grant Archives

Reading Hospital implements hospital-based violence intervention program

A grant from the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency will help Reading Hospital fight gun violence.

Parent company Tower Health said it received a $193,078 grant to implement a hospital-based violence intervention program (HVIP) at Reading Hospital and provide community education and resources.

Reading Hospital will hire and train a Trauma Violence Recovery Specialist who will provide support, case management, and referral services to hospitalized victims of community violence; purchase equipment and operating supplies required to implement programming; and support staff participation in violence intervention program-related conferences and education, Tower Health said.

“This grant will help us save lives and help our patients recover,” said Dr. Charles F. Barbera, Reading Hospital president. “In implementing our hospital-based violence intervention program we anticipate reducing the overall incidence of gun violence, injury, and retaliatory violence. We also hope to see a decline in the number of patients who are victims of violent injury.”

HVIPs provide direct services to violently injured individuals and their families and take a public health approach to violence prevention, Barbera said.

Data indicates that victims of violence are often at elevated risk for reinjury or engaging in retaliatory violence. Tower Health said HVIPs provide targeted services to high-risk populations and work to identify and reduce risk factors, such as substance misuse, unemployment, and lack of schooling, while promoting protective factors, such as social supports and educational attainment.

The Trauma Violence Recovery Specialist will meet with violently injured patients at the hospital bedside or soon after their discharge from the emergency department.

“The Violence Recovery Specialist will play a critical role in the recovery of this patient population,” said Desha Dickson, Tower Health vice president for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and Community Wellness. “This individual will break down barriers through shared experiences and be responsible to assess the patients’ current needs and circumstances and help set goals and generate awareness of potential opportunities available to them including medical coverage, compensation, education and career goals, and housing stability.”

The specialist will be familiar with the City of Reading community and trained in crisis intervention, linkages to community-based services, mentoring, home visits, follow-up assistance, and long-term case management, Tower Health said.

The grant funding will also ensure Reading Hospital can work with local community partners including the Pennsylvania State Police and The Village of Reading to continue “Stop the Bleed” trainings for local youth and community members.

“Guns are the leading cause of death for children in the U.S.,” said Dr. Christopher Valente chief, Division of Pediatric Emergency Medicine at Reading Hospital. “Earlier this year all Tower Health hospitals, including Reading Hospital, joined other health systems in the region to help protect children from gun violence through education and safety efforts.”

The campaign, “It Doesn’t Kill to Ask,” focuses on providing caregivers, parents, and community members with tools to speak up about safe gun storage and empower them to ask other parents about access to guns in the home.

“I’m glad this grant will align with the goals of the ‘It Doesn’t Kill to Ask’ initiative by hosting gun safety education events in our community and distributing gun locks to keep everyone safe from gun violence,” Valente said.

NCC receives grant to help improve renewable energy

Northampton Community College (NCC) will use a $100,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to help businesses reduce costs and their carbon footprint.

NCC said it will use the grant to serve agricultural producers and rural small businesses throughout Pennsylvania by providing on-site renewable energy assessments through its Emerging Technology Applications Center (ETAC).

The ETAC team at NCC will travel across Pennsylvania to provide at least 26 businesses with economic and technical assessments unique to their operations, facilities, and equipment, NCC said.

Dr. John Barkanic, ETAC consultant at NCC, said, “We can help businesses by offering expertise and knowledge on how they can implement an alternative energy source should they so choose,” noting that some businesses may simply want to make energy efficiency upgrades, which the grant funding may cover, such as HVAC, insulation, lighting, and replacing inefficient electrical equipment.

NCC said there is an opportunity, especially with big farm landowners, to generate enough energy they can sell it back to the power grid. Businesses will be provided with a report describing how renewable energy conversion can result in lower operating costs and improved sustainability.

Alternative energy sources can come from geothermal, solar photovoltaics, thermal solar, wind turbines, biodigesters and more, with solar being the most popular option. NCC said as an example, a biodigester works by taking natural material, such as manure, breaking that down to give off methane gas, which in turn, can be used to generate electric energy.

The USDA could provide funding for up to half the installed cost to accelerate the deployment of the technology. NCC said there are guidelines, however, and the organization must have 50% of income coming from agriculture production or must be a rural small business to be eligible for the USDA assistance.

“This grant has been awarded to the college in the past and was awarded again because there is still more work to be done,” said Barkanic.

“We will assist in energy reduction efforts wherever possible. We want the businesses to feel like there’s someone who can help them through this maze, which can be difficult to navigate,” Barkanic said. “Most businesses don’t have current technical background on this subject, and we come in to help clarify and demystify the process.”

LCCC receives grant to aid Hispanic male students; one of 15 nationwide

Lehigh Carbon Community College received a $75,000 grant to advance its efforts to reduce barriers that Hispanic male students face and create an environment conducive to success.

LCCC said it is one of only 15 community colleges nationwide to receive a grant from the University of Southern California’s Race and Equity Center for the project “Takeoff Initiative – College Men of Color” which is funded by the Educational Credit Management Corporation (ECMC) Foundation.

In the past five years, Hispanic enrollment at LCCC increased by 18% and in 2019, the college was recognized as a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) by the US Department of Education.

Currently, 28% of LCCC students are Hispanic/Latino, LCCC said.

Data from the Postsecondary National Policy Institute indicates that most Hispanic male students enter higher education at a community college. For these students, entering college can be fraught with barriers, including affordability, limited access to educational resources and systemic conditions that impact their sense of belonging and cultural identity.

LCCC said it strives to reduce barriers for Hispanic male students; however, inequities still exist. For example, 31% of first-time, full-time students entering in Fall 2018 were Hispanic, yet only 17% completed their program within 150% of normal time, compared to 31% of White students.

Since earning HSI status, the college has implemented several initiatives to serve Latino students, including a Latino Student Success Committee to uncover systemic inequities, Aspira First-Year Experience seminar to support and empower new Hispanic students, the iCare Network that offers individualized support, and the student-led Latin@ Leadership Club.

In addition, the grant will support:

Policy audit to uncover possible implicit biases in policies and regulations that adversely impact Hispanic male students, to be led by an ethnically diverse work group under the guidance of a USC-appointed DEI coach.
Expansion of new teaching methods that best serve the college’s Hispanic male students, such as co-teaching with bilingual faculty, creating more culturally relevant course content, and offering Spanish-only courses for English Language Learners.
Expansion of student success coaches to help students explore how they can achieve career and academic goals.
Faculty and staff coaching and professional development.

“The college has an incredibly rich and diverse student body, and we are committed to providing the resources to help all students be successful,” said LCCC President Ann D. Bieber. “This grant specifically will allow us to add a number of initiatives that can directly impact the success of our male Hispanic students. Building a stronger community and enhancing the sense of belonging at LCCC will create an even stronger college to serve the needs of our community.”

Pa.’s at-risk businesses to gain access to millions in funding

Pennsylvania’s at-risk businesses are getting a financial boost from the Department of Labor and Industry.

To support Rapid Response Services to stabilize at-risk businesses or attract buyers who would maintain the workforce of an at-risk company, the Department of Labor and Industry (L&I) announced $6 million in available Statewide Layoff Aversion Program funding.

“When workers lose jobs with family-sustaining pay and benefits, it can destabilize entire communities,” L&I Acting Secretary Nancy Walker said in a statement. “Rapid Response Services are critical to minimizing the impacts of mass layoffs and closures, so that Pennsylvania communities and families have a real opportunity to rebound.

“Likewise, with this grant funding, L&I will prioritize early intervention services aimed at preventing layoffs whenever possible,” she said.

Pennsylvania provides Rapid Response Services under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity ACT (WIOA). The services assist in early intervention and re-employment services for businesses and their employees affected by a permanent closure, mass layoff, or natural or other disaster resulting in mass job dislocation.

Rapid Response engages with local businesses in their communities to provide job retention resources for potentially dislocated workers. This helps workers to find unemployment as soon as possible while also preventing loss of wages and economic uncertainty.

Organizations with the experience and expertise to advance L&I’s goal of developing and using the state’s existing workforce development system to prevent layoffs and aid at-risk businesses are eligible to apply.

Applicants who can create partnerships to coordinate the design of the project, develop and implement an appropriate budget, deliver services, collect and report performance management measures, and coordinate and evaluate the activities of the project are also eligible.

Grant applications are due by 4 p.m. on April 3. Additional grant details and the grant application can be found on L&I’s website.

CTCs in Lehigh Valley, Central Pa. awarded grants to purchase new equipment

Career Technical Centers in the Lehigh Valley and Central Pennsylvania are among the 33 CTCs and two school districts to receive competitive grants to purchase new equipment aligned to training students in high-demand occupations.

Awarded by the Wolf Administration, the grants total $1.2 million in career and technical education equipment. The funding was announced Wednesday by the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE).

CTCs in the Lehigh Valley and Central Pennsylvania received approximately $300,000 in grants.

“Career and technical centers continually provide excellent educational and professional opportunities for students across the commonwealth,” Acting Secretary of Education Eric Hagarty said in a statement. “Investing in career readiness and career exploration is a priority for PDE, and we encourage recipients to utilize this funding to enhance and expand these learning programs, which will help students excel in their chosen fields.”

More than 80 CTCs in Pennsylvania offer a combination of classes and hands-on learning in programs approved by the PDE. Students can earn industry credentials or certifications for local jobs in high demand.

Area awardees and their funding amounts include the following:

Adams County – Adams County Technical Institute, $47,500.

Berks County – Berks CTC, $23,229.
Cumberland County – Cumberland Perry Area Career & Technical Center, $26,935.
Dauphin County – Dauphin County Technical School, $50,000.
Lancaster County – Lancaster County Technical School, $50,000.
Lehigh County – Lehigh Career & Technical School, $50,000.

York County – York Co. School of Technology, $50,000.

The maximum grant under the program is $50,000, and every grant must be matched dollar-for-dollar from a local source, which can include local school funds or contributions from business and industry partners.

Two Lehigh Valley health bureaus to receive part of federal grant for public health

PHOTO/GETTY IMAGES –

Allentown Bureau of Health and Bethlehem Bureau of Health are among 10 agencies to receive part of $98 million in funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Public Health Infrastructure grant program.

Acting Secretary of Health and Physician General Dr. Denise Johnson announced Tuesday Pennsylvania will receive the federal funding to enhance public health infrastructure including staffing, health planning and equity and data modernization efforts.

“This funding will enable the department to make critical investments needed to provide comprehensive public health services to all Pennsylvanians,” Johnson said. “In addition to focusing on public health workforce development efforts, we will be able to implement responsive and reliable data systems to help ensure the public is prepared for the future by accelerating prevention and preparedness efforts.”

The funding is broken down into three strategies:

Workforce development, including increasing recruitment, hiring, and training public health professionals;
Foundational capabilities such as health planning and equity, communications, and information technology; and
Data modernization including investing in technology infrastructure to enhance interoperability of data systems to share information with local health departments and the public.

Additional grant funding is anticipated throughout the five-year grant period based on performance and federal availability.

LCCC to offer cybersecurity camp for teachers

Lehigh Carbon Community College (LCCC) has received a grant to offer a professional development course in cybersecurity for elementary, middle and high school teachers.

The National Security Agency and the GenCyber offer grants to schools to address the shortfall of skilled cybersecurity professionals in a time of increased cybersecurity issues.

LCCC’s GenCyber Camp for teachers of grades 7-12 will be held June 12-16 from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day at LCCC’s Schnecksville campus. The camp will be offered as a three-credit special topics course for college credit and at no charge to the student.

An information session will be held Feb. 9 for interested applicants.

The camp provides opportunities for teachers in Carbon, Lehigh, Northampton and Berks counties to collaborate and explore cybersecurity topics that are appropriate for all secondary age groups. Topics include computer components, computer networks, cryptography, cybersecurity, safe online behavior and cyber ethics, LCCC said.

The goals of the GenCyber program are to:

Improve teaching methods for delivering cybersecurity content in secondary schools

Create a network of teachers who strive to create better digital citizens among today’s students
Increase interest in cybersecurity careers and promote diversity in the cybersecurity workforce
Empower students with the essential skills for safe online behavior

Teachers will be compensated for their participation with a daily stipend. An additional stipend is included for participation in the virtual pre-camp and post-camp sessions.

To receive an invitation to the information session, email GenCyber@LVLCCC.edu. Those who are selected will need to apply to become an LCCC student.

Good Shepherd offers financial support for employee ideas

Emily Lyter (left), administrative director of Good Shepherd Learns, Creates and Research, walks with Kandis Jones (center), director of Good Shepherd Learns, and Amanda Clark (right), director of Good Shepherd Creates, on Good Shepherd Rehabilitation’s South Allentown campus – PHOTO/PROVIDED –

Employees at Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Network are taking ideas and turning them into concrete tools and actions.

Emily Lyter, administrative director of Good Shepherd Learns, Creates and Research at Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Network, said the network is looking to harness employees’ enthusiasm, natural curiosity and deep dedication by offering them an opportunity to research their ideas and turn them into actionable plans that can help patients get better.

Emily Lyter

To that end, the initial Good Shepherd Innovation Grant of $200,000 provides financial support and development opportunities for projects that may define the future of rehabilitation, she said.

The project got underway in July. Lyter said all employees, whether clinical or nonclinical, have the opportunity to apply for the program which provides mentorships that enable employees to learn about business plans and technology.

“We want to support our employees and their ideas,” she said. “The grants provide them with the opportunity to engage in research they may not otherwise be able to.”

Good Shepherd collaborates with colleges and other research facilities. The first round of projects involves 45 employees with two project coaches.

One example, Lyter cited, is pressure mapping to determine the best way to sit in a chair. “If you sit in a chair too long, pressure can increase,” she said. “There is no information right now, so a team is looking at how long a person can sit in a position before issues arise.”

Another project is looking at how art can be used as a therapy tool, especially for younger patients. Lyter said in occupational therapy, often a patient is asked to move pegs around a board. “Many are not engaged in this,” she said. “But if they can dance or paint, they will be engaged, and outcomes will be improved.”

Artists teach therapists to use art to make tasks meaningful. Lyter said this is being looked at for autism patients to improve the social connection as well. “It’s fun and serves a purpose,” she said.

The program is geared toward engaging employees and allowing them to grow by teaching them how to go about developing an idea as well as creating new concepts and tools.

Lyter said when an employee or group of employees have an idea, the grant allows them to develop preliminary data. They write a business plan and then can apply for outside funding to continue developing the data, she said.

The coaches help with creating the business plan and grant writing – anything the project needs. “This helps employees grow and learn new things. This is about the individual. We have a lot of caring people and without this program, their ideas would have nowhere to go.”

Lyter said Good Shepherd patients rely on technology to function. That can be as low key as using devices such as an Alexa for text to speech to high tech equipment like robots that can help feed someone.

Many of the projects in the second round of grants will focus on improving or creating technology such as this, she said.

“The program is paying off,” Lyter said. “We expect it will continue to grow because the projects address real needs.”

PennDOT to distribute $171.5 million in funding for electric vehicle charging

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) will receive and distribute $171.5 million in formula funds for electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure over the next five years as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL). Funding for National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) in the first federal fiscal year is $25,4 million, and grantees will be required to provide a minimum 20 percent match.

Resources are available to help businesses and organizations to prepare in advance of the NEVI Notice of Funding Opportunity, PennDOT announced. The funding opportunity is expected to be announced in late December 2022 or early January 2023.

PennDOT Secretary Yassmin Gramian said the NEVI program will help Pennsylvania build out its EV charging infrastructure.

“As this is a new program for Pennsylvania and the nation at large,” said Gramian, “we want to give our partners and businesses as much opportunity as possible to prepare for application submission to support our efforts of transparency and equity.”

Information regarding applicant eligibility, eligible projects, and costs both eligible and ineligible is included in the NEVI Grant pre-announcement resources. An interactive map identifying existing AFC-qualifying stations and grouped interchanges based on priority through a gap analysis has also been created by PennDOT. Businesses and organizations seeking recommendations on preparing for the grant opening can review the “How to Get Ready” section on PennDOT’s website.

An informational webinar on the 2022 NEVI Grant Program will be hosted by PennDOT on Tuesday, November 1, 2022, from 10 AM to noon. Aimed at audiences interested in applying for the NEVI grant program, the webinar will provide information on eligibility, types of projects funded, how to apply, eligible and non-eligible costs, and application best practices.

NEVI stakeholder sessions featuring an opportunity to expand professional connections and partnership are being held across the state. Individuals interested in the sessions can register on PennDOT’s “Learn About NEVI” webpage.

As Pennsylvania has more than 1,800 miles of designated Alternative Fuel Corridors (AFC), NEVI grant funding will support both the commonwealth and federal goal of expanding EV charging along AFCs and interstate lookalikes. NEVI formula funds must first be used to build out AFCs and meet U.S. DOT standards and requirements, per guidance from U.S. DOT.

Pennsylvania’s traveler information system – 511PA – includes EV charging station locations on its traffic map. This system is designed to enhance traveler information for EV drivers and lists locations across the commonwealth by connector type, including CCS, J1722, CHAdeMO, Tesla, and NEMA.

Individuals interested in additional information on NEVI funds in Pennsylvania or reviewing PennDOT’s announcement resources can visit the PennDOT website at penndot.pa.gov.

Samuel Balliet Stadium receives state money for upgrades

State grant money totaling $50,000 has been secured to help make improvements at historic Samuel Balliet Stadium in Coplay, state Rep. Jeanne McNeill, D-Lehigh, announced Monday.

Coplay Sports Inc. had requested funds to replace broken and unsafe bleachers and for upgrades to the field. The grant will provide $30,000 for new bleachers and $20,000 for infield and outfield materials and equipment.

Built in the 1940s, the stadium was named after Samuel “Sammy” Balliet, an American Legion Baseball coach for the Coplay Athletic Association throughout the 1950s and 1960s. His teams captured six state championships.

The field has hosted youth, American Legion and adult baseball games for more than half a century.

“Samuel Balliet Stadium continues to be one of the most recognized facilities in the baseball community in the Lehigh Valley and we need to support the efforts underway to breathe new life back into the complex, restore its legacy, and return it to its former glory as the crown jewel of baseball stadiums in the area,” McNeill said. “As the stadium is getting ready to install a completely new lighting system, it is critical that the bleachers and stands will be safe for the patrons who will be attending games and events.” McNeill also recently helped secure over $243,000 from the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development that will be used to replace the stadium lights destroyed by Hurricane Sandy in 2012.

Paula Wolf is a freelance writer

Community First Fund receives $2.25 million grant to launch EJFund

From left, Travis Rhodes, Delaware Valley and Lehigh Valley regional president for Truist; Joan Brodhead, CFF senior executive vice president; Jonathan Bowser, CFF chair of board of directors; Lynette Bell, president, Truist Foundation; Dragan Dodik, senior vice president and chief lending officer, CFF; Alex Brame, Truist regional president; and Bill Rogers, Truist chairman and CEO – PHOTO/PROVIDED

Truist Foundation Friday announced a $2.25 million grant to Community First Fund to help launch its Economic Justice Fund (EJFund).

Community First Fund, a nonprofit Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), dedicated to aligning capital with social justice for low-income communities and low-wealth individuals, will use the grant to support lending activities to Black and Latino entrepreneurs across Community First Fund’s service footprint in Eastern and Central Pennsylvania, including Lehigh Valley.

Community First Fund is embarking on a campaign to grow the fund to $50 million over the next five years, the nonprofit said.

“The Truist Foundation supports intermediaries which provide capital at favorable rates and terms for small business owners and individuals in historically excluded communities,” said Lynette Bell, president of Truist Foundation. “The work of Community First Fund provides essential financial and technical assistance to help diverse entrepreneurs scale their businesses.”

The $2.25 million grant is part of Truist’s recent $120 million commitment to strengthen and support small businesses nationally, with a focus on women and diverse business owners, Bell said. Community First Fund’s work to create financial equity through wealth building opportunities for individuals, families, and business owners, especially Black and Latino individuals, women, and immigrants embodies Truist’s commitment to these communities.

The work of Community First Fund is centered around creating sustainable prosperity for low-wealth communities and individuals by providing loans and investments to small businesses, and real estate financing to non-profit developers and entrepreneurs for commercial and affordable housing projects.

“The Truist Foundation grant of $2.25 million helps us close the opportunity gap for small business owners and entrepreneurs to start, grow and expand their businesses, create jobs, advance economic mobility and increase financial stability in their community,” said Community First Fund President and CEO Daniel Betancourt.

“This grant and partnership with Community First Fund underscores our commitment to supporting entrepreneurs throughout Pennsylvania,” said Travis Rhodes, Delaware Valley and Lehigh Valley regional president for Truist. “Small businesses are the bedrock of Philadelphia’s economy, and the work of Community First Fund is creating opportunities for more individuals while supporting employees, families and neighborhoods throughout the greater Philadelphia region.”

Coca-Cola Park secures state funding for improvements

Coca-Cola Park, Allentown –

A plan to enhance amenities at Allentown’s Coca-Cola Park received a $500,000 financial boost from the state Tuesday.

State Reps. Mike Schlossberg, D-Lehigh County and Peter Schweyer, D-Lehigh County and state Sen. Pat Browne, R-Lehigh County helped secure the funding.

The project entails expanding the clubhouse, male and female locker rooms, training facilities, hydro space, and center field entrance to accommodate the shift in the parking situation due to the development of adjacent land/lot.

“The inflation that is being experienced by everyone at the gas pump and the grocery store also has driven up the construction costs for the stadium improvements,” Schlossberg said. “We were fortunate to acquire this additional funding for the project.”

“Coca-Cola Park and the Iron Pigs are true community partners, providing our kids the opportunity to go to camp and catch pop flies with pro ball players, funding ball field improvements for our little leagues and investing in our communities overall,” Schweyer said.

“Coca-Cola Park, the IronPigs and baseball are all fixtures in the Lehigh Valley,” said Browne, Senate Appropriations Committee chairman. “These funds will help to ensure that Coca-Cola Park will continue to be one of finest ballparks in the country, providing our residents a place to enjoy America’s favorite pastime for many years to come.”

The grant was acquired by the lawmakers through the state’s Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program. The lawmakers previously secured $2 million for the stadium project.

The RACP is administered by the Office of the Budget for the acquisition and construction of regional economic, cultural, civic, recreational and historical improvements.

Select Region or Brand

Upcoming Event

Tag: grant

Pa.’s at-risk businesses to gain access to millions in funding

CTCs in Lehigh Valley, Central Pa. awarded grants to purchase new equipment

PennDOT to distribute $171.5 million in funding for electric vehicle charging

Samuel Balliet Stadium receives state money for upgrades