The Board of Directors of Moses Taylor Foundation has announced its 2019-2020 first and second quarter grants, awarding a total of $1,002,934 to 23 organizations that advance the Foundation's mission of improving health of people in Northeastern Pennsylvania.
"We are fortunate to have increasing opportunities to work with our partners in determining solutions to some of the communities' most pressing health challenges," said LaTida Smith, Moses Taylor Foundation President and CEO. "From supporting a new collaborative working to reduce older adult isolation in Lackawanna County, to C.N.A. training opportunities that will strengthen the healthcare workforce of NEPA, these 2019-2020 first and second quarter grants support our partners' efforts to create lasting impacts in the communities we serve."
The Foundation administers quarterly grant cycles. The full list of 2019-2020 first and second quarter grants is noted below. A complete history of grant awards is available on the Moses Taylor Foundation website.
FM Kirby Center for The Performing Arts
$5,000
To support a sensory friendly series of performances. Each show is performed in a friendly, supportive environment for families and friends with children or adults who are diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder or other sensitivity issues. The Kirby Center will open each performance up to 100 children and adults and admission is free.
Lackawanna County Department of Human Services/Area Agency on Aging
$200
To support the operation of a temporary cooling station for residents 65 and older in the community room at the Marketplace at Steamtown. Due to the extreme temperatures on Saturday and Sunday, July 20 and 21, the Lackawanna County Area Agency on Aging, along with several local partner organizations, operated the cooling station throughout both days, giving older residents an opportunity for reprieve from the heat.
Greater Carbondale YMCA
$45,700
To complete renovation of the lower level kitchen area. The YMCA serves breakfast, lunch, and snack to Head Start and Preschool, totaling over 7,500 meals monthly. The size of the current kitchen facilities is making it difficult to prep, store, and serve the quantity of meals that are required. An expansion of the kitchen area will provide more space to adequately meet meal demands.
Jewish Home of Eastern Pennsylvania
$59,100
To support the implementation of new Parkinson’s exercise programming. New Theracycle bicycles will allow participation in an exercise program, "Pedaling for Parkinson's," on equipment specifically made for persons with movement disorders. The addition of “Dance for Parkinson's” and “Exercise for Parkinson’s” will provide ongoing programming that helps to decrease declines, limit falls, and increase endurance and strength for those living with Parkinson’s.
Serving Seniors, Inc.
$40,000 over two years
To support the Guardianship of Person Program and provide continuing services to individuals who have been deemed incapable by the Courts. Through this program, the Agency provides consents for medical treatment, surgeries, hospice care, and home health services; secures home and community-based services; consults with medical specialists; obtains second opinions as needed for medical treatment; and end of life decision making in the absence of a living will.
Abington Community Library Association
$14,950
To purchase an automated external defibrillator (AED) for each library within the Lackawanna County Library System – 11 in total. Training will be provided to all staff members by Geisinger Trauma Education Outreach using the American Heart Association Family & Friends® CPR/AED basic training workshop.
Family Service Association of Northeastern Pennsylvania
$2,500
For CEO Coaching and Development. The current CEO of Family Service Association will be retiring after 10 years in the position, and a new CEO has joined the team. Coaching and Development helps improve performance in a wide range of areas and is particularly beneficial during transition periods such as this.
Pittston Memorial Library/NEPA Intergenerational Coalition
$2,500
To support the 13th Annual Conference for Grandparents Raising Grandchildren (GRG). The Conference will be held at The Woodlands Resort on October 25th and will provide networking opportunities, information and advice, and referral services to the GRG community. This year, the keynote speaker will be Scott Schaffer, the chief news anchor for WNEP who was raised by his grandparents.
Tunkhannock Township Police Department
$10,095
To purchase five AED machines and First Responder First Aid kits. Tunkhannock Township Police Department is Wyoming County's largest municipal police department in both staff size and in coverage area, and provides services to both Tunkhannock and Falls Township, the highest populated municipalities in Wyoming County. This vital equipment will enhance the police department’s ability to provide support for the residents of Tunkhannock and Falls Townships.
AllOne Charities
$2,500
To support the Opioid Solutions Symposium. On October 2, 2019, AllOne Foundation and Charities held a symposium to discuss program models that offer the greatest potential to have an impact on the opioid crisis throughout Northeastern Pennsylvania. Attorney General Josh Shapiro served as a keynote speaker, while leadership from The Wright Center, Treatment Court Advocacy Center, Children's Service Center, and The Northeast Pennsylvania Area Health Education Center presented their respective innovative programs aimed at addressing opioid addiction.
Step By Step
$20,000
To provide computers for staff working within community homes throughout Lackawanna and Susquehanna Counties. Updated technology will allow staff to manage progress notes, medication administration, and treatment plans electronically, resulting in a higher quality of care for consumers.
Friends of the Poor
$5,000
To support the organization's annual community Thanksgiving meal event in Scranton. Founded in 1984, Friends of the Poor is dedicated to easing the burden of living in poverty and enhancing the quality of life for all who live in low- to moderate income communities.
Children’s Advocacy Center of Northeastern Pennsylvania
$10,563
To fund critical building repairs. The roof is in dire need of repair/replacement in several spots, including loose shingles and worn, irreparable sections that are no longer able to reliably protect the Mulberry Center from weather conditions.
Maternal & Family Health Services, Inc.
$20,000
To support expansion and renovation of the clinic’s lower floor to accommodate Behavioral Health, Nurse-Family Partnership, and WIC Nutrition Program. The upper floor will then be dedicated to clinical services (Family Planning, Maternity Care, and STD/HIV services).
Rural Health Corporation of Northeastern Pennsylvania
$96,383
To equip health centers with new examination tables. Funding will be used to purchase 7 barrier free exam tables with built-in scale and patient support rails, along with 22 manual examination tables.
Friedman Jewish Community Center
$50,000
To meet increased demand for the Senior Health and Wellness programs. Funding will be used to purchase low-impact exercise equipment; support the congregate meal program; and fund speakers, workshops, trainers, and facilitators for the older adult programming.
Johnson College
$34,000
To purchase a replacement digital DR panel for x-rays. The digital DR ensures that students have a thorough grounding in how to prepare for and properly produce a high-quality diagnostic image. Hands-on experience with the digital DR panel in the lab setting is key to student success in the clinical environment.
NeighborWorks Northeastern Pennsylvania
$40,000 over 2 years
To expand the Aging in Place program to include Friendly Visitors. NeighborWorks NEPA will partner the Ignatian Volunteer Corps (IVC), a national organization that provides men and women aged 50+ with year-long volunteer opportunities. IVC volunteers will provide visitation services to socially isolated older adults throughout Lackawanna County.
Goodwill Industries of Northeastern PA
$59,091
To support activities and tools that will improve medication administration and advocacy efforts to access crisis mental health care. Funding will be used to provide medication management and mental health advocacy training to direct support professionals.
Allied Services
$217,320
To expand its paid C.N.A. training program for prospective employees of the skilled nursing, transitional, and personal care facilities in Scranton and Wilkes-Barre. To help participants overcome employment barriers and work-life emergencies, Allied will contract with United Neighborhood Centers of NEPA to provide case management services and assist new employees during their training period and first few months on the job.
Pathway to Recovery
$50,000
To add a Program Director/Licensed Therapist to the overall clinical operations of the agency. This person will be responsible for maintaining the current integrity of the clinical operations; increasing the range of individuals served; and improving upon and introducing new therapeutic modalities and approaches that will increase treatment outcomes.
United Way of Wyoming Valley
$143,032
To pilot a school-based vision care program called See to Succeed. Partnering with The Wright Center for Community Health and the Wilkes-Barre Area School District administrators, the UWWV will bring vision care services to economically disadvantaged students in grades K-12 throughout the district. Children in need will receive eye exams and glasses, free of charge, during the school year.
United Way of Lackawanna and Wayne Counties
$75,000
To lead a collaborative of organizations in the design of a new system to reduce older adult isolation in Lackawanna County. This grant is in response to a Request for Proposals issued by the Foundation with the aim of creating a plan that focuses on identification of those who are isolated, connection of isolated individuals to services to reduce their isolation, and awareness about the health impacts of social isolation.
