University of Scranton Offers Contactless Income Tax Assistance Accounting students from The University of Scranton will follow an adjusted contactless process to assist local residents with filing their federal, state and local tax returns as part of the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program. The process for this year has been adjusted to because of COVID-19 health and safety guidelines. The free service is available to residents of Lackawanna and Wayne counties with household incomes of $57,000 or less for 2021. Qualified clients can provide the information needed to complete tax forms (see below) in a secure “drop-off box” located in the University Police Department, 820 Mulberry Street, beginning Feb. 7. Forms will be processed remotely by University student volunteers. Clients will be contacted by phone or email with any questions and when their tax forms have been filed electronically. The documents provided, or copies of documents if originals were needed for filing, will be then returned to participants. Documents need for filing tax forms include: name, email and phone number;a copy of the taxpayer’s driver’s license (and spouse’s if applicable);a copy of Social Security cards for the taxpayer, the spouse, and any dependents;all Wage and earning statements, including, but not limited to:Form W-2 (employees);W-2G (gambling winnings);1099-R (retirement withdrawals);1099-Misc, 1099-NEC(miscellaneous income) and any related expenses;1099-G (unemployment income);1099-SA (Social Security statement);1099-B (sales of stock);interest and dividend statements from banks (Forms 1099-INT and 1099-DIV);a copy of last year’s federal and state returns, if available;a voided check for proof of bank account routing and account numbers for direct deposit;forms 1095-A, B and C, health coverage statements;any information pertinent to deductions and credits the taxpayer may be eligible for, such as:1098-T for anyone on the tax return who attended a higher education institution during 2020;totals paid to daycare providers and the daycare provider’s tax identifying number such as their Social Security number or business Employer Identification Number, name, and address;for those who qualify for a property tax or rent rebate (age 65 and older, a widow/widower, disabled, and within certain income limits), copies of property tax receipts for any property taxes paid during the 2020 tax year;list of charitable donations;also note if you received the economic impact payment? (late 2020 or early 2021) $600/ taxpayer-spouse and each qualifying child. Residents can include information above in an envelope and place it in the “drop-off box” in the University Police Department, 820 Mulberry Street, weekdays between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., beginning Monday, Feb. 7. The program will end when the capacity to process tax forms received has been met. Residents with questions may call the University at 570-941-4045. University students have participated in the VITA program for more than 30 years.
FNCB Bank Provides Scholarship Assistance to NativityMiguel School of Scranton FNCB Bank, locally based since 1910, has announced a $15,000 Pennsylvania Education Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) donation to the NativityMiguel School of Scranton. The donation will provide direct scholarship support for students in need. NativityMiguel of Scranton (NMS) is a tuition-free/all-scholarship middle school serving ethnically and religiously diverse students of greater economic need in grades 5-8. Historically, their students have come from Lackawanna and Luzerne counties and greater Northeastern Pennsylvania. Since 2010, FNCB has contributed just under $2,500,000 to local educational and scholarship organizations through the EITC initiative. The support of the NativityMiguel School of Scranton is part of FNCB’s larger Community Caring initiative. As a true, local community bank, FNCB Bank is making a difference through volunteerism, donations and outreach programs.
Manufacturing Roundtable Informs Legislators of Program & Policy Priorities for Growth On February 1, 2022, Eric Joseph Esoda, President & CEO of the Northeastern Pennsylvania Industrial Resource Center (NEPIRC), hosted a manufacturing roundtable for a joint meeting of the PA House Democratic Policy Committee and the PA House Manufacturing Caucus in State College, PA. The roundtable consisted of 10 manufacturing executives from across Pennsylvania, including leaders within Metal Integrity East & West, Restek Corporation, Diamondback Covers, Lake Erie Rubber & Manufacturing, GeorgeKo Industries, ILSCO Extrusion, The Fredericks Company, C.L. Sturkey, Inc. and Lehigh Valley Plastics. The roundtable was requested by Rep. Ryan Bizzarro, Chair of the House Democratic Policy Committee, and Rep. Mike Schlossberg, Chair of the House Manufacturing Caucus. “Manufacturing in Pennsylvania is important to our caucus because Pennsylvania is a place where businesses want to come and stay,” said Rep. Bizzarro. “We want to hear from manufacturers on what they need to make Pennsylvania more attractive for businesses,” he added. Within the 90-minute roundtable, which consisted of live participation and virtual attendees, manufacturers expressed their greatest challenges, barriers, opportunities and advantages relative to workforce attraction and retention, the adoption of advanced manufacturing technologies and the mitigation of supply chain risks through reshoring and creating PA-based supplier networks. The participating manufacturers also offered suggestions and ideas as to what programs, policies and statewide initiatives should be created or expanded in order to accelerate their recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and maximize their long-term growth and competitiveness. Increased funding for the statewide Industrial Resource Center program, creating more in-school awareness about careers in manufacturing, streamlining loan and grant processing and providing incentives to create Pennsylvania-based supply chains were among their recommendations. The roundtable was facilitated by the Industrial Resource Center (IRC) network and moderated by an IRC host due to the Centers’ close connectivity to Pennsylvania’s manufacturing community and insight into the needs of the Commonwealth’s 15,000+ small and mid-sized manufacturers. “The importance of our manufacturing economy is a unifying topic that reaches across both aisles in Harrisburg – everyone agrees that we need to do all we can to strengthen and grow the Commonwealth’s second largest business sector with more than 585,000 employees,” said Mr. Esoda, who guided the event. “We were honored to put this venue together for the Committee and Caucus and hope we have the opportunity to host many additional events of this nature for our legislative leaders and policy-makers,” he added. The IRC network is currently working with the PA Democratic Policy Committee to compile video highlights and a transcript of the event.
Penn State Scranton Offering Environmental Science Course for School Students The DeNaples Family Environmental Program Fund at Penn State Scranton has been established thanks to a multi-year gift that will provide hands-on, experiential learning for participating students over the next four decades. Pictured are representatives from the DeNaples Family, Keystone Sanitary Landfill and Penn State Scranton; from left are: Dominick DeNaples, Dan O’Brien, Interim Director of Enrollment Services Terri Nealon Caputo, Director of Development Christine Ostroski, CBDCO Director John Drake, CBDCO Education Program Specialist Jo Ann Durdan, Chancellor Marwan Wafa, and Al Magnotta. Thanks to a generous gift from the Keystone Sanitary Landfill and the DeNaples family, Penn State Scranton’s Center for Business Development and Community Outreach (CBDCO) will be coordinating a course for high school juniors and seniors that is part of a program focusing on environmental studies at the campus, as well as offering a youth summer camp program for younger children. The DeNaples Family Environmental Program Fund at Penn State Scranton has been established thanks to a multi-year gift that will provide $100,000 per year for the next 40 years, enabling educators at the campus to provide hands-on, experiential learning that encourages creative and critical thinking among participating students, while strengthening their bond with local and global environments. “The course will explore the root causes of today’s environmental crises and consider scientific, technological, sociological, psychological, and personal responses to what is considered a very significant dilemma facing today’s world,” said CBDCO Director John Drake. “It will also engage students in recognizing how questions can be powerful catalysts for learning, how to see multiple perspectives in a situation, and what personal reflection can mean for both personal and global transformation.” Beginning with the Spring 2022 semester, CBDCO will offer this inaugural environmental science credit course to high school juniors and seniors in regional school districts. In addition to in-person sessions beginning in January, it will have an online component and potential field trips. The course will be taught by instructors from Penn State Scranton’s science degree program. High school juniors and seniors who take the course will earn three college credits that can later be applied as either an elective or general education course, depending on the degree program and college they choose in the future. As the program expands, more school districts will be added. Full scholarships are being provided through the program fund, which was established by the DeNaples family and Keystone Sanitary Landfill. “This gift comes at a critical time in our planet’s history, with so many environmental changes taking place around the world that will require research, analysis, study and creative problem solving to address,” said Penn State Scranton Chancellor Marwan Wafa. “Penn State Scranton is proud to be able to have the ability to offer a program like this that will encourage our young people to get involved in these issues and be part of making positive contributions and improvements to our regional, national and global environment. We are very grateful to the DeNaples family for making this kind of an educational commitment to our campus, and our region’s young people and future.” To learn more about the environmental programming and what it entails, contact CBDCO at scrantonoutreach@psu.edu, or by calling: 570-963-2600. This gift will advance “A Greater Penn State for 21st Century Excellence,” a focused campaign that seeks to elevate Penn State’s position as a leading public university in a world defined by rapid change and global connections. With the support of alumni and friends, “A Greater Penn State” seeks to fulfill the three key imperatives of a 21st-century public university: keeping the doors to higher education open to hardworking students regardless of financial well-being; creating transformative experiences that go beyond the classroom; and impacting the world by serving communities and fueling discovery, innovation and entrepreneurship. To learn more about “A Greater Penn State for 21st Century Excellence,” visit greaterpennstate.psu.edu.
National Guard Academy for At-Risk Youth Set to Open in PA The Keystone State ChalleNGe Academy (KSCA) is currently accepting applications for its first-ever cadet class. Created in 2018 by legislation I co-sponsored, the academy is designed to give academically challenged teens a second chance at obtaining their basic education and learning leadership, self-discipline and responsibility, with the goal of building a brighter future. As a former educator and guidance counselor, I fully understand the viability and worth of such a program. The award-winning National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Program has been recognized as one of the nation’s most effective and cost-efficient initiatives for targeting high school dropouts or young people who are at the greatest risk for not satisfactorily progressing, or becoming unemployed or under employed. Since its inception in 1993, more than 179,000 young people have completed the program. KSCA will be located at Fort Indiantown Gap (FTIG) in Lebanon County, joining 40 other sites in 31 states and territories operated by the program. The academy is open to 16- to 18-year-old male and female Pennsylvania residents. Applicants must be drug free, have no felony convictions and make a voluntarily commitment to attend. The program lasts for 17 months, with the first five months consisting of residential training at FTIG followed by one year of mentorship back in the community. Graduates often receive high school credits, credentials or a GED. There is no tuition cost to attend. Meals, housing, uniforms and school supplies are provided at no charge. I look forward to learning more about KSCA on March 2, when the House Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee, which I chair, will hold an informational meeting at the state Capitol to hear from academy officials about their plans. Additional information on KSCA is available on the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs website at www.dmva.pa.gov.
Penn State Scranton Hosting Events to Celebrate Black History Month Throughout the month of February, Penn State Scranton will be hosting a variety of events to celebrate Black History Month, which honors the struggle of African-Americans as well as celebrates their history as it has shaped the current world. It is important to learn about the true history of the African-American struggle in order to properly celebrate and honor Black History Month, said Julia Egan, coordinator for diversity,f equity and inclusion at Penn State Scranton. For example, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) was founded in 1909 as an interracial endeavor to advance justice for African-Americans by a group, including W.E.D. DuBois, Mary White Ovington, Moorfield Storey and Ida B. Wells. However, Black history does not begin with slavery, she explained. “Another important tenet of Black history that we must remember is that it is important to learn about the African diaspora and other cultural tenets of Black lineage and culture that were alive before the trans-Atlantic slave trade and were forever changed and disrupted by the injustice of colonialism.” This month, the campus library has a variety of books, novels and DVDs on display and available for lending. Students, faculty and staff, as well as alumni and Pennsylvania residents are able to borrow books from the Penn State Scranton Library, and can visit the library to learn more about doing so. For more information, visit the libraries’ website. The following campus events have been organized and are being sponsored in part by Penn State Scranton’s Black Student Union, Student Government Association, and Student Organization of Latinos. Melanin Monday – Black History Month Kick-off — Monday, Feb. 21, from noon to 1 p.m. in The View Cafe: You’ve heard of Black Student Union’s Melanin Mondays…now get ready for “Melanin Monday: A Black History Month Kick-off” event extravaganza! The theme of Black History Month at Penn State Scranton is “Blackness: An Identity with Multiple Meanings.” This event will feature games, music, and other tenets of Black, African, African American, African-diaspora, and Afro-Latin cultures to experience and participate in. Free food will be available during the event. Cultural Dialogues – Black Bazaar — Tuesday, Feb. 22, from noon to 2 p.m. in The View Cafe: As part of Black History Month, come out and celebrate the multiplicity of Blackness as an identity at the Black Bazaar. This event will feature five local black-owned and operated businesses and organizations from the surrounding Scranton-NEPA area who represent a diverse makeup of blackness and give it a multitude of meaning. They will be presenting on their role in serving the black community as well as offering some items for participants to take away with them. This event is hosted in partnership with external Diversity Award Recipient Rashida Lovely, Student Government Association, Student Organization of Latinos, and Black Student Union. African Dance-Drumming with Erico Ansuade — Wednesday, Feb. 23, from 3 to 5 p.m., and also Thursday, Feb. 24, from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in The View Cafe: Please join Penn State Scranton in getting active in celebrating Black History Month with some drumming and dance workshops! In partnership with the Diversity Office, Penn State is thrilled to welcome master djembe player and dancer, Erico Ansuade to campus to host a two-day workshop in drumming and dance. The first day will feature just dancing, and the second day will feature dancing and drumming workshops with a break for lunch in the middle. The first day will take place on Wednesday, Feb. 23, from 3 to 5 p.m. in the Sherbine Lounge, and the second day will occur on Thursday, Feb. 24, from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in The View Café. Please note that the second day of drumming and dancing is open to the Penn State Scranton campus ONLY. Erico Ansuade hails from Ghana, Africa, and teaches a variety of dance-drumming styles from Ghana, Guinea, Senegal, Burkina Faso and other surrounding countries. He has performed with world-class national dance companies in West Africa and offers dance-drum workshops at the beginner, intermediate, and advanced level. Zuzu African Acrobats — Friday, Feb. 25, from noon to 1 p.m. in the Multipurpose Building (Gym): Penn State Scranton is excited to welcome the “America’s Got Talent” Semi-Finalists Group, the Zuzu African Acrobats. Zuzu Acrobats is a five-person Kenyan Acrobatic show which embodies the Bantu culture of East Africa. The show lasts one hour and features fast pyramid building, limbo, chair balancing, comedy, fast skip rope, juggling and much more all set to high-energy Lingala music. There will be free Kenyan snacks given out at the event. Students can sign up for the events through the campus’ Engage portal, here. For more information about these events and about Black History Month, you can reach out to Egan by email at jbe5316@psu.edu.
The Wright Center to Hold COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic at Carbondale Farmers’ Market The Wright Center for Community Health is holding a Driving Better Health COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic at the Carbondale Farmers’ Market, 185 Fallbrook St., Carbondale, on Thursday, Feb. 17 from 2-4 p.m. Driving Better Health is a 34-foot mobile medical unit that brings high-quality health care services directly to the underserved communities of Northeast Pennsylvania. The mobile medical unit has been serving populations of special concern since 2020. It is regularly deployed to senior living centers, regional schools, homeless shelters and other community gathering spots. COVID-19 vaccines and boosters are available for anybody age 5 and up. A guardian must accompany patients who are younger than 17. Walk-up appointments are welcome depending on vaccine availability, but appointments are encouraged for the convenience of patients. Please go to TheWrightCenter.org or call 570-230-0019 to schedule an appointment. The Wright Center for Community Health clinical staff will also offer COVID-19 testing and flu vaccines during the clinic. Patients are asked to observe public safety measures, including masking and social distancing, during the clinic and bring identification and insurance cards. The Wright Center for Community Health is a Federally Qualified Health Center Look-Alike. Community health centers offer affordable, safety-net health care and are the largest providers of primary care for the nation’s most vulnerable and medically underserved populations. Prevalent in both urban and rural settings, community health centers are located in regions with high-poverty rates and/or low numbers of private or nonprofit health systems and hospitals.
Allied Services Opens New Rehabilitation Medicine Center Allied Services Integrated Health System hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony today at the new Rehabilitation Medicine Center. The facility at 475 Morgan Highway in Scranton is open to the public and offers patients access to Physicians experienced in Rehabilitation Medicine. Allied Services Rehabilitation Medicine Center is an appointment-only facility providing medical evaluation and management of patients who are struggling with mobility, self-care, and independence in the home. “For more than 60 years, our non-profit health system has been committed to helping improve the quality of life for people in our community” commented Attorney Bill Conaboy, President and CEO of Allied Services. “The Rehabilitation Medicine Center provides us with a new medical setting in which to connect patients with the care and services that can help them to be as independent as possible in their own homes.” Dr. Michael D. Wolk and Dr. Kenneth W. Genitlezza, board-certified in Physician Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R), will lead the Rehabilitation Medicine Center. The center will serve adult and geriatric individuals who will be able to schedule a rehabilitation medicine evaluation. Following that evaluation, the patient will receive a plan of care that will address any rehabilitation needs and be shared with their primary care physician. Speaking at the ribbon-cutting, Dr. Michael D. Wolk noted “All too often, patients who have been discharged from the hospital, patients living with a chronic illness or aging individuals living alone can find themselves falling through the cracks. The impetus behind developing the Rehabilitation Medicine Center was to provide another avenue to help these individuals.” A rehabilitation medicine evaluation may be appropriate for individuals recently discharged from the hospital, individuals living with a chronic illness or disability that affects their mobility and independence, or geriatric individuals aging in place. Services and medical management will be provided as a complement to services delivered by Primary Care Physicians. “The goal is to quickly evaluate the health, well-being, and functional abilities of patients struggling at home and from there determine the most appropriate strategies to help them thrive and live safely at home” commented Dr. Wolk. “By addressing their functional difficulties, we can improve their safety at home and work to avoid hospitalizations.” To learn more about the Rehabilitation Medicine Center call 570.348.1211 or visit alliedservices.org/medical-evaluation
Nominations Accepted for Position on NET Credit Union’s Supervisory Committee The Board of Directors of NET Credit Union is accepting applications from the general membership for a seat on the Credit Union’s Supervisory Committee. Beginning January 1, 2022, applications will be accepted for consideration for a seat on the Supervisory Committee. An applicant must be a member of the Credit Union and their accounts must be in good standing. The Supervisory Committee is a volunteer Committee appointed by the Board of Directors. The purpose of the Committee is to assist the Board of Directors and Management of the Credit Union in safeguarding the members’ assets, ensuring the reliability and integrity of financial and operational information, maintaining the effectiveness and efficiency of operations, complying with applicable laws and regulations, and fostering and evaluating enterprise risk management activities to ensure the long term viability and success of the Credit Union. Per federal regulations, these positions are voluntary and do not receive any type of monetary compensation. However, a member of the Committee does have benefits such as opportunities for education, reasonable travel expenses, excellent networking opportunities and the knowledge that you will be serving your Credit Union to help build its future and ensure its continued success. Resumes should be sent to the Board Chairman, Don Bailey at Dbailey@netcreditunion.com or by mail to: NET Credit UnionSupervisory Committee ApplicationAttention: Don Bailey, Chairman119 Mulberry StreetScranton, PA 18503 All applications must be received by the end of business on March 31, 2022.
