Obstacle Course and base building1/19: Habitat Drawing – We will pick a habitat type and then draw out the species that belong to that specific habitat (animals, plants, etc.)1/26: Create your own Super Hero – We will craft our own unique original super heroes and write short descriptions of them (powers, secret identity, backstory, etc.) YMCA Receives Grant from North Pocono Student North Pocono High Schooler Gwendolyn Powell presented the Greater Scranton YMCA with a grant award totaling $5,713.50. Gwen is a youth competitive golfer, participating in national and local PGA Junior Golf Tournaments. Through her participation in the American Junior Golf Association, Gwen signed up for their Leadership Links Program, which helps youth impact their community and help others by golfing for a cause.
