As a graduate student at Marywood University working toward a Master of Arts degree in Communication Arts in 2005, Jeannine Luby worked with the Scranton Area Community Foundation (SAF) to create the Humor Therapy Fund…a donor-advised fund to disperse annual grants to area nonprofits with a plan to promote therapeutic laughter and humor in the community. 

The recipient of this year’s Humor Therapy Fund grant–the Boys and Girls Clubs of Northeastern Pennsylvania–used the funding to bring the Pittsburgh duo of Josh Verbanets and Gab Bonesso from Pittsburgh to perform their “Josh and Gab Show” in July.  About 50 summer camp participants at the Club enjoyed the interactive musical comedy show. Kids danced to the original songs written and performed by Josh and Gab that highlighted common situations that kids encounter in which they can choose kindness and stand up to bullies. They also listened to Gab’s stories from childhood highlighting the importance of standing up for one another and shared their own ideas on kindness as well. 

Josh and Gab share their musical comedy program at school assemblies and community programs throughout Pennsylvania year-round. 

While in Scranton, Gab Bonesso took the opportunity to give back to the Fund that helped support her and Josh Verbanets.  She presented Jeannine with a $100 check for the Humor Therapy Fund. The money donated came from a portion of the sales of her recent stand-up comedy album “Tragicomedian.” 

(For more information on Josh and Gab: https://www.joshandgab.com/ )