A 2022 Community Needs grant from the Scranton Area Community Foundation will help the Wright Center for Community Health distribute 30 bags of groceries to patients experiencing food insecurity in the wake of a pandemic-related boost to SNAP benefits that recently ended.

In a recent article published in the Scranton Times-Tribune, Scranton Area Community Foundation President & CEO Laura Ducceschi said of food insecurity, “The community is telling us that funding to help alleviate food insecurity is particularly important due to enhanced SNAP benefits ending, the difficulty that inflation in food prices is causing at the grocery store, and the overall increase in cost of all aspects of a household budget.”

The Scranton Area Community Foundation expects to provide an additional $100,000 in grant funding to programs addressing food insecurity this year.

Click the link below to learn more about our 2023 grant cycles:

Recently, Scranton Area Community Foundation President and CEO Laura Ducceschi was featured in the Scranton Times-Tribune alongside other local women leaders who spoke about the gender wage gap in Northeastern Pennsylvania and efforts to eliminate it.

In the article, Laura notes that structural issues and other barriers contribute to the persisting wage gap, and shares about the continuing efforts of the Women in Philanthropy (WIP) initiative to narrow the wage gap, including utilizing WIP’s collective philanthropy model in which women contribute their time, talents, and other resources to improve the lives of women, girls, and their families in Northeastern Pennsylvania. To date, Women in Philanthropy has raised nearly $2 million to support its various initiatives, including investing in STEM education and affordable quality childcare.

The Scranton District Dental Society (SDDS) has selected Michael Abromovage as the 2023 recipient of both the Dr. Todd M. Angelo Memorial Scholarship and the Dr. Bernard Shair Memorial Scholarship.

Michael, a Wyoming resident graduating from the University of Scranton, will be attending the University of Maryland School of Dentistry.

Laura Ducceschi, President and CEO, Scranton Area Community Foundation (center, left), awards scholarship recipient Michael Abromovage (center, right) pictured with members of the SDDS.

The Scranton Area Community Foundation wishes to congratulate, Michael Abromovage, on receiving these prestigious scholarships. We wish you all the best in your studies.

The Dr. Bernard Shair Memorial Scholarship Fund was established by Mrs. Bernard Shair September 1988 to honor her late beloved husband Dr. Bernard Shair, a community leader for many years. The fund provides one scholarship annually to a student graduating from the University of Scranton to attend dental school.

The Dr. Todd M. Angelo Memorial Scholarship Fund was established in December 2011 by the Scranton District Dental Society to support excellence in dental student education in honor and memory of Dr. Todd Angelo.

The Scranton Area Community Foundation is proud to administer both the Dr. Todd M. Angelo Memorial Scholarship Fund and the Dr. Bernard Shair Memorial Scholarship Fund.

Thanks in part to a grant from the Humor Therapy Fund, administered by the Scranton Area Community Foundation, NAMI Northeast Region will host events in May—during Mental Health Awareness Month—where laughter and humor will be shared for healing and a better understanding of mental health.

National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) – Northeast Region PA will host comedian and mental health advocate Gab Bonesso for three events designed to lift hearts and open minds through the value of humor. These events were supported with a grant from the Humor Therapy Fund, administered by the Scranton Area Community Foundation.

The Humor Therapy Fund, established at the Scranton Area Community Foundation in July 2011 by Jeannine Luby, is intended to support any activity by a 501(c)3 organization that promotes laughter and/or humor for the benefit of its clients and/or the community.

The Humor Therapy Fund awards grants to local nonprofit organizations who wish to promote laughter and/or humor for the therapeutic benefit of their clients, staff, and/or the community at large. Whether a nonprofit organization wants to bring smiles to children, hold a comedy improv workshop to improve staff morale, or create a humor toolkit, the Humor Therapy Fund of the Scranton Area Community Foundation works to provide the necessary support. To date, the fund has provided support to organizations including Laughing at My Nightmare, Volunteers in Medicine, Deutsch Institute, and VNA Hospice and Home Health.

On Thursday, March 30th, the Robert H. Spitz Foundation hosted an open house inviting local nonprofit organizations to discuss the Foundation’s mission, funding goals, and upcoming funding opportunities. Nearly 100 nonprofit professionals attended the event, which took place at the former residence of Mr. Robert H. Spitz in Dickson City. Laura Ducceschi, President and CEO of the Scranton Area Community Foundation gave opening remarks.

The 2023 Robert H. Spitz Foundation grant cycle opens on May 1. Click the link below for more information:

The Robert H. Spitz Foundation awards grants to nonprofit organizations, providing support for programs that aim to break the cycle of poverty, remove economic barriers, and encourage independence in adults and children through access to safe, affordable housing, transportation, and education. Priority areas for funding also include veterans’ affairs and veteran-oriented programs, animal welfare, and support for Jewish culture, heritage, and community.

To date, the Robert H. Spitz Foundation has provided over $4.6 million in funding to the community. The Scranton Area Community Foundation has served as administrator of the Robert H. Spitz Foundation since 2016.

       
Attendees, Scranton Area Community Foundation staff, and Robert H. Spitz Foundation trustees pictured with open house attendants.

Jack Nogi, trustee, Robert H. Spitz Foundation (left), and Laura Ducceschi, President & CEO, Scranton Area Community Foundation (right), address attendees at the Robert H. Spitz house.