The Wright Center Receives Donation from Dunkin Franchisee Group To help area children and families in need, The Wright Center for Patient & Community Engagement (PCE) was recently presented with a $2,500 donation from a regional Dunkin’ franchisee group and a matching gift from the Dunkin’ Joy in Childhood Foundation. The $5,000 contribution will be reinvested in the community through PCE’s activities, such as school backpack giveaways, winter clothing and blanket giveaways, free food distributions, and other special mission-driven projects. The Lufrankton Network, a franchisee group that operates stores in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, chose PCE to receive charitable funding made available during its recent “Renovation Celebration” to highlight the makeover of its Dunkin’ location in Eynon. The foundation generously doubled the gift because its mission – “to provide the simple joys of childhood to kids battling hunger or illness” – is reflected in many of PCE’s initiatives to assist children in Lackawanna, Luzerne, and nearby counties. “We are grateful for this amazing support from Dunkin’,” said PCE Director Holly Przasnyski. “For its ongoing operation, the nonprofit PCE relies on external funding such as donations and fundraising. So, if it wasn’t for the kindness of civic-minded businesses like Dunkin’, we would not be able to conduct our events that help feed, clothe, and otherwise support the under-resourced children and their families in the communities we serve.” PCE is a subsidiary of The Wright Center for Community Health. Employees of the health center volunteer to conduct its activities, which are intended to improve people’s access to health care and empower them to be co-managers of their health and wellness plans. In particular, PCE strives to help Wright Center patients and others in the community overcome food insecurity and other non-medical issues that can affect their ability to focus on achieving and maintaining their maximum wellness. Those issues commonly include transportation barriers, lack of access to educational opportunities, homelessness, and poverty. For more information about The Wright Center and its primary and preventive care services, visit TheWrightCenter.org or call 570-230-0019.
Settlers Hospitality Announces Holiday Events There’s no place like Settlers Hospitality for the holidays. Celebrations at The Settlers Inn, Ledges Hotel, Silver Birches, the Hawley Silk Mill and Hotel Anthracite help make the season merry and bright. Candlelight Christmas, December 1 through 3, at The Settlers Inn ushers in the most wonderful time of the year. The annual event is a signature celebration and an eagerly anticipated festivity in the Pocono Mountains Lake Region. Guests are greeted with live music and décor that features natural greens, artisanal and handcrafted decorations and an offering of mulled wine or syllabub. Horse and carriage rides plus an oversized gingerbread replica of The Settlers Inn enhance the festive atmosphere. A lavish holiday meal features entrees such as braised short ribs, grilled pork tenderloin and prime rib. Indulgent dessert choices include peppermint pillow ice cream, Buche de Noel and English toffee pudding. Christmas Tea is an elegant new addition to the festivities at The Settlers Inn. Every Thursday in December from 2-4 p.m. guests may delight in the Inn’s holiday finery while enjoying a traditional afternoon tea. Visitors may savor freshly brewed teas, finger sandwiches and decadent desserts surrounded by fresh greens, twinkling lights and a crackling fire. Winterfest Brunch at The Settlers Inn on December 9 and 10 features live music by harpist Kristy Chmura accompanied by a prix fixe menu of holiday inspired fare. Guests may enjoy the celebration from 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. each day. It’s the fun of holiday baking with none of the at home clean-up. Make and take home four types of cookies during a Holiday Cookie Baking Class in the Boiler Room at the Hawley Silk Mill on December 7 and 14. The class from 4:30-8 p.m. will have attendees ready for holiday gatherings with eight dozen cookies. A Buche de Noel Baking Class on December 21 offers a hands-on lesson in wowing guests with a traditional yule log dessert. Gorgeous Floral’s Oh! Christmas Trees Sip and Snip on December 7 and 14 takes holiday decorating to a new level. Attendees create their own miniature boxwood Christmas Tree. The fun evening event includes a cocktail or mocktail. A Chocolate and Coffee Tasting at Cocoon Coffeehouse and Bakery on December 8 is a delicious way to warm up. Moka Origins will offer samplings of its award-winning craft chocolate and coffee from 1-3 p.m. Distinctive gift ideas from a collection of curated vendors await shoppers at the Winterfest Artisan Fair at the Hawley Silk Mill. The marketplace is open December 9 and 10 from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Visitors may soak in the holiday spirit at The Waterfront at Silver Birches on December 9. Breakfast with Santa features a bountiful meal, the chance to take photos with Santa Claus, gingerbread cookie decorating and more merriment. The Jolly Old Elf also makes a special appearance at Hotel Anthracite in Carbondale on December 10. Families are invited to Brunch with Santa from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. for a festive meal and an opportunity to take photos with Santa Claus. New Year’s Eve celebrations run the gamut from elegant and intimate to laid-back and lively. The Settlers Inn offers a holiday dinner from 5:30-10 p.m. accompanied by live piano music from Dan Bradley. Ring in 2024 in the Pioneer City with a New Year’s Ball. Hotel Anthracite hosts the party in Gravity Hall complete with live entertainment, food stations throughout the night and more. There is also a New Year’s Eve Bash at The Waterfront at Silver Birches. A buffet meal, DJ music and dancing lead up to a midnight champagne toast and noisemakers to welcome 2024. Celebrate early or late at Glass- wine.bar.kitchen. Enjoy early seating from 5-7 p.m. and late seating after 8 p.m. Festivities include live music and a special tasting menu. Spend the first day of 2024 at The Settlers Inn’s New Year’s Day Brunch. The holiday meal features a prix fixe menu and live piano music. Settlers Hospitality has December stacked end to end with holiday cheer, anticipated tastes, enchanting scenes and plenty of merry making. For more information, visit settlershospitality.com
The Lackawanna Historical Society to Screen Local Documentaries This season, the Lackawanna Historical Society will offer a special treat for the community with screenings of two local history documentaries at the Ritz Theater on Sunday, December 17 at 2 pm. The program begins with the Cannon Fire 2023 production “Stories from the Block: Remembering Scranton’s Wholesale District”. From the 1870s through the 1960s, Scranton’s Wholesale Block stretched along Lackawanna Avenue from the Lackawanna River to Mifflin Avenue, serving a hub of commercial activity as fresh produce and other goods were unloaded at nearby railroad freight depots. “Stories from the Block” focuses on some of the businesses that operated on the block and highlights how the city’s commercial activities reflected periods of growth and decline through the years. The project was produced by Cannon Fire Productions, with funding support from private donations, the Lackawanna Heritage Valley, and the Spitz Foundation. The work of filmmakers Bob Savakinus and Timothy Novotney features interviews with individuals like former Scranton Mayor Gene Peters, who remembered the wholesale district, and also explores the adjacent commercial district as well. The wholesale block film will be followed by a screening of “Rocky Glen Park”. This 2009 documentary presents a history and overview of one of our region’s most beloved sites and celebrates 101 years of how the park brought laughter and recreation in the Wyoming and Lackawanna Valleys. Admission is $10 at the door. There will be no advance ticket sales. For more information about the program, contact the Lackawanna Historical Society at 570-344-3841 or email lackawannahistory@gmail.com.
Knowles Insurance Supports UNC and WNEP Feed a Friend Program United Neighborhood Centers of Northeastern Pennsylvania (UNC) received a $500.00 donation from Knowles Insurance in Scranton on Monday, November 13, 2023. All monetary donations to Feed a Friend will help feed families with children in Lackawanna County to receive a gift card to a local grocery store to buy your favorite traditional foods to celebrate Thanksgiving. UNC is grateful to be the designated Lackawanna County WNEP Feed a Friend agency for 39 years. To make a monetary donation, go to: uncnepa.org/one-time-donation/ or mail checks payable to United Neighborhood Centers of Northeastern Pennsylvania, 425 Alder Street, Scranton, PA 18505. You can make a non-perishable food donation at more than 70 locations throughout Lackawanna County.
Tobyhanna Army Depot Recognized at SAGE Awards Sustained excellence in community involvement earned Tobyhanna Army Depot recognition from the Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce at their Scranton Awards for Growth and Excellence (SAGE) ceremony on November 3. The annual SAGE Awards honor the outstanding efforts, talent, creativity, and innovation of businesses in Northeastern Pennsylvania. Eligible applications are judged by a diverse group of community leaders in ten categories, ranging from “Business of the Year” to “Customer Service Excellence” and beyond. The “People’s Choice Award” is determined through online voting by the general public during a set window. For the second year in a row, Tobyhanna’s initiatives in connecting with the community were recognized, this time with the “Community Involvement Excellence” award, which celebrates a business that has made outstanding contributions to their community through philanthropy or the investment of financial or other resources such as time, talent, materials/facility/equipment, or involvement of staff or others in the organization. In 2022, the organization was honored with the “Best Practices in Community Involvement” award. The depot was recognized for its expansive community engagement program, which supports events on the installation, such as school career exploration visits, and off-post, such as Touch-A-Trucks and military observance events – and more. Tobyhanna’s enduring Warfighter of the Quarter Award program also contributed to the honor, with more than 40 local heroes recognized through the lifetime of the program. In addition, the award celebrates Tobyhanna’s collaborative efforts with the Scranton Armed Forces Reserve Center to bring back Armed Forces Week activities, including the Armed Forces Day luncheon and parade – planned for May 2024. A SAGE Milestone award was also bestowed upon Tobyhanna Army Depot, marking 70 years of providing military readiness and field support to the nation’s warfighters. Community Relations Specialist Katie Nolan says the back-to-back accolades affirm the hard work Team Tobyhanna does to connect with the community. “Our entire team takes great pride in our community engagements, and we love getting to meet the good folks of Northeastern Pennsylvania that support our mission. These awards validate that the hard work we do is seen and makes a difference. I’m excited to see what we can accomplish together next year,” she said. Connecting with the community is a line of effort under Tobyhanna’s long-range strategic plan, TOBY2035. The plan focuses on posturing the depot to support future force requirements and has additional lines of effort dedicated to ensuring C5ISR readiness across the joint services and shaping the future.
Wayne Bank Joins ABA for Anti-Phishing Campaign Wayne Bank has joined the American Bankers Association and banks across the nation to promote an industry-wide campaign educating consumers about the persistent threat of phishing scams. The FDIC estimates that consumers lost $8.8 billion to phishing and other fraud in 2022, an increase of 44% compared to 2021. To combat phishing, the award winning #BanksNeverAskThat campaign uses attention-grabbing humor and other engaging content to empower consumers to identify fake bank communications asking for sensitive information like their passwords and social security numbers. “We are happy to be partnering with the American Bankers Association for this campaign. With fraud and scams unfortunately on the rise, we want to be vigilant in protecting our customers and educate them on the importance of keeping their personal information secure”, stated Jillian Guenther, Wayne Bank Vice President, and Fraud Officer. “This campaign encourages our customers to be mindful of the lengths to which scammers and fraudsters will go to capture their personal information. Being able to identify red flags and warning signs are key in preventing fraud.” Wayne Bank has been sharing eye catching and engaging short videos and consumer tips on social media and in their Community Offices designed to highlight common phishing schemes. Because cybersecurity education and fraud awareness can often be dull and forgettable to many consumers, the #BanksNeverAskThat campaign is designed to be bright and bold with a bit of comedy. Consumers are directed to BanksNeverAskThat.com where they will find a new interactive quiz, the “Scam City” video game, engaging videos, and tips on how to spot phishing scams. Additionally, the campaign is offering a Spanish language version of the website, BancosNuncaPidenEso.com, and providing of other #BanksNeverAskThat consumer resources in Spanish. For more information about phishing scams and how to stop fraudsters in their tracks, visit www.BanksNeverAskThat.com.
Johnson College Offers CDL Driver Training Course Johnson College in partnership with Ancora Education is now enrolling students in its Class A CDL Driver Training course that begins on November 27, 2023, at the College’s satellite campus, Johnson College at the CAN DO Training Center, in Hazle Township. Students will learn to inspect and operate tractor-trailers and to assume driver responsibilities on the road and at pickup/delivery points. Emphasis is placed on vehicle inspections, defensive driving, range maneuvers, motor carrier safety regulations (DOT 380 -397 and a certificate for entry-level drivers), trip planning, cargo handling, size/weight laws, general maintenance procedures, hours of service, and accident prevention. Participants in this 160-hour program can obtain their CDL in as little as four weeks. The course complies with the new Entry Level Driver Training (ELDT) rules established by the Federal Motor Carriers Safety Administration (FMCSA), which went into effect in February 2022. To learn more or to enroll in the Class A CDL Driver Training course, visit https://johnson.edu/hazleton/hazleton-cdl/ or contact the College’s Continuing Education department at continuinged@johnson.edu.
Geisinger and Local Food Chain Address Food Insecurity Geisinger is partnering with The GIANT Company and Central Susquehanna Opportunities (CSO) to pilot a mobile food pantry that will serve food-insecure people living in the Central Susquehanna Valley. The GIANT Company is committing a total of $597,000 to fund the mobile pantry, including a donation of $325,000 in 2023 in honor of its 100th anniversary to cover startup costs for the initiative. Expected to launch in early 2024, the mobile food pantry will aim to provide fresh, healthy food to 75 households in its first year. “We’re grateful to The GIANT Company and CSO for their collaboration in bringing healthy food to underserved communities,” said Nancy Lawton-Kluck, Geisinger’s chief philanthropy officer. “It’s a privilege to work with community leaders who share our values as we contribute to healthier, more vibrant neighborhoods.” According to the state Department of Human Services, more than a million Pennsylvanians were food insecure in 2022. Geisinger screens patients to understand their social needs, including food insecurity, and gets them connected to local community resources. Among Geisinger patients who have taken an adult social needs screening, nearly 10,500 have worried they would run out of food before having resources to buy more, and more than 3,800 have reported the same concern across Columbia, Montour, Northumberland and Snyder counties. As an extension of Geisinger’s food-is-health strategy designed to help people with challenges accessing healthy food live well and manage diet-responsive conditions, the client-choice mobile food pantry will launch in targeted underserved areas. The mobile unit will be available for anyone in the community in need of food assistance. The mobile food pantry is the latest in a long list of projects for which The GIANT Company has partnered with Geisinger to improve health and quality of life for local communities. This includes previous commitments to the Fresh Food Farmacy program, Children’s Miracle Network and Geisinger Janet Weis Children’s Hospital. In total, The GIANT Company has given more than $8.5 million to Geisinger programs, facilities and initiatives. “Reducing food insecurity, increasing access to healthy foods and promoting nutrition is a priority for The GIANT Company,” said Nick Koch, Head of Wellbeing for The GIANT Company. “When Geisinger approached us with their idea for a mobile food pantry to help address these issues in their community, we knew we wanted to be a part of it. We look forward to seeing the positive impact this life-changing program will have on families across the central Susquehanna Valley.” CSO, a community action agency for Columbia, Montour and Northumberland counties, will staff the unit with a community health worker, driver and volunteers, and the pantry will also provide nutrition education and referrals to Geisinger for any clinical care needs. CSO is a partner agency of the Central PA Food Bank. Because 37% of Geisinger patients who reported food insecurity also identified more than one social need, Neighborly, an easy-to-use online search tool for free and reduced-cost community resources will be available on kiosks or mobile devices at distribution sites. To learn more about Neighborly, visit neighborlypa.com. The GIANT Company’s 100th anniversary celebration efforts honor team members, customers and the communities it serves. Building on its century-long commitment to grow strong, healthy communities, philanthropy is a cornerstone of the company’s anniversary celebration. It is building its legacy by making donations and participating in volunteer activities aligned with its purpose of connecting families for a better future through efforts to eliminate hunger, change children’s lives, heal the planet, promote wellbeing and foster a culture of inclusion and belonging. To learn more about how The GIANT Company is supporting the communities it serves, visit giantfoodstores.com/pages/our-purpose.
Kalahari Resorts and Convention Center Announces Upcoming Events Thanksgiving Buffet Join Kalahari for its annual Thanksgiving Celebration Buffet and feast on all of the traditional favorites like roasted turkey, herb-crusted prime rib, garlic mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, candied yams, and so much more! Plus, don’t miss the dessert station! Thursday, November 23, 2023 4-8 p.m. Adults (ages 13+): $69.99 | Kids (ages 4-12): $29.99 | 3 & Under: FREE Located in the Kalahari Resorts Convention Center – 250 Kalahari Blvd., Pocono Manor, PA 18349 More Info Breakfast with Santa Santa Claus is coming to town, and his first stop is Kalahari Resorts! Locals and resort guests are invited to join Kalahari for a holiday breakfast with Santa! Enjoy all your holiday breakfast favorites, including an omelet station, pancakes, waffles, fresh-cut fruit, and scrambled eggs. Plus, Kalahari is featuring a Build-Your-Own Mimosa or Bloody Mary add-on drink package for adults. After you eat, enjoy a special visit with Santa, stop by the Hot Cocoa Station, or take a train ride! December 2, 3, 9, 10, 16, 17 8:30-11 a.m. Adults (ages 13+): $34.99 | Kids (ages 4-12): $19.99 | 3 & Under: FREE Located in the Kalahari Resorts Convention Center – 250 Kalahari Blvd., Pocono Manor, PA 18349 More Info Small Business Holiday Party Have a small company but want to celebrate in a big way? Enjoy the holidays together in style at the Kalahari Resorts & Conventions Small Business Holiday Party! Delicious hors d’oeuvres, festive cocktails, a full buffet dinner, and dancing awaits! Purchase your tickets today. Friday, December 15 7-10 p.m. $85 per person (inclusive of tax and service charge) | $62.50 Full Open Bar Add-On (inclusive of tax and service charge) Located in the Kalahari Resorts Convention Center – 250 Kalahari Blvd., Pocono Manor, PA 18349 More Info Holiday Buffet Celebrate your holiday at Kalahari Resorts & Conventions. Experience Kalahari’s incredible holiday feast, where you’ll enjoy all of your holiday favorites like Hand Carved Duck, Ham and Prime Rib, Lobster Mac and Cheese, Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes, Green Bean Casserole, Candied Yams, and so much more! Plus, don’t miss the dessert station featuring a wide array of sweet treats, sure to satisfy any sweet tooth! Monday, December 25, 2023 4-8 p.m. Adults (ages 13+): $69.99 | Kids (ages 4-12): $29.99 | 3 & Under: FREE Located in the Kalahari Resorts Convention Center – 250 Kalahari Blvd., Pocono Manor, PA 18349 More Info NYE Buffet & Glow Party Ring in the New Year at Kalahari Resorts & Conventions! Join Kalahari for its New Year’s Eve Buffet, where you will enjoy all of your favorite holiday dishes. Plus, don’t miss the dessert station featuring a wide array of sweet treats, sure to satisfy any sweet tooth! After dinner, join Kalahari from 9pm – 12am for a Glow Party in Kilimanjaro Ballroom, along with a special ball drop at midnight! Sunday, December 31 5-9 p.m. Adults (ages 13+): $79.99 | Kids (ages 4-12): $29.99 | 3 & Under: FREE Located in the Kalahari Resorts Convention Center – 250 Kalahari Blvd., Pocono Manor, PA 18349 More Info
