Keystone Mission to Host RealTalk

CEO & Executive Director Justin Behrens will be outside the Lackawanna County Courthouse to host the 3rd Annual 24-hour REAL TALK event starting October 25th.

Each year, REAL TALK invites community members and leaders, local, state, and federal politicians, and church leaders to talk about how they can partner with Keystone Mission to better the men and women experiencing homelessness.

Come have a conversation with Justin about what we can do to change homelessness in our local community!

NeighborWorks Welcomes PNC Bank as Fall Festival Presenting Sponsor

NeighborWorks Northeastern Pennsylvania

NeighborWorks Northeastern Pennsylvania (NeighborWorks) is pleased to welcome PNC Bank as this year’s presenting sponsor for the West Scranton Fall Festival.

In collaboration with the City of Scranton, the inaugural West Scranton Fall Festival will be a two-part event that is FREE to the public and will be held Saturday, Oct. 22. Rain date is Nov. 5. It will take place first at Clover Field, located at 400 W Locust St, in Scranton from noon to 3 p.m., and then at Allen Park at the corner of North Main Avenue and Price Street from 6-9 p.m.

“Coming together to support local businesses and celebrate our community has never been more important than it is now,” said Pete Danchak, PNC regional president for Northeast PA. “As a National Main Street Bank, supporting the West Scranton Fall Festival as the inaugural presenting sponsor is simply the right thing to do – and fun!”

From 3-6 p.m., attendees will be encouraged to check out local establishments within the West Scranton business corridor. For more information and future business promotion regarding the Fall Festival, please go to the Facebook event page here.

Keystone College To Host Internship and Career Expo

Keystone College/Sodexo will sponsor an Internship and Career Expo on Thursday, Oct. 20 from noon to 3 p.m. in the Theatre in Brooks on campus. Over 30 regional and national employers will be in attendance along with numerous Keystone students. You are invited to cover and speak to students seeking jobs in our area and companies looking to hire them.

The Wright Center Schedules Winter Coat and Clothing Giveaways

As winter approaches, The Wright Center for Patient & Community Engagement aims to help underserved individuals and families in the community prepare for colder temperatures by offering free coats, warm clothes and personal care items.

Two distributions are scheduled for November in Lackawanna County. During these Community Closet events, patients and community members are invited to select items for children and adults from among an assortment of new and gently used coats, hats, boots, gloves and other outerwear.

Community Closet events are planned at these practice locations on the listed dates:

  • The Wright Center for Community Health Mid Valley Practice

5 S. Washington Ave., Jermyn

Thursday, Nov. 3,from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

  • The Wright Center for Community Health Scranton Practice

501 S. Washington Ave., Scranton

Monday, Nov. 14, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Each attendee will be awarded 10 “points” to exchange for clothing and 5 “points” to exchange for hygiene items that will be marked with points, rather than prices. Quantities will be limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Organized by The Wright Center for Patient & Community Engagement, this year’s clothing distributions are made possible by generous donations from The Wright Center’s employees, board members and valued supporters such as Operation Warm.

The Wright Center for Patient & Community Engagement focuses on improving access to health care while addressing the negative social and economic determinants of health that can affect underserved patients, including food insecurity, limited educational opportunities, homelessness and poverty.

For more information about the Community Closet events, call Gerri McAndrew, director of community outreach and engagement, at 570-591-5273.

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Announces Student MVP Program

The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders and NEPA Crane & Hauling are pleased to announce the Student MVP program is returning for the 2022-23 academic year. Local elementary school and middle school students can be honored and rewarded for their efforts during the current school year!

The Student MVP program uses the fun of RailRiders baseball as an incentive and reward system for students at no cost to schools, teachers or the students themselves. Teachers at participating schools will create criteria and help track students towards their goal of becoming an MVP. A limited number of MVP awards are available at each grade level in each school, helping incentivize and reward positive academic and behavioral development.

“NEPA Crane & Hauling is proud to team up with the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders and show our support to students in our local area,” said Jeff Keeney, the owner of NEPA Crane & Hauling. “Students today are faced with many challenges and often their hard work goes unnoticed.  NEPA Crane & Hauling is extremely proud of our local students for their hard work and dedication to their education, and we are cheering them on as they strive to reach their goals and chase their dreams.”

Each Student MVP will be honored at the RailRiders game on Friday, June 23, 2023. Additionally, each MVP will receive:

            • A Personalized Award Certificate signed by the RailRiders General Manager, CHAMP and completed by their teacher

            • A shout out on the video board during the game, welcoming all of our RailRiders Student MVPs attending the game

            • A special gift from NEPA Crane & Hauling and the RailRiders

Principals can register their schools by visiting www.milb.com/scranton-wb/community/studentmvp now.

The deadline to register is November 22, 2022. For more information, contact Krista Lutzick, the Community Relations Manager for the RailRiders, at klutzick@swbrailriders.com or by calling (570) 558-4616.

Broadway in Scranton Presents Legally Blonde

Broadway in Scranton 2022 2023 Season

America’s favorite blonde, Elle Woods, is ready to prove who’s in charge (again) as Legally Blonde – The Musical comes to the Scranton Cultural Center for 4 performances December 2 – 4 (Friday at 8PM, Saturday at 2PM & 8PM, Sunday at 1PM). The ultimate Broadway tribute to girl power, Legally Blonde will take you from the UCLA sorority house to the Harvard halls of justice with its coming-of-age story.

Beginning Monday, October 17 at 10AM, tickets will be available in person at the Scranton Cultural Center box office and online at BroadwayInScranton.com. For group (10+) rates and more information, call 570.342.7784.

Based on the iconic movie, Legally Blonde follows the transformation of Elle Woods as she tackles stereotypes, sexism, snobbery and scandal in pursuit of her dreams, and proves, contrary to dated bias, that you can be both legally blonde AND the smartest person in the room.

Things are groovy for Elle Woods but suddenly her life is turned upside down when her boyfriend dumps her so he can start getting more “serious” about his life and attend Harvard Law. Determined to get him back, Elle uses her brain and ingenuity to also get admitted to Harvard. School begins with endless struggles, but with the help of her new friends, Elle quickly realizes her potential and her strengths, as she sets out to change the narrative. This contemporary, topical story touches on many current hot button issues while delighting audiences with memorable songs and explosive dances. Legally Blonde warms the heart by proving that self-discovery never goes out of style!

The 2022-2023 National Tour of Legally Blonde is produced by Daniel Sher of Big League Productions, Inc. The musical is directed by Jeffrey B. Moss, with choreography by Bob Richard. Set design is by Randel Wright, with lighting by Charlie Morrison and stunning new elaborate video design by Jon Infante. Casting is by Alison Franck.

Johnson College To Host an Open House

Johnson College will hold an on-campus Open House on Saturday, November 5, 2022, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. To register to attend the Open House, visit Johnson.edu/openhouse or contact Johnson College’s Enrollment Department at 570-702-8856 or enroll@johnson.edu.

Open House will include discussions about the admissions process, information about financial aid for those who qualify, and student services such as student life, student support, and career services. Plus, same-day acceptance will be available for many programs if students bring their high school or college transcripts. Tours of each technical area will be conducted and program directors and instructors will be available to review the specifics of their programs.

Hospice To Deliver Thanksgiving Meals To Homebound Patients

On Thanksgiving morning, Thursday, November 24th, Hospice of the Sacred Heart will deliver meals to patients and their families. This is the 17th year the hospice will provide this service project. Over 700 meals complete with turkey, all traditional Thanksgiving sides and dessert will be prepared by Mansour’s Market Café in Scranton, packaged, and delivered by hospice staff members and volunteers.

“We so look forward to this day. The process is closer to normal this year as COVID-19 restrictions are somewhat relaxed, but the result is that we will safely deliver over 700 Thanksgiving meals to our patients and their families. This project once again demonstrates our gratitude for the blessings in our lives,” said Diane Baldi, CEO, Hospice of the Sacred Heart.

Media outlets are invited to photograph the distribution process beginning at 7:50 am at Mansour’s Market Café, 969 Prescott Avenue, Scranton. Deacon Patrick J. Massino will bless the meals at 8 am and deliveries will begin immediately afterwards. Diane Baldi, CEO, will be available for interviews between 8 and 10 am.

About Hospice of the Sacred Heart:

  • Not-for-profit, free standing hospice program serving Northeastern Pennsylvania since 2003
  • Main office is located in Moosic, with an Inpatient Unit located in Dunmore
  • Care provided for over 1,000 patients in 2021 and over 18,000 to date
  • Employs approximately 120 employees throughout Northeastern Pennsylvania
  • Volunteers provided over 2,000 hours of support to patients and families in 2021