The Scranton Area Community Foundation Announces Careers in Care Nursing Scholarship Applications Open

The Northeastern Pennsylvania Health Care Foundation, administered by the Scranton Area Community Foundation has announced the 2022 Careers in Care Nursing Scholarship application deadline for students in Lackawanna, Luzerne, and Wyoming Counties who plan to pursue or who are pursuing nursing, and who will practice in Northeastern Pennsylvania.

Interested nursing students or current nurses looking to advance their careers may apply online from February 1, 2022 through April 15th 2022 at CareersinCareNEPA.org.

To qualify for a Careers in Care Nursing Scholarship, individuals must show they have had a permanent address in Lackawanna, Luzerne, or Wyoming County for the last three years. Applicants may be new or continuing students interested in pursuing, or currently pursuing, nursing; traditional or non-traditional students pursuing qualification at any level of the nursing profession, including CNA, LPN, RN to BSN, BS (3rd and 4th year only), Master’s Degree/Nurse Educator; or non-traditional students looking to return to work or seeking a change in employment.

“Nursing provides the greatest honor in life – to be able to care for patients in their most vulnerable state and assist them when they need it the most. This scholarship is enabling me to enhance my skills from being a Licensed Practical Nurse to earning my Bachelors in Science degree in Nursing,” remarked Nicole Lubash, 2021 scholarship winner, mother of two young boys, and a Junior at Marywood University.

The Northeastern Pennsylvania Health Care Foundation’s Careers in Care initiative is a$1.7 million commitment over a three-year period (2020-2023) focused on developing the regional pipeline of the healthcare workforce. Established through the Scranton Area Community Foundation, the nursing scholarship program aims to support the growth and development of the nurses at all levels in NEPA.

“We’re delighted that 19 previous scholarship winners are already pursuing nursing careers with awards from the Careers in Care nursing scholarship program. We are prepared to assist many additional nursing school applicants with scholarships during this enrollment period,” stated Laura Ducceschi, President and CEO of the Scranton Area Community Foundation.

Lackawanna College Awarded Grant to Support Diversity Initiatives

A $2,500 grant from the Scranton Area Community Foundation’s Center for Community Leadership and Nonprofit Excellence will help Lackawanna College build a multi-stage diversity and inclusion improvement plan. 

The grant will provide funds for the College to hire a consultant service to assist in creating and administering a comprehensive institutional equity audit. The audit will focus on the student experience, examining organizational practices and policies related to diversity and inclusion.

“There’s a need to identify the College’s strengths and weaknesses, so we can create a more vibrant college community, improving the experience for all students, particularly those who have been traditionally marginalized and underrepresented,” said Joya Whittington, project director. “I’m grateful that we were approved for this grant so we can begin to implement institutional and social change.”

Faculty and staff members on the College’s Diversity, Equity, Justice and Inclusion (DEJI) committee will lead the project. Branching off from the audit, the committee will establish a multi-phase Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) improvement action plan and initiate short and long-term educational activities.

The Robert and Rose Cavanaugh Fund to Feed the Hungry Poor Grants $14,680 in 2021 to Fight Hunger

In 2021, The Robert and Rose Cavanaugh Fund to Feed the Hungry Poor granted $14,680 to programs in Lackawanna, Luzerne, and Wayne Counties. The Fund, which was established in November 2018 at the Scranton Area Community Foundation through a planned gift from the late Robert and Rose Cavanaugh, supports entities and programs such as pantries, meal services, and food kitchens that are dedicated to serving the hungry poor.

The 2021 grant recipients and the purposes for the grants are:

● Catherine McAuley Center – “Food Pantry For Women and Families in Need”

● CEO Weinberg Regional Food Bank – “Food Delivery and/or Food Supplies”

● Here For A Reason – “Food Packaging and Distribution”

● Holy Trinity Lutheran Church Food Pantry – “Food for Food Pantry”

● Meals on Wheels of Greater Pittston – “Food Preparation and Delivery”

● Meals on Wheels of NEPA, Inc. – “Food preparation and delivery”

● NativityMiguel School of Scranton – “Hunger Relief for Families of NativityMiguel School”

● NEPA Youth Shelter – “NEPA Youth Shelter Grocery Fund”

● The Greenhouse Project – “Plants, Food, and Skills for Sustenance”

● ThinkBIG Pediatric Cancer Fund – “ThinkBIG Holiday Gift Card Program”

● United Neighborhood Centers of NEPA – “Angel’s Attic Food Pantry”

● Wayne County Community Foundation – “Wayne County Emergency Food Relief Fund”

Recipients were selected through a rigorous application process. Applicants were invited to submit grant requests for up to $5,000 using the Scranton Area Community Foundation’s online grant portal.

Ryanne Jennings from the Wayne County Community Foundation explained how the grant supported their efforts to provide fresh food to their local emergency pantries, “Wayne County Emergency Food Relief Fund purchased $3747 in local produce, eggs and dairy for the in Wayne County. Our pantries have very limited storage for items that require refrigeration, so the Emergency Food Relief Fund helps to provide the funds needed to purchase directly from the farmers directly before the pantries distribute their food to our community members in need of support.”

For more information about grant opportunities at the Scranton Area Community Foundation, please contact Cathy Fitzpatrick, Scranton Area Community Foundation Grants and Scholarship Manager, at 570-347-6203, extension 301, or grants@safdn.org.

2021 SAF Annual Event Celebrates Over $5 Million in Grant Distribution

The Scranton Area Community Foundation held its 2021 Annual Community Celebration on the evening of Thursday, December 2nd at the Hilton Scranton and Conference Center.

The Annual Community Celebration event was an opportunity for the Foundation, its Board of Governors, and supporters to share and celebrate their impacts and accomplishments in 2021. Laura Ducceschi, CEO & President of the Scranton Area Community Foundation, and Ken Okrepkie, Chairman of the Scranton Area Community Foundation Board of Governors, hosted the event which was live-streamed to supporters. Posture Interactive provided production services, including video production, streaming, and designing the stage dressing.

At the event, members of the Scranton Area Community Foundation Board of Governors celebrated the generosity of donors and friends that enabled the Foundation to distribute over $5 million in grants and scholarships from charitable funds, and an additional $2 million from Foundations under management.

Also recognized were featured community partners and funds who have made a significant impact in 2021. Featured Community Partners were William G. McGowan Charitable Fund, Lamar Advertising, and the Hudacek Family. 2021 Featured Funds were Anne Marie and Paul Kelly Fund, NEPA Invitational Fund, and Patrick J. and Patricia J. Mellody Memorial Fund.

Also honored at the celebration was Cathy Fitzpatrick, Grants & Scholarships Supervisor at the Scranton Area Community Foundation, for her 20 years of dedicated service to the Foundation.

For more information about the Scranton Area Community Foundation, please contact 570-347-6203 or info@safdn.org.

Apply today for a Tomorrow’s Leaders Today Grant

Does your organization provide work in any of the following areas?

  • Environmental and/or Local Parks Projects
  • Facility Improvement for Animal Welfare
  • Homeless Programs

Grants are available through the Tomorrow’s Leaders Today (TLT) grants program.

The Scranton Area Community Foundation is accepting requests for proposals for the Tomorrow’s Leaders Today (TLT) grants program. Applications will be accepted from charitable organizations in Lackawanna County through Friday, January 15, 2022.

What is the Tomorrow’s Leaders Today (TLT) grants program?

Tomorrow’s Leaders Today (TLT) is a youth leadership program of Leadership Lackawanna that provides high school juniors with the opportunity to meet with community leaders and decision-makers. In addition to leadership development, the students are also required to complete a philanthropy curriculum conducted by the Scranton Area Community Foundation. TLT seeks to help participants realize what they can do to make a difference in their community as young philanthropists and to further develop their leadership skills.

The Scranton Area Community Foundation is proud to partner with Leadership Lackawanna in introducing the concept of philanthropy and grantmaking to our region’s youth. The Scranton Area Community Foundation allocates funding for the TLT class to grant. Priority areas are chosen by the TLT students. In 2022, grants will be provided to organizations working to make a difference in the following Priority Areas: Environmental and/or Local Parks Projects Facility Improvement for Animal Welfare Homeless Programs Grant applications for the TLT grants program are available through the Scranton Area Community Foundation’s online grant management portal. The maximum grant amount awarded per grant for a 2022 TLT grant is $2,000.

Applications will be accepted from charitable organizations in Lackawanna County through Friday, January 15, 2022.

Apply

To submit an application, you will need to first create an account in our online grant management portal if your organization has not already done so. Please email grants@safdn.org with questions.

NeighborWorks NEPA Receives Grant from the Robert H. Spitz Foundation

NeighborWorks Northeastern Pennsylvania (NeighborWorks) is pleased to announce it has received a $17,000 grant from the Robert H. Spitz Foundation, managed by the Scranton Area Community Foundation.

These funds support our Community Services Navigator position, which aids clients from our main direct service programs: Aging in Place, Neighborhood Revitalization, and Homeownership & Financial Services. This position provides assistance to older adults in connecting to other social service opportunities, completing applications for assistance and navigating referrals provided.
“We truly appreciate the generous support from the Robert H. Spitz Foundation” said Jesse Ergott, President & CEO. “This grant will allow us to provide more personalized assistance to our neighbors facing challenges with financial and homeownership stability.”

The grant from the Robert H. Spitz Foundation is one of several funding sources that is being used to increase organizational capacity to establish and maintain the Navigator position. This position ensures the Aging in Place program can continue to provide services to older adults in our community.

The Robert H. Spitz Foundation awards annual grants through a competitive application and review process. NeighborWorks is one of 45 nonprofit grant recipients in Northeastern Pennsylvania to receive funding in the 2021 cycle of grant awards. Priority areas for funding include supporting 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, education, and other important issues.

Scranton Area Community Foundation Awards Grant to The Garden of Cedar

The Garden of Cedar in Scranton has been awarded a $15,000 grant by the Scranton Area Community Foundation.  The grant proceeds will be used to assist in constructing several innovative features at the Garden including ADA accessible planting beds, a vertical planting wall to maximize crop yield, custom planting greenhouses for off-season gardening, and children’s discovery stations.  The Garden of Cedar is located at 715 Cedar Avenue in South Scranton.

The mission of The Garden of Cedar is to provide a unique functional urban community garden and discovery area that will provide healthy nourishment, education and enjoyment to a diverse culturally rich community comprised of recent immigrants and long-term neighborhood residents.  The Garden’s

signature feature will be a wandering maze pathway bounded by vegetable and fruit planting beds.  Visitors will be able to wander along a serpentine path, with stops & starts, and return safely to the point of origin.  Along the way they will be able to observe various planting techniques employed by residents of the local community.

The project is being developed by Frank Dubas, president of the Garden, a non-profit organization.  Frank resides in New Canaan, CT and Scranton, PA.  Construction is expected to commence at the site in early 2022.           

“I am extremely grateful that the Scranton Area Community Foundation has recognized the mission of the Garden by making this award to assist with several innovative and transformational features.  When complete, The Garden of Cedar will be a testament to the resilience of one of Scranton’s most diverse and deserving neighborhoods. The Garden will be like none other,” said Dubas.

Scranton Area Community-Backed Matt McGloin Foundation Awards Grant to Saint Joseph’s Center

The Matt McGloin Foundation, administered by the Scranton Area Community Foundation, recently presented a $9,000 grant to fund a new outdoor accessible play area at Saint Joseph’s Center Trinity Child Care Center. 

PHOTO (l-r): Atty. Charles Volpe; David Price, Scranton Area Community Foundation Board Secretary; Keith Eckel; Bailey McGloin, The Matt McGloin Foundation; Matt McGloin, The Matt McGloin Foundation; Michele Johnston, RN, Director of Trinity Child Care Center; Sister Maryalice Jacquinot, IHM, President and CEO, Saint Joseph’s Center; Brittany Pagnotti, Scranton Area Community Foundation Communications Manager.

Telespond Senior Services Awarded $5,000 to Support Operations

Telespond Senior Services has accepted a $5,000 Critical Needs grant award from the Scranton Area Community Foundation to support operations of in-home and on-site senior services in Northeastern PA.

Telespond’s on-site day program provides a community-based environment for older adults who require supervised care outside the home during the day. Telespond’s in-home personal care services assist seniors with non-medical activities of daily living so they can continue to live independently.

Telespond is dedicated to enhancing the safety and well-being of the region’s elderly and has served the Lackawanna County community for over 40 years. To learn more, visit http://www.seniordayservices.org/

NEPA Health Care Foundation, Administered by SACF, Announces Careers in Care Nursing Scholarships

In response to the acute shortage of nurses across the region and its effect on the health and wellness of Northeastern Pennsylvania, the Northeastern Pennsylvania Health Care Foundation, administered by the Scranton Area Community Foundation, announces it has awarded $189,622 in its first year towards nursing scholarships for local students as part of its Careers in Care initiative.

The Careers in Care Nursing Scholarship Program has awarded 21 scholarships to students in Lackawanna, Luzerne, and Wyoming Counties who plan to pursue or who are pursuing nursing and who will practice in Northeastern Pennsylvania. These scholarship opportunities come during a time where the strains on the healthcare workforce in Northeastern Pennsylvania have been significant. In response to the significant interest and need in the region, the Northeastern Pennsylvania Health Care Foundation has decided to double the amount available for scholarships in 2022 to $400,000.

The Careers in Care Nursing Scholarship Program accepted applications earlier this year and, through a rigorous and competitive application process, identified a variety of qualified nursing students.

Recipients include Brooke Bird, Luzerne County Community College; Sarah Bonser, Walden University; Jacqueline Cicardo, Luzerne County Community College; Michael Clark, Penn State Scranton; Caity Colan, Luzerne County Community College; Jason Conrad, Luzerne County Community College; Jacqueline Earley, Lackawanna College; Austin Emenyonu, Misericordia University; Elizabeth Hernandez, Luzerne County Community College; Casey Hughes, Luzerne County Community College; Holly Hughes, Marywood University; Nicole Lubash, Marywood University; Brittany Marcinkevich, Lackawanna College; Mary McFadden, Penn State Scranton; Tiffany Megotz, Career Technology Center of Lackawanna County; Anne Murdoch, Penn State Scranton; Samantha Rosselli, Lackawanna College; Laura Slivinski, Career Technology Center of Lackawanna County; Rosa Vazquez Nunez, Career Technology Center of Lackawanna County; Ariana Velez, Wilkes University; and Sabrina Weidlich, Luzerne County Community College.

“Over the past year, we have seen just how timely the Careers in Care initiative really is,” said James Clemente, NEPA Health Care Foundation Board Chair. “The Foundation’s Board understands the strains that the regional healthcare workforce is facing and strives to make an impact to address these critical issues through these important scholarships.”

“I think the fact that the Board of the Northeastern PA Health Care Foundation has decided to double the amount of scholarship support available for nurses in year two speaks to the great need and interest in the program,” said Laura Ducceschi, President and CEO of the Scranton Area Community Foundation. She adds, “I think the Foundation board was very innovative in their planning of these scholarships which are made available to nursing students from CNAs through nurse educators at the graduate level.”  The Scranton Area Community Foundation administers the NEPA Health Care Foundation.

To qualify for a Careers in Care Nursing Scholarship, individuals were required to show they have had a permanent address in Lackawanna, Luzerne, or Wyoming County for the last three years. Scholarships were available to those interested in obtaining a CNA and entering the healthcare workforce. Scholarships are also for anyone employed in the healthcare field in either Lackawanna, Luzerne, or Wyoming County and looking to advance as an LPN or RN/BSN. Additionally, students were invited to apply if they were in their third or fourth year of a four-year nursing degree and looking for financial assistance. Scholarship recipients were also asked to demonstrate a commitment to stay in the Northeastern Pennsylvania region. The Northeastern Pennsylvania Health Care Foundation also invited ‘nontraditional’ students or those looking to go back to school to obtain a nursing degree to apply for a Careers in Care Nursing Scholarship.

Additionally, through Careers in Care, the NEPA Health Care Foundation will provide grant support totaling $830,000, to a variety of organizations including Lackawanna College, for its three-year plan to enhance the pipeline of local healthcare professionals and increase the number trained and retained in the region; United Neighborhood Centers of NEPA for its Upward Economic Mobility Program; and Saint Joseph’s Center for direct support professional wage increases. The Northeastern Pennsylvania Health Care Foundation’s Careers in Care initiative is a $1.7 million commitment over a three-year period (2020-2023).

In addition to the Careers in Care initiative, the NEPA Health Care Foundation is also in the seventh year of a $3.2 million commitment to the Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine (GCSOM) for scholarship support for incoming first-year medical students from Lackawanna, Luzerne and Wyoming counties.  The NEPA Health Care Foundation Scholars program covers full tuition for these scholars, who indicate a commitment to practice medicine in Northeastern PA.