Lackawanna Winter Market – Chamber Holiday Showcase

The 2022 Holiday Showcase is an opportunity for you to feature 1-3 products and/or services in a brief live interview conducted by The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce. This event will recorded and shared on The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce and Lackawanna County social media platforms throughout the holiday season. 

Sign Up to Participate Today

Vendor set up must be completed by times noted below at The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce offices, 222 Mulberry Street, Scranton, PA. Vendor space not set up by start time will be forfeited.  Off street parking in the chamber driveway is available for unloading, set up and duration of filming.  

Set up by 9:15 AM – Show starts at 9:30 AM
Set up by 1:15 PM – Show starts at 1:30 PM 


Vendors will be assigned 5’ of table-top space in the Chamber boardroom, which are pre-set tables, secured together and cannot be moved.  (We will work with any special requests for vendors with larger products.)  Camera and host will move around the room from vendor to vendor interviewing individually for maximum of five (5) minutes per vendor.  

After your recording you will have a few minutes to pack up your products, please keep your set simple to allow easy transition to the next businees.

Questions and additional information:

Vendors should be prepared to have one (1) representative on-camera who can speak with host about featured products at minimal length and answer questions from host as part of the sales process. On-air representative should also be knowledgeable about vendor purchasing, payment, delivery/shipping options and product availability.

Lackawanna Winter Market Vendors please contact Anthracite Events for more information.

Lackawanna County Grant Process Still Accepting Applications

Annually the United Way of Lackawanna and Wayne Counties supports a grant program in Lackawanna County with funds collected from individuals, corporations and employee groups made up of Lackawanna County residents during the United Way campaign.

This is the first year United Way is implementing the “Lackawanna County Community Impact Grant.”  This is a small grant that is built and targeted for grass roots organizations with limited administrative capacity.  An effort to try and serve more diverse populations residing in Lackawanna County that may experience difficulties when applying for other funding streams. Organizations can apply for funding for one program with a limit of a $10,000 request.

To Qualify:

  • An organization must have an organizational budget of less than $400,000.
  • Organizations must be a 501(c)(3) organization or partner with a United Way approved 501(c)(3) organization.
  • Organization has bylaws that state the purpose of the organization, make provisions for the size of the Board of Directors and provide rules for: selection and tenure of board members, the number of officers and committees, financial and legal procedures, and quorum requirements.
  • Organization has proof of current directors’ and officers’ liability insurance.
  • Organization maintains compliance with all applicable legal licensing requirement and maintains appropriate insurance coverage.
  • All program requests must fit within the one of the 3 priority areas of United Way which are Education, Health and Economic Mobility.

Application Guideline:

  • Receiving funds in one fiscal year does not ensure that the grant will be renewed in the following year(s). It is imperative that the organization does not count on United Way funds as a recurring funding stream.
  • In the benchmark section, be sure to state clear numbers of individuals impacted by the program. It is understood that this is a projection until the program is completed. The actual number of impacted individuals must be included in the report section at the end of the fiscal year.
  • While the Committee may fund a capital item, the preferred usage of the United Way funds is for programs that impact individuals in the community.
  • If there are any questions concerning this application process, please contact William Craven via email at wcraven@uwlc.net

This grant process is overseen by a group of volunteers that make funding decisions based on the applications that are submitted to the United Way. It is the responsibility of these dedicated volunteers on the Lackawanna County Funds Distribution Committee to ensure donations are spent in the most cost-efficient method in priority areas for the residents of Lackawanna County. All the decisions are made by local volunteers and then approved by the United Way Board of Directors. The Funds Distribution Committee members are the stewards of the community fund.

In order to receive login information, you must first contact Will Craven (wcraven@uwlc.net) to receive login credentials. Applications are now available to any organization that meets the above criteria.  Application submission deadline is September 21st.

For more information, visit, uwlc.net/lackawanna-county-grant-process

Scranton Area Community Foundation Hosts 3rd Annual NEPA Gives Friday, June 3rd

225+ local nonprofits joining together for historic giving day. ‘Give Gathering’ taking place in Downtown Scranton to celebrate

The Scranton Area Community Foundation, in partnership with The Luzerne Foundation, Greater Pike Community Foundation, Wayne County Community Foundation, Carbon County Community Foundation, Posture Interactive, and other community sponsors, will host the third annual NEPA Gives event on Friday, June 3, 2022.Promoted as the single largest day of philanthropy in Northeastern Pennsylvania, NEPA Gives is a one-day, 24-hour, online giving extravaganza that’s all about giving back to the community.

NEPA Gives aims to raise awareness about the critical work nonprofit organizations carry out across the region and aims to help charitable organizations raise much-needed funds. Over 225 nonprofit organizations from across seven counties in Northeastern Pennsylvania will participate in NEPA Gives on Friday.

Hundreds of thousands of dollars in matching funds and prizes have been secured, provided by various community partners, businesses, and sponsors that make donations to participating nonprofits during NEPA Gives stretch even further.

Adding to the excitement, to celebrate NEPA Gives, the Scranton Area Community Foundation is also hosting an in-person NEPA Gives ‘Give Gathering’ that will be held at the Hilton Scranton Conference Center from 3:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. on Friday, June 3, to coincide with First Friday Scranton. The Give Gathering will include live entertainment, giveaways, real-time and live-streamed updates on NEPA Gives, and opportunities for the general public to meet many of the participating nonprofits. This event is free to attend.

To celebrate this historical and monumental giving day, both Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti and Wilkes-Barre Mayor George Brown have made official proclamations declaring June 3, 2022, as NEPA Gives Day.

“NEPA Gives is all about supporting charities that are doing important work right here in Northeastern Pennsylvania,” said Laura Ducceschi, President and CEO of the Scranton Area Community Foundation. “We have teamed up with various community partners and businesses eager to provide support for NEPA Gives and we are thrilled to announce that we have secured hundreds of thousands of dollars in incentives, bonuses, and matching funds available to participating nonprofits which helps make charitable donations go further during NEPA Gives. This year, we are looking forward to gathering in person in Scranton to celebrate the momentum of NEPA Gives and highlight the good work of the many participating nonprofits taking part in NEPA Gives.”

Members of the community wishing to make a contribution for NEPA Gives can visit www.nepagives.org anytime between 12:00 a.m. and 11:59 p.m. on Friday, June 3, 2022, to make a secure donation to any of the 225+ participating nonprofit organizations.

This is the third year for NEPA Gives. In its second year, NEPA Gives raised over $1.2 million for 218 nonprofit organizations.

To learn more about #NEPAGives, visit nepagives.org or contact Brittany Pagnotti, Communications Manager of the Scranton Area Community Foundation at 570-347-6203.

Lackawanna County Commissioners Encourage Donations for Ukraine

As we all know, there is a horrific war going on in the Ukraine. St. Vladimir’s Ukrainian Catholic Church is organizing a drive for medical supplies and monetary donations to help the military and the citizens of the Ukraine.

Items requested are: toilet paper, non-perishables, diapers, pain medicines (Advil, Tylenol), gauze, bandages, and any other basic first aid items.

If you wish to donate the medical equipment, it can be dropped off at the church on 430 N. 7th Avenue, Scranton.

The supplies and monetary donations will have to be submitted by Friday, March 4, at 9 a.m. A shipping airfreight company in Philadelphia will leave Saturday and will land in Poland. The supplies will then be sent to the Ukraine over the weekend.

Monetary donations are also accepted. You can Venmo Olena Shemchuk at @Olena-shemchuk with your donations. ALL the proceeded will go directly to where they are needed the most. 

NET Credit Union Expands Partnership with Lackawanna College

NET Credit Union recently furthered their partnership with their Preferred Partner Group, Lackawanna College, by offering tuition-free classes to NET employees.  

Under the agreement, qualifying NET Credit Union employees can pursue an Associate or Bachelor’s Degree at Lackawanna College. Lackawanna College offers over thirty different degrees, majors, and certificates.

“We are excited to further our relationship with NET Credit Union with this free tuition announcement.  We are also grateful for NET’s investment in their employees as well as their trust in us to offer them an amazing opportunity to continue their education,” said Dr. Jill Murray, Lackawanna College President. Our programs are designed to meet the relevant needs of today’s workforce by making college affordable and accessible for everyone.”

“The Lackawanna College Business Partnership Scholarship Initiative helps businesses of all sizes develop and retain employees,” said Jeff Gregory, Director of College Enrollment Partnerships. “A partnership with Lackawanna College includes a tuition scholarship that can be offered to employees, allowing the workforce to pursue a bachelor’s or associate degree.”

“This program will simultaneously help grow our employees’ personal development, as well as the capabilities of our business. NET Credit Union is thrilled to partner with Lackawanna College in this program,” states Clarence Baltrusaitis, NET Credit Union CEO.

Lackawanna College is a Preferred Partner Group of NET Credit Union. This means all students, staff, and faculty are eligible to Bank on NET.  The tuition program not only benefits our relationship with Lackawanna College, but it also strengthens our employee benefits. NET Credit Union looks forward to furthering our partnership with Lackawanna College.