Our community is really deserving of that decades-old motto —“Valley With A Heart.”
And these days, we need that to be true more than ever.
Nonprofits in Luzerne County are constantly trying to keep up with the demand of the ever-growing needs in 2025. And by all indications, the demand is only going to increase.
And that is just to remain at the status quo. But these agencies need to grow. They need to provide more services. They need to do more to help more.
And to accomplish all that, they need more funding. They need more in-kind donations. They need more volunteers.
Last week, the Luzerne Foundation held its annual Millennium Circle luncheon, where five finalists presented their cases on why a $25,000 grant would help their missions.
But only one would get the grant — Clancy Harrison’s Food Dignity Movement.
The other four finalists for the grant were:
• Pennsylvania Theatre of Performing Arts
• Volunteers in Medicine
• CASA of Wyoming Valley
• SPCA of Luzerne County
Harrison said the grant will enable her organization to purchase food from local farmers and provide it to 15 area nonprofits to ensure weekly access to nourishing food for over 1,500 people for the next three months. She said the funds will also strengthen local agriculture by allowing Food Dignity to pay competitive prices for produce, reducing farmer risks and improving their livelihoods.”
Additionally, Harrison said the grant supports the student-led, curriculum-based food hub at the Wilkes-Barre Area Career & Technical Center.
But let’s not forget the other four finalists, and we should also remember all those other nonprofits that need help as well.
• The Pennsylvania Theatre of Performing Arts has been providing quality theatre and art experiences for the Hazleton area for more than 25 years. In their presentation, the group said they would like to provide free bus transportation to their theatre for up to 30 seniors who reside in or near downtown Hazleton.
They would charter a bus that would drive from Broad Street in West Hazleton to Hilltop Apartments on East Broad Street in Hazleton, stopping along Broad Street to pick up passengers. The bus would also stop at all 4 senior housing buildings in downtown Hazleton. Return transportation would be provided after the show. Show admission and light refreshments would also be included.
• Volunteers in Medicine opened 17 years ago as the only full-time, full-service free clinic in the region and remains today. Members were seeking the grant to assist VIM with costs associated with the increased number of new patients due to changes to Medicaid and Pennie insurance. It is estimated that 18,000 people in Luzerne County may lose their Medicaid in 2026. Thousands are estimated to discontinue insurance through the Pennie marketplace due to a 70% premium increase.
The staff and board at VIM predict an increase in new patients, which will have a direct correlation to an increase in expenses. These expenses will include medical, dental and office supplies, paying for imaging services for our patients, purchasing medications to give free to patients, and an increase in utilities.
VIM is not federally funded and does not charge for services.
• CASA of Wyoming Valley recruits, trains, and supports community volunteers to serve as the voice of abused and neglected children in the Luzerne and Wyoming County court systems so these children will be safe, secure, and given the opportunity to thrive. The program is unique in that its qualified, compassionate advocates offer abused and neglected foster children the one thing they don’t have: the undivided attention of a caring adult. Once fully trained, an advocate is appointed by a judge to represent the best interests of a child in court.
Funding will help give these children the stability, the safety, and the opportunity they deserve.
• The SPCA of Luzerne County acquired the former Dundee Gardens in Hanover to address its pressing need for more space, as it has outgrown its facility.
The goal is to raise significant funds to develop this campus, ensuring every animal in our care receives compassion, proper veterinary care, and a safe place to rest.
In 2024, nearly 1,000 animals found their way through SPCA’s doors, each carrying their own unique narrative. Many have faced profound neglect or abuse, while others were abandoned as they aged — left behind and forgotten.
To help
The Millennium Circle is the area’s premier giving circle, where its members make a small one-time donation and select a grant winner annually.
If you are interested in becoming part of the Millennium Circle, go to The Luzerne Foundation’s website at luzfdn.org or call 570-822-2065.