WILKES-BARRE — Seven Luzerne County projects receive a total of $1.5 million in this round of awards from the Department of Community and Economic Development’s Neighborhood Assistance Program (NAP).
DCED Secretary Rick Siger was in Wilkes-Barre Thursday to announce $36 million through the NAP Program to assist low-income individuals and improve distressed areas in Pennsylvania communities.
Siger said the NAP, which provides tax credits to businesses that contribute to nonprofit organizations’ efforts to revitalize communities, will support 185 projects across the Commonwealth.
Luzerne County projects
• Commission On Economic Opportunity, Jenkins Twp.: $299,000
The CEO Weinberg Northeast Regional food bank coordinates the charitable food system in Northeast Pennsylvania, providing food to over 300 partner organizations. Schools and childcare centers are also key partners in ensuring local children have enough nutritious food.
The project aims to increase the number of partners, food distributions, and the amount of healthy food distributed in the community. It will work in tandem with food bank operations to address the increased need for food assistance due to a decrease in individual giving and the existence of families/individuals who have not utilized charitable food systems.
• Commission On Economic Opportunity, Jenkins Twp.: $237,500
The Project to End Hunger aims to address food insecurity by increasing food access and improving health and household stability.
The project includes five major initiatives: food acquisition, food distribution, partner network, household level access, and public awareness.
COVID-19 has led to changes in approaches, including increased wholesale food purchases and drive-through distributions. The project is seeking to engage in a strategic planning process to guide its post-COVID hunger relief strategy and meet the increased needs of its communities while remaining focused on the goal of ending hunger.
• City Centre LP, Wilkes-Barre: $311,738
The WB 14 Theater requires significant upgrades to its seating format to remain competitive and retain its current tenant.
By converting to recliner seats, the theater can attract more clients and retain 38 jobs.
The project is estimated to cost $1.2 million and is expected to increase annual attendance to between 250,000 and 300,000 customers.
With these improvements, the WB 14 can continue to provide a high-quality movie-going experience for many years to come.
• Diamond City Partnership, Wilkes-Barre: $190,000
The Diamond City Partnership NPP application aims to advance its Strategic Plan for Downtown Wilkes-Barre and foster its recovery from COVID-19.
The expected Year 3 outcomes include managing supplementary sidewalk cleaning, graffiti removal and maintenance; investing in a programming strategy to enhance the usage of the River Common park; and investing in 33 W. Market St. facade rehabilitation based on a prior architectural feasibility study.
• Downtown Alliance for Progress, Hazleton: $95,000
DHAP and their partners have spent the past decade investing in blighted properties to rehabilitate the Downtown Hazleton Area.
With several successful projects completed, the partnership requests funding to implement programs that make use of the new facilities. The goal is to support the low-income youth and Hispanic community and programs that nurture business growth and cultural integration.
• Junior Achievement of Northeastern Pennsylvania, Wilkes-Barre: $45,000
This project will support the inclusion of 1,500-1,800 underestimated students who need additional assistance and innovative solutions to overcome barriers to economic mobility like generational poverty, under and unemployed, less-educated parents, one-parent households, unstable family status, and disproportionate impacts of disruptions in education caused by the pandemic.
• NeighborWorks Northeastern Pennsylvania, Pittston: $135,000
Through the Beautiful Blocks program, NeighborWorks will empower and incentivize Pittston residents to improve both their homes and neighborhoods by providing matching funds for exterior home improvement projects.
This will address two persistent problems in the City of Pittston:
1. A high incidence of blight.
2. A lack of access to conventional home repair loans, especially for minorities and women.
• Greater Wilkes-Barre Chamber of Business & Industry, Wilkes-Barre: $189,000
The Greater Wilkes-Barre Chamber of Business & Industry Luzerne Learns to Work program impacts at-risk populations in Luzerne County by providing workforce development to students, parents & educators.
This aligns with the Governor’s priorities for Workforce Development & Job Training in the Commonwealth’s Economic Development Plan.