NeighborWorks Taking Applications for Beautiful Blocks Program Applications will be accepted beginning Monday, February 5 for the 2024 cycle of Beautiful Blocks, a home improvement program jointly sponsored by NeighborWorks Northeastern Pennsylvania and the City of Scranton, City of Pittston, and City of Carbondale. Beautiful Blocks provides matching grants of up to $1,000 per property to groups of five or more residents in participating communities to help them make exterior improvements to their homes. The Beautiful Blocks program seeks to make neighborhoods throughout Scranton, Pittston, and Carbondale more attractive places to live. Eligible exterior improvements include everything from landscaping and painting to larger projects like sidewalks, front porch repair, door and window replacement, and more! This is the first year Beautiful Blocks is available to residents of the City of Pittston. Also new this year, Scranton residents who decide to replace their front sidewalk are eligible for an additional $3,000 in grant funds, on top of the $1,000 standard grant and the property owner’s $1,000 match.Grants will be awarded through a competitive application process. Applications will be judged on the number of participating residents, project impact and coordination, and the likelihood of neighbors continuing to work together in the future. Pre-applications are being accepted until. Monday, March 18. Awards will be announced in May, with work taking place throughout the summer.“We’re excited to kick-off the sixth year of Beautiful Blocks by expanding the program to the City of Pittston and offering a special incentive for Scranton residents to repair their sidewalks,” said NeighborWorks’ Director of Community Development, Todd Pousley. “Better sidewalks make a community more walkable, and other improvements to the outside of homes improve the quality of life for everyone who lives on a block.” Over the first five cycles of Beautiful Blocks in the City of Scranton, along with the first three Beautiful Blocks cycles in the City of Carbondale, more than 500 individual projects have been completed by participating residents, grouped into 69 block groups. More than $418,000 in grant funding has been distributed to as part of these projects, with participating residents contributing more than $1 million in matching funds to improving their neighborhoods. For residents in participating cities who are interested in applying for the 2024 program cycle, public information sessions will be held in each community next week: Monday, February 5, 5:30 p.m., Carbondale Public Library (Community Room)Tuesday, February 6, 6:00 p.m., Pittston Memorial Library (John P. Cosgrove Center)Wednesday, February 7, 6:00 p.m., Scranton Public Library (Henkelman Room) Scranton, Pittston and Carbondale residents interested in participating in the Beautiful Blocks program can download pre-application instructions and access the pre-application document (beginning Monday, February 5) by visiting www.nwnepa.org/programs/cd/beautiful-blocks.html.More information is also available by contacting Gerard Hetman, NeighborWorks Northeastern Pennsylvania Community Development Specialist, at (570) 558-2490 or ghetman@nwnepa.org.
Waverly Community House to Host 2024 NEPA Film Festival Submit an original short film by March 8! For full entry information visit wvia.org/studentshowcase
Primo Hoagies’ Wilkes-Barre Locations to Host Costumer Appreciation Day PrimoHoagies, known for its gourmet hoagies with high-quality meats and cheeses piled high on fresh-baked seeded rolls, announced today the Wilkes-Barre Arena Hub, Dickson City, Edwardsville and Wilkes-Barre 309 locations are now under new ownership by local couple, Michael and Rachel Davis. To celebrate and thank their loyal customers, the Davis’ will host a Customer Appreciation Day at the following locations: Wilkes-Barre Arena Hub – Tuesday, February 13, 2024 395 Arena Hub Plaza 10am – 8pm Wilkes Barre, PA 18702 Dickson City – Tuesday, February 20, 2024 1945 Commerce Blvd & Rt 6 10am – 8pm Dickson City, PA 18519 Edwardsville – Tuesday, February 27, 2024 33B West Side Mall 10am – 8pm Edwardsville, PA 18704 On these specified days, PrimoHoagies will offer the first 100 customers* in line a free Primo Size Hoagie. Throughout the celebration, customers who enroll in the rewards program will enjoy Primo Size Hoagies for just $6.99. In addition to the Customer Appreciation Day festivities, PrimoHoagies is launching a “Golden Ticket” promotion that will run throughout the month of February. Ten golden tickets will be randomly placed within hoagies, and lucky customers who discover these golden tickets can redeem them at the Wilkes-Barre Arena Hub, Dickson City or Edwardsville locations for a $25 PrimoHoagies gift card. Using recipes passed down through the generations for its iconic hoagies, PrimoHoagies layers Thumann’s gourmet meats and cheeses, a secret blend of spices, and locally sourced, fresh vegetables onto award-winning, seeded rolls that are baked fresh throughout the day. The casual restaurant’s diverse menu features a wide variety of cold and hot hoagies, cheesesteaks, wraps, vegetarian options, sides, chips, drinks, cookies, desserts, and more. Michael and Rachel, high school sweethearts from Mountain Top, PA, have built a life centered around family. Married with two young children, Natalie and Nora, family is paramount to them. Coming from backgrounds of entrepreneurship, Rachel and Mike are experienced business owners. Rachel’s family owns Herron Electric, an electrical company in Mountain Top, while Mike’s family is the former owners of Two Jack’s Cycle, a motorcycle dealership in Wilkes-Barre. With a passion for business and a desire to continue their entrepreneurial journey, the Davis’ started looking for another venture, which they found in PrimoHoagies, a local brand they were already familiar with and admired for its quality. “We can’t wait to embark on this new chapter with PrimoHoagies, where family values meet business passion,” said Rachel. “Every sandwich carries not just flavor but a piece of our commitment to quality and community. We can’t wait to share our journey with the community and create lasting memories, one delicious bite at a time.” The Davis’ also bought the Wilkes-Barre 309 location which will be relocated to a brand new PrimoHoagies in Pittston, with plans to open in early summer. *To enjoy the Customer Appreciation Day Specials, customers are encouraged to join PrimoHoagies complimentary Rewards Program. By texting “Primo” to (484) 270-4000 or visiting the Rewards Program Page, customers can access exclusive offers and start saving on their favorite hoagies!
The Robert H. Spitz Foundation Awards Grant to the Greater Scranton YMCA In September 2023, the Greater Scranton YMCA was awarded a 20 ,000 grant from the Robert H. Spitz Foundation. Grant funding will supportthe expansion of the Y’s Early Learning Center. Since the onset of the COVID 19 public health emergency, the need for child care services in our community has grown substantially. Enrollment in the Greater Scranton YMCA’s early childhood education programs has grown significantly with the YMCA’s waitlist for services capped at 150 children. The Greater Scranton YMCA is limited in space and at maximum capacity. In order to open an additional 30 child care spots each year, the Greater Scranton YMCA will renovate its second floor, which was previously being used for storage and the location of H VAC. Through renovating the space, the Greater Scranton YMCA will create three new classrooms, each licensed to serve up to 1 0 children. The classrooms will specifically serve children ages zero to two, as the need for infant care is great. “We are so grateful to the Robert H. Spitz Foundation for their generosity,” said Trish Fisher, President & CEO, Greater Scranton YMCA. “The need for child care services in our community is great and this project will allow us to serve more children and families in need. Parents will be able to return to work knowing their child(ren) are in a safe and nurturing environment while in our care.” Construction is estimated to be complete and students enrolled in the new classrooms in quarter three, 2024. For more information about the Greater Scranton YMCA’s Early Childhood Education Programs, contact Tressa Parker, Education Director, at tparker@gsymca.org or visit the Y online at www.greaterscrantonymca.org
NEPIRC Announces Benefits and Impacts Reported by Manufacturers According to data voluntarily provided by 575 small and mid-sized manufacturing firms across Pennsylvania throughout 2023, the statewide Industrial Resource Center (IRC) initiative, the Commonwealth’s flagship program for strengthening the competitiveness and resiliency of smaller industrial firms, generated significant positive results among users of their services. Over the past 12 months, manufacturers that utilized IRC professional services avoided 7,197 layoffs while adding 1,462 full-time workers to their rosters. They also realized $796.8 million in retained sales and secured $256.4 million of new customer orders as results of their IRC advisement and engagements. In addition to growing their workforces and increasing their top-line revenue numbers, companies that performed consultative projects with their regional IRC reduced their non-personnel operating costs by $187.1 million over the past 12 months, avoided $36 million of unnecessary expenditures, and invested more than $376.8 million in new equipment, facility expansion, advanced technologies and workforce training. Pennsylvania’s IRC initiative consists of seven affiliates: DVIRC, Catalyst Connection, the Innovative Manufacturers’ Center (IMC), MANTEC, the Manufacturers’ Resource Center (MRC), NEPIRC and NWIRC. “Over the past year, more than 1,100 manufacturers called upon their regional IRC to help them grow their business, implement new technologies, overcome strategic challenges and build a more robust and skilled workforce. We’re impressed with the results reported by this sampling of our client base while also acknowledging that the true extent of the IRCs’ impact upon our manufacturing economy are well in excess of those represented here,” said Eric Joseph Esoda, president & CEO of NEPIRC, the IRC that services manufacturers across northeastern, northern and north central Pennsylvania. The revenue, cost savings, regional investment and job impacts reported by 575 IRC clients was gathered by an independent market research firm and confirmed by the U.S. Department of Commerce.
Allied Services Partners with Local Church to Support Injured Ukrainian Soldiers Allied Services partnered with Father Myron Myronyuk, Pastor of St.Vladimir Ukrainian Catholic Church in Scranton, to donate rehab equipment and medical supplies to benefit injured Ukrainian soldiers. The donated equipment will be part of a shipment of supplies heading to Ukraine thanks to the efforts of St. Vladimir Ukrainian Church and its friends. On Thursday, January 25, 2024, a shipping container arrived from New Jersey at the warehouse at Allied Services in Taylor for loading. Allied Services, a nationally-ranked non-profit rehabilitation provider, donated a significant volume of lightly used rehabilitation equipment including stationary bikes, treadmills, and parallel bars. The donation, estimated to be in the tens of thousands of dollars, also included hospital beds, gowns, walkers, wheelchairs, and other supplies. The donation will assist rehabilitation centers working with Ukrainian soldiers injured since the war started in 2022.
The University of Scranton Announces Plans for New Building Rev. Joseph G. Marina, S.J., president of The University of Scranton, announced plans for a nearly 80,000 square-foot center for workforce development, applied research and outreach, to be built on University-owned property on the 300 block of Madison Avenue. Pending approvals by the city, construction will begin this spring and is expected to be completed in the summer of 2025. “This new facility is designed to engage the community in ways not currently possible, including the potential for collaboration with manufacturing, health care, government, K-12, higher education, and various other economic sectors,” said Father Marina at the building announcement that took place on the University’s campus on Jan. 23. “It will be another further testament to the University’s pivotal role in workforce development as a Catholic and Jesuit institution that is steadfastly committed to serving our community and our region.” The open design of the four-story building and its central location on campus near Mulberry Street is intended to facilitate and encourage interdisciplinary opportunities between departments from across the University’s three colleges, and to foster interaction and programs with and for members of the greater Scranton community. The facility will house the University of Success, which is a four-year college preparation initiative for area high school-students, and The University of Scranton Small Business Development Center, which was established at the University on 1980 and serves an eight-county area that spans northern tier and northeastern Pennsylvania. A key feature of the building will be a 10,000-square-foot maker/innovation space on first floor. “Based on what we have seen at other colleges, we expect it to be a centerpiece for collaborations with faculty and students. We are also anticipating partnership with regional business, manufacturing and healthcare. We envision the maker/innovation space will be a dynamic resource for the campus and greater Scranton community,” said Michelle Maldonado, Ph.D., provost and senior vice president for academic affairs at Scranton, who noted that University is “still building on the considerable consultation we have already done to determine how best to design, equip and structure this space.” Thanks to the support of Congressman Matt Cartwright, a senior member of the House Appropriations Committee and Ranking Member of the Commerce, Justice and Science Subcommittee, the University received $16.62 million for this building project as part of Cartwright’s FY2023 Community Project Funding requests. “Bringing our fair share of federal tax dollars back to our region is the main reason I ran for Congress,” Rep. Cartwright said. “With this successful Community Project Funding request, I am encouraged that the University of Scranton will have the resources to ensure that our local workforce is properly trained and ready to lead the way in American innovation. The University will play an instrumental role in educating the next generation that will help our community meet the ever-growing demands in STEM related fields.” The facility will also house laboratories, classrooms, offices and meeting spaces for the University’s Department of Criminal Justice, Cybersecurity and Sociology and the Psychology Department. The building will provide space for the University’s Student Health Services and The Center for Health Education and Wellness, as well as allow room for growth to support academic programs that will emerge in the future. In addition to Father Marina, Rep. Cartwright and Dr. Maldonado, also speaking at the announcement were Lisa Hall Zielinski, director of The University of Scranton Small Business Development Center, and Edward J. Steinmetz Jr., senior vice president for finance and administration at the University. Hemmler and Camayd (HC Architects) are the architects of the building, which incorporates glass walls, steel and stone into a modern design intended to meet silver LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification requirements. Quandel Construction will serve as the construction manager. The University plans to begin use of the building for the fall 2025 semester.
The Keystone Mission Receives Donation from FNCB Bank The Keystone Mission, the Wilkes-Barre Innovation Center for Homeless & Poverty, received a $5,000 grant from the FNCB Bank, through the FNCB Bank Charitable Foundation. This donation is part of their larger Community Caring initiative. Through community partnerships, Keystone is filling the immediate and long-term needs of those facing homelessness in the Wilkes-Barre area. The facility provides meals, showers, emergency provisions, and daily programming and doubles as the Emergency Shelter – Code Blue during winter. “Since the opening, we have seen a steady increase in the number of guests who come through our doors daily,” says Danielle O. Keith-Alexandre, CEO & Executive Director.
