Local Foundation and Wayne Bank Supports Community Foundation The Board of The John and Helen Villaume Foundation, a fiduciary of the Wayne Bank, announced that the Wayne County Community Foundation was selected to receive one of the Foundation’s 2023 community grant awards. Ryanne Jennings, President & CEO, received a check in the amount of $5,000.00 from Villaume Foundation board members, Jon Villaume and Tracy L. Schwarz. The John and Helen Villaume Foundation established by Honesdale natives, John and Helen Villaume, was created to benefit charitable, religious, scientific, literary, and educational programs within Wayne County. Since its inception, the Foundation has made awards totaling over $2,425,000.00 with Wayne Bank managing the account in the Wealth Management and Trust Services Division of Wayne Bank. Additional information about the Foundation and grant applications may be obtained from: The John and Helen Villaume Foundation, c/o Wayne Bank Wealth Management and Trust Services Division, 717 Main Street, Honesdale, PA 18431, or by phone: 570-253-1571 or email: Trust@WayneBank.com
OneTech360 CEO Published in ChannelProNetwork OneTech360 CEO, Luis A. Aponte Jr., was recently published on ChannelProNetwork for his article, “Your Security-Minded Playbook to Retaining Recession-Minded Clients,” discussing current economic pressures tightening budgets, and how to prioritize client outreach to ensure they understand the demonstrable cost-benefit value your security services deliver. To read the article, click here.
Allied Services Receives Donation from Law Office Allied Services was presented with a $5,000 donation in support of the health systems Vocational Services Division from the law office of Scanlon, Howley & Doherty. The law firm served as a co-presenting sponsor of the Allied Services 2023 Vocational Services Golf Classic; an annual tournament that benefits individuals with disabilities participating in training and employment programs provided by the non-profit health system.
The Scranton Cultural Center Announces Christmas Show Scranton Cultural Center and NAC Entertainment at the Masonic Temple are thrilled to announce that the Mannheim Steamroller Christmas show will be performing in NEPA this December for one night only, December 6th. This year’s show will feature classic Christmas hits from the Mannheim Steamroller holiday albums along with multimedia effects in an intimate setting. Chip Davis, founder and creator of Mannheim Steamroller, will direct and co-produce tour performances with MagicSpace Entertainment. Tickets for this show go on sale Friday, July 28 at 10AM, and will be available in person at the Scranton Cultural Center box office, and online at BroadwayInScranton.com. Davis will celebrate over 35 Years of his annual Christmas concert tour, making it the longest-running concert tour in the entertainment industry! Davis said the hallmark tour will begin on November 14th, 2023, and run through December 30th, 2023. Two traveling ensembles will hold performances in cities across the country. “I remember when I came out with my first Christmas album in 1984 followed by our first tour. Back then, many in the music industry said focusing on Christmas just wouldn’t work,” said Davis. “Now, over 35 years later, we are still going strong. I want to thank our fans for making us part of their holiday tradition, especially after the hardships of the last few years. Today we often see multi-generational families join us during the holidays each year.”
Scranton Area Community Foundation Receives Donation from Minooka Subaru Minooka Subaru recently presented the Scranton Area Community Foundation with a check in the amount of $42,507 which comes from their recent Share the Love® event where the Scranton Area Community Foundation was selected as the hometown charity for Minooka Subaru’s customers to support during the event. This is the fifth year that Minooka Subaru has partnered with the Scranton Area Community Foundation as the hometown charity to support. To date, Minooka Subaru has donated over $200,000 to support the Minooka Subaru Fund of the Scranton Area Community Foundation which provides charitable support to the community.
Commonwealth Health Regional Hospital of Scranton Receives Award Commonwealth Health Regional Hospital of Scranton has received the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines – Stroke Gold Plus quality achievement award for its commitment to ensuring stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines, ultimately leading to more lives saved and reduced disability. Stroke is the No. 5 cause of death and a leading cause of disability in the U.S. A stroke occurs when a blood vessel that carries oxygen and nutrients to the brain is either blocked by a clot or bursts. When that happens, part of the brain cannot get the blood and oxygen it needs, so brain cells die. Early stroke detection and treatment are key to improving survival, minimizing disability, and accelerating recovery times. Get With The Guidelines puts the expertise of the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association to work for hospitals nationwide, helping ensure patient care is aligned with the latest research- and evidence-based guidelines. Get With The Guidelines – Stroke is an in-hospital program for improving stroke care by promoting consistent adherence to these guidelines, which can minimize the long-term effects of a stroke and even prevent death. Each year, program participants qualify for the award by demonstrating how their organization has committed to providing quality care for stroke patients. In addition to following treatment guidelines, Get With The Guidelines participants also educate patients to help them manage their health and recovery at home. “We are incredibly pleased to recognize Commonwealth Health Regional Hospital of Scranton for its commitment to caring for patients with stroke,” said Steven Messe, M.D., volunteer chairperson of the American Heart Association Stroke System of Care Advisory Group and professor of neurology and director of fellowships of neurology at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. “Participation in Get With The Guidelines is associated with improved patient outcomes, fewer readmissions and lower mortality rates – a win for health care systems, families and communities.” Commonwealth Health Regional Hospital also received the American Heart Association’s Target: StrokeSM Elite award. To qualify for this recognition, hospitals must meet specific criteria that reduce the time between an eligible patient’s arrival at the hospital and treatment with the clot-buster alteplase.
WVIA to Host Free Open House WVIA, Northeastern, and Central Pennsylvania’s PBS and NPR affiliate, will celebrate the 50th anniversary of WVIA radio with an open house on Saturday, August 12, from 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. The event will be held at WVIA’s headquarters in Pittston, Pennsylvania. This event is free for attendees. Tours are approximately 45 to 60 minutes long. The open house will feature tours of the WVIA studios, demonstrations of WVIA’s production facilities, interactive sessions with WVIA staff, refreshments, and giveaways. There will also be a variety of activities for children, including educational and art activities and prizes. Children can participate in a “touch-a-truck” style tour of the WVIA production truck and meet Miss Debbie, the Clubhouse Mom. In addition to celebrating WVIA radio’s 50th anniversary, the open house will also be a chance for the public to learn more about the station’s history, programming, and community impact. This will only be the second open house in WVIA’s history. WVIA offers a wide variety of educational and cultural programming, including documentaries, children’s shows, local and national music performances, and news and public affairs programming. Over the past 50 years, WVIA has grown to include radio, television, and live programming, and now includes on-demand streaming services and its own in-house news team. WVIA television channels include WVIA TV, WVIA PBS Kids 24/7, and WVIA Create. WVIA’s radio channels include WVIA Radio, WVIA Arts, and the Chiaroscuro Channel. “We are excited to celebrate our 50th anniversary with the community and our members,” said Carla McCabe, WVIA’s President & CEO. “We want to thank our viewers and supporters for their continued dedication to WVIA. We look forward to many more years of serving the region and providing the public with enriching and entertaining content.” The WVIA open house is free and open to the public, however, tour spaces are limited so registration is required. For more information or to register for this event, visit the WVIA website.
Sustainable Energy Fund Honors Peter Krajsa with Epstein Award Sustainable Energy Fund honored Peter Krajsa with the Epstein Lifetime Achievement Award on Thursday, July 11, at the Hotel Hershey. The Epstein Award is presented to a deserving individual each year for a lifetime of work moving society towards a sustainable energy future. “We are thrilled to award Peter Krajsa with the Epstein Award,” said John Costlow, president and CEO of Sustainable Energy Fund. “He has greatly impacted the sustainable energy community throughout his career and directly influenced the future of sustainable energy.” Mr. Krajsa has been recognized as an innovator in energy efficiency finance for over two decades. Peter Krajsa is Co-Chair and Founder of the National Energy Improvement Fund (NEIF). He spearheaded the creation of a number of national energy finance programs as CEO of AFC First Financial Corporation, a specialty residential energy efficiency lender, operating programs nationally with a network of over 6,000 participating contractors. As CEO of AFC First, Peter led the development of the company’s national EnergyLoan® program as one of Fannie Mae’s approved lenders; created the Keystone Home Energy Loan Program in cooperation with the Pennsylvania Treasury Department, DEP, and PHFA, which laid the foundation for WHEEL, (Warehouse for Energy Efficiency Loans), the world’s first investment grade rated securitization of a portfolio of unsecured energy loans, to name a few. Under his leadership, AFC First closed over $500 million in energy efficiency loans, was named by the U.S. DOE as the nation’s first private Home Performance with ENERGY STAR sponsor, selected as one of five national pilot lenders for the HUD PowerSaver program, received the Alliance to Save Energy Andromeda Award and established the Green Energy Training Academy supported by the Rockefeller Foundation.
Geisinger at Home Receives Grant Geisinger Health Foundation has been granted $50,000 to support the Geisinger at Home™ program from the Ralph and Josephine Smith Fund of the First Community Foundation Partnership of Pennsylvania (FCFP). “We’re grateful to the FCFP’s Ralph and Josephine Smith Fund for this generous grant, which will bolster our Geisinger at Home program as we continue to help patients manage their conditions in the comfort of their own homes,” said Nancy Lawton-Kluck, Geisinger Health Foundation’s chief philanthropy officer. Geisinger at Home brings health care to eligible Geisinger Gold Medicare Advantage members where they need it most — right where they live. The program cares for patients with complex, difficult-to-manage health conditions like kidney disease, heart disease, cancers and dementia, and Geisinger’s team of doctors, registered nurses, dietitians, case managers and medical support staff visit them in their residences. The program keeps patients healthier, safer and better connected to their care team, so their health needs can be met before they require emergency room visits or hospital stays. Funding will be used for program costs and to support social and home needs for Geisinger at Home patients in Northumberland County. FCFP works to improve the quality of life in north-central Pennsylvania through community leadership, the promotion of philanthropy, the strengthening of nonprofit impact and the perpetual stewardship of charitable assets. The Community Foundation strives to create powerful communities through passionate giving. For more information visit, fcfpartnership.org.
Chamber Email Delivery Issues The cyber world has forced businesses to employ extreme efforts to guard electronic communications and operations with multiple layers of firewalls and filters. Unfortunately, this may have unintended consequences. In the case of The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce, it appears that many emails to our members are being blocked by Spam or Junk filters. This situation is more than a bit disturbing, as we want you to receive the communications and information that maximize the value of your Chamber membership. This includes your membership renewal. Membership invoices are sent via email, and we are finding that in some cases those electronic filters prevented delivery. If you or your organization did not receive your membership renewal via email, please reach out to Tina Bechaver at tbechaver@scrantonchamber.com, or (570) 342-7711, extension 132, and she can help rectify this situation. Thank you for your continued support of The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce.
