SUMMER 2020 E-NEWSLETTER

SUMMER 2020 E-NEWSLETTER

 

COVID-19 Relief Grants Provided in STEAM Fields

Women in Philanthropy (WIP) recently awarded three COVID-19 Relief Grants (totaling $10,000) to support virtual learning in the Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math (STEAM) fields, funded by your generous support.

Arts in Education in Northeastern Pennsylvania at Northeastern Educational Intermediate Unit, Boys & Girls Clubs of NEPA, and Keystone College have each received a grant from Women in Philanthropy to support STEAM-related efforts, particularly to provide support during this unique time when women and families are required to oversee education in the home. These grants were reviewed and voted on by WIP supporters during a virtual Zoom meeting on Tuesday, May 26.

Development Director at Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeastern Pennsylvania, Julianne Cucura, stated, “Thanks to generous support from Women in Philanthropy, we are excited to introduce our Giving All Little Ladies Smiles (GALLS) members to important STEAM projects, especially during this difficult time. Due to challenges surrounding COVID-19, we have launched our Virtual Club on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube to make sure that children who cannot be physically at the Club still have access to STEAM projects. A big thank you to everyone involved at Women in Philanthropy for making this opportunity possible!”

In addition to providing grant funding to support virtual learning in the STEAM fields, Women in Philanthropy awarded grants in April to Women’s Resource Center, Children’s Advocacy Center of NEPA, and Outreach – Center for Community Resources to help serve the needs of low-to-moderate-income women, girls, and their families during the COVID-19 outbreak. A total of $25,000 has been provided in COVID-19 emergency grant funding through Women in Philanthropy, made possible only because of the generosity of WIP supporters.

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Congratulations to Level Up Graduates, Aaliyah and Priyal!

We are proud to share an update on the STEAM Stars scholarship recipients enrolled in the Level Up Program at Lackawanna College. Both Aaliyah Jalil and Priyal Patel, recent Scranton High School graduates, are graduating from the Level Up program in August, earning an associate degree alongside their high school diploma. Funded through Women in Philanthropy, the STEAM Stars scholarship program provides a full scholarship to a limited number of female students in the Level Up Program at Lackawanna College, which gives high-achieving students the opportunity to take college-level courses so that they can obtain their associate degree by the time they graduate high school. A STEAM Stars Scholarship covers the students’ entire time in the program at the total cost of $6,200 per student. To date, WIP has provided five total STEAM Stars scholarships to students at Riverside Jr./Sr. High School and Scranton High School. The three other STEAM Stars scholarship recipients will begin their last year of high school this Fall.

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Providing Small Business Relief

Additionally, because of your generous support, we have also established the Women in Philanthropy Business Relief Fund at the Scranton Area Community Foundation. This non-endowed hardship fund is intended for women who own small businesses in Lackawanna County who are facing challenges due to the COVID-19 outbreak. The Women in Philanthropy Business Relief Fund intends to provide mini-grants of up to $1,000 each to support women who own small businesses in Lackawanna County. This funding is for personal use that will help women deal with hardship situations occurring during the COVID-19 crisis. Through the Scranton Area Community Foundation, Women in Philanthropy has committed $15,000 to the Fund, and additional funds are being added by generous supporters. To date, Women in Philanthropy has awarded a total of $15,850 to 21 women who own businesses in Lackawanna County.

“Through generous contributions from Women in Philanthropy supporters, the Women in Philanthropy program at the Scranton Area Community Foundation is making a difference in the lives of women, girls, and their families during these challenging times,” stated Laura Ducceschi, President and CEO of the Scranton Area Community Foundation.

In a recent letter received from recipient Cat Maria of Northeast Therapeutic Wellness Center PLLC in Dunmore: “I am writing to express my gratitude for the grant I received from Women in Philanthropy Business Relief Fund. I was able to pay the extra costs associated with telehealth for my group practice, the extra costs of providing extra sanitation measures in the office setting offset some of our clients’ co-pays and deductibles that are struggling financially due to COVID-19, and offset some of the rent for my office. The financial support was so helpful and even more than that, the support I experienced emotionally to know that I live and work in a community that values and appreciates the work and effort I put forth for the betterment of our community has absolutely lifted my spirits and re-energized me to continue to strive to go above and beyond to meet the mental health needs of some of our most venerable population. Thank you again for your generosity and support!”

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Women’s Whistle Stop Webinar

“Elevate Their Voices – How to Help Your Community through Voter Registration”

Women’s Whistle Stop honors American women and girls as we mark the 100th anniversary of the 19th amendment to the U.S. Constitution–women’s right to vote!

Women’s Whistle Stop, Scranton, is partnering with the Scranton Area Community Foundation to host an informative webinar on how to encourage and promote voter registration. This webinar, Elevate Their Voices – How to Help Your Community through Voter Registration, will take place on August 21, 2020, at 9:00 a.m. This webinar is free and open to all who may wish to attend. To register, click the link below.

 

Register for the webinar here

 

Established with the Scranton Area Community Foundation in May 2019, the Women’s Whistle Stop Scranton Fund charitably supports the Women’s Whistle Stop, Scranton. Women’s Whistle Stop, Scranton, is a Women 100 Proud Partners, which is led by Vision 2020. Funds may also be used in the Scranton area to directly empower women, provide gender equality education, and to support other purposes related to ensuring women’s rights.
Please note: The Scranton Area Community Foundation is non-political, unbiased, and non-partisan, and does not support or endorse any political candidates.

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Upcoming ‘Virtual’ Meetings

Please save the dates for these upcoming meetings.
At this time, for the safety of our Women in Philanthropy supporters, we will hold all WIP meetings virtually via Zoom until further notice.

Thursday, October 22, 2020
Annual WIP Celebration
5:30 p.m.

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Thank you for your support!

None of this would be possible without your support. Because of your generosity through Women in Philanthropy, YOU play an active role in changing the lives of women, girls, and their families in Northeastern Pennsylvania in transformational ways. Thank you!