Latest news with #NeighborWorks
Yahoo
07-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Third annual Garbage Olympics helps neighborhoods shine
Alyssa Espinoza of NeighborWorks Northeastern Pennsylvania had three words of advice for West Side teams participating in the third annual Garbage Olympics Saturday. 'Follow that trash!' In the Pine Brook section of the city, Roger Young, Director of Community Revitalization for United Neighborhood Centers of Northeastern PA, also offered words of encouragement to event participants. And, although both teams — West Scranton and Pine Brook — were in it to win it, a spirit of cooperation in an effort to clean up the city prevailed. * Roger Young, Director of Community RevitalizationUnited Neighborhood Centers of Northeastern PA, takes time to equip participants for the 'Garbage Olympics' in the Pine Brook area of Scranton Saturday. (GERI GIBBONS/STAFF PHOTO) * Team Pine Brook took on Team West Side in the 3rd annual Garbage Olympics on the final day of Scranton City Pride projects. (GERI GIBBONS/STAFF PHOTO) * Teddy Michel of NeighborWorks picking up trash in West Scranton Saturday as part of a community effort entitled 'Garbage Olympics.' (GERI GIBBONS/STAFF PHOTO) Show Caption 1 of 3 Roger Young, Director of Community RevitalizationUnited Neighborhood Centers of Northeastern PA, takes time to equip participants for the 'Garbage Olympics' in the Pine Brook area of Scranton Saturday. (GERI GIBBONS/STAFF PHOTO) Expand Group leaders from both teams equipped participants with safety vests, garbage bags, litter pickers and a bit of advice. For example, Espinoza encouraged participants to travel in teams if possible and reminded them to avoid picking up needles. And, although the ultimate winner of the competition was the team that simply picked up the most trash, the West Scranton team also had some additional incentives to pick up the most trash possible and to have fun with it. West Side team members had a chance to win a prize for the most unusual piece of trash collected and for being the most valuable player. The team also played 'trash bingo' with a space for items such as books or a fast food bags. True community effort The event concluded Scranton City Pride, a series of citywide beautification and environmental stewardship projects over the course of about two weeks. The great benefit of such a cleanup was that everyone can participate, Young said. For example, an older woman with limited mobility let him know she would be cleaning up in front of her house and the lot next door. Families with young children were also welcome to participate, he said. Chrissy Manuel, Director of Development and Communications at United Neighborhood Centers, said the event gets people involved and helps people get to know their neighbors. It was NeighborWorks board member Teddy Michel's first time coming out to the annual cleanup and he was impressed. 'It's a little piece of restoration and a great community event,' he said. Michel said not only did the cleanup brighten neighborhoods, it was also good for the environment, keeping trash first out of the water system and ultimately out of the river. Scranton City Pride is a joint project of Scranton Tomorrow, NeighborWorks Northeastern Pennsylvania, and United Neighborhood Center of Northeastern Pennsylvania (UNC). It is a 'Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful' program.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
City Pride volunteer projects to beautify Scranton
The Garbage Olympics and other cleanups will return in Scranton under the annual City Pride volunteer beautification program May 27 through June 7. A joint program of three nonprofits — Scranton Tomorrow, NeighborWorks Northeastern Pennsylvania and United Neighborhood Centers of Northeastern Pennsylvania — the spring spruce-up projects make a big impact, organizers said Monday in announcing this year's edition. Last year, 4,188 volunteers participated, contributing 2,190 hours, completing 57 projects and removing 3,600 pounds of trash from city streets. A new initiative this year will have Scranton Tomorrow partnering with the Lackawanna Blind Association to create a sensory garden on June 3 at 10:30 a.m. outside the association's center at 248 Adams Ave. downtown. A sensory garden's plants are chosen for their unique textures or scents, said Steve Ward, Scranton Tomorrow's project manager of Safe, Clean, Green and Design programs, and who also is a master gardener. The sidewalk area outside the association already has one large planter and four more will be added to create the sensory garden, Ward said. Plants might include mint, basil, lamb's ear and dusty miller, he said. 'It really is an incredible thing to experience nature with your other senses, other than your sight,' Ward said. The smell of victory The third annual Garbage Olympics will take place June 7 at 10:30 a.m. Teams in West Scranton hosted by NeighborWorks and in Pine Brook hosted by UNC will speed clean their respective areas. The team that removes the most trash and debris from city streets and sidewalks in two hours wins. Parties will follow. 'It's a great way for people to come together in the spirit of friendly competition and make a difference in their neighborhood,' UNC Director of Community Revitalization Roger Young said. Since the Garbage Olympics began in 2023, 100 volunteers on Team West Scranton contributed 200 service hours to remove 3,830 pounds of trash. For the first Garbage Olympics, NeighborWorks wasn't sure what kind of community response to expect, but the event has grown into an annual spring tradition in West Scranton, said Alyssa Espinoza, NeighborWorks' Aging in Place project specialist. 'It's inspiring to see people of all ages coming together to make their community a better place to live, and they have fun, too,' Espinoza said. Individuals, families, corporate teams and community groups are encouraged to join Team Pine Brook or Team West Scranton. To learn more and register, see Scranton Tomorrow's website and click on the link for Scranton City Pride. Volunteer opportunities Additional volunteer opportunities include: • Beautification/plantings: Weed, prune, plant flowers and enhance curb appeal. • Cleanups: Remove litter, rake, sweep, and paint over graffiti in parks and green spaces. • Environmental stewardship programs: Participate in storm drain cleanups to protect the Lackawanna River Watershed or help to expand the local pollinator garden network. • Design a project: Scranton City Pride team members will help volunteers develop their own project ideas from concept to completion. Contact Steve Ward at steve@ or 570-963-5901. • Beautify the Downtown Business District: Business owners are encouraged to tidy up sidewalks and storefronts in downtown Scranton. They may also enter creative floral container arrangements in Scranton Tomorrow's Downtown Business Class Category of the Electric City Flower Show. For information on downtown floral displays, email Liz Baldi at lizbaldi@ • Be a good neighbor: Homeowners are encouraged to clean, spruce up or improve their home's exterior or front yard, and take advantage of free educational programs offered during Scranton City Pride. Local experts will offer tips on gardening, home maintenance and more. Learn more at Volunteers can register as individuals or teams representing nonprofit organizations, neighborhood associations, businesses or other groups, and will be provided with work gloves and trash bags. For information or to register, see the Scranton Tomorrow website or contact Ward at his email and phone number above. Citywide City Pride Scranton Tomorrow began City Pride in the mid-1990s as an annual week of spring cleanups and plantings throughout the city. Over the years, City Pride grew into a Scranton Tomorrow signature project, annually drawing more than 1,000 volunteers pitching in on over 30 projects in parks, neighborhoods and business districts. Scranton Tomorrow eventually reduced the scope of City Pride to the downtown and the program paused in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. It relaunched citywide in 2021. NeighborWorks joined in 2022 and UNC joined in 2023. Scranton City Pride is made possible with support from American Water Charitable Foundation, Pennsylvania American Water, Penn State Master Gardeners in Lackawanna County and Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Woonsocket addresses child care crisis with new affordable housing project
WOONSOCKET, R.I. (WPRI) — The apartment above a Woonsocket youth center is being transformed into affordable housing for child care workers. The second floor of the Sayles Street building is in the process of being renovated into four living spaces. Those spaces will each feature a private bedroom and bathroom, and the residents will share a communal kitchen. NeighborWorks Blackstone River Valley Executive Director Joe Garlick told 12 News this housing development is unlike anything the city has done before. He said these renovations have been in the works for 30 years. 'It's a small building, but there is some significance here that is well beyond this project,' he said. SEE ALSO: Woonsocket OKs measures addressing homelessness Garlick expects construction to wrap up later this year and applications to open up this fall. 'It's 30-50% of the area-median income,' Garlick said. 'What that translates into is that rent is about $300 to $400 a month.' The renovations are being funded through a housing bond passed by Rhode Island voters in four years ago. Connecting for Children and Families' Erin Spaulding said the goal is to assist these workers with housing and keep them in the industry. 'The more employees we have, the more young people we can serve,' she said. According to a 2023 report by the RI Department of Human Services, nearly 40% of early child care educators make less than $18 an hour. Garlick said he is glad to finally see this project come to fruition. He said that, while he's seeing attitudes changing towards affordable housing in the state, recent cuts to federal funding are creating new obstacles. 'Resources are shrinking,' he said. 'But there seems to be tremendous will on the part of communities to bring in affordable housing.' Download the WPRI 12 and Pinpoint Weather 12 apps to get breaking news and weather alerts. Watch 12 News Now on or with the new 12+ smart TV app. Follow us on social media: Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily Roundup Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Carbondale to hold downtown cleanups this month
Carbondale is cleaning up its downtown this month with help from local students. With Earth Day two weeks away, the city's Shade Tree Commission plans to clean up a heavily traveled trail off Seventh Avenue on Saturday, followed by a collaboration with NeighborWorks Northeastern Pennsylvania to spruce up city businesses along Main and Church streets April 22. 'It's inviting. It makes you want to be there,' Mayor Michele Bannon said of cleaning up the downtown. 'It makes people proud.' The Carbondale Shade Tree Commission will start work at 9 a.m. Saturday for its Wurts Brothers Lane cleanup, Bannon said. The commission does cleanup projects throughout the town, including along Wurts Brothers Lane, which is a walking trail that connects Seventh Avenue to the shopping center on Eighth Avenue and provides a connection to the city's residential section, Bannon said. Students often use the trail to walk to school, but winter took its toll on the path, she said. The trail has a lot of litter and broken branches from trees, said Shade Tree Commission Chairwoman Joann Wall. So, the commission asked the Carbondale Area Chargers football team for help, Wall said. 'It teaches the children to take pride in their community,' she said. The commission has been cleaning the trail for about eight years, Wall said. For a larger downtown cleanup project, NeighborWorks and the city will work with Carbondale Area High School students April 22 to clean up the exteriors of city businesses, Bannon said. 'All the cleanups we do are based on developing community pride and just cleaning up our downtown and cleaning up our city,' Bannon said, adding with a laugh, 'We're hoping it's contagious.' Emily Arcaro, the community revitalization specialist for Carbondale at NeighborWorks, said she will have 16 honors students from Carbondale washing exterior windows and sweeping sidewalks at participating businesses. So far, about a dozen businesses have signed up, she said, explaining the offer is open to any business along Main Street or Church Street. It's not a professional cleaning service, but it is a way to engage with Carbondale businesses while also getting students out into their city's downtown and instilling a sense of community pride, Arcaro said. 'This is really students out with Windex doing their best to just give downtown a little bit of a facelift,' Arcaro said. NeighborWorks previously worked with 20 Carbondale seventh graders to clean up Memorial Park across from City Hall in the fall, and then they took a walk down Main Street to clean up leaves, garbage and debris along the curb cuts, inspiring the idea for a spring cleanup after the winter thaw, she said. 'I'm looking for ways to continue to bridge that gap between students … with their downtown and get the students to recognize and be happy about where they live, and get businesses also recognizing the benefits of the students,' she said. 'The goal here is to try to tie them both closer together and just have that sense of community.' So far, about a dozen businesses have signed up, and while distributing flyers about the cleanup, Arcaro said business owners were enthusiastic. If the Earth Day cleanup works out, Arcaro hopes to make it an annual event in the city while also holding other cleanups throughout the year. The business cleanup ties into both the city's Blueprint Communities program and Carbondale Core Neighborhood Plan, Bannon said. Carbondale is working with NeighborWorks on both projects. Carbondale was one of 10 communities across Pennsylvania to become 'Blueprint Communities' in April 2024 when it embarked on a free, year-and-a-half-long process to create a strategic plan to revitalize its downtown. The core neighborhood plan is a multimillion-dollar, 10-year project that aims to turn Carbondale into a destination with investments into infrastructure, recreation and revitalization. 'All of these events that we're doing, we're hoping builds the foundation for us to continue to do them in the future,' Bannon said. To participate in the Shade Tree Commission's trail cleanup, either stop by the trail at 9 a.m. Saturday or message Businesses interested in having their windows washed and sidewalks swept on Earth Day can contact Arcaro at carbondale@ or 570-558-2490.
Yahoo
31-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
NeighborWorks to host ‘West Scranton EGGstravaganza' egg hunt Saturday
The nonprofit NeighborWorks Northeastern Pennsylvania will host Saturday its third annual 'West Scranton EGGstravaganza' egg hunt at Novembrino Park in the city, a free event featuring music and community resources. It begins at noon and runs until 2 p.m., with the egg hunt starting promptly at 1. Participants are encouraged to bring their own baskets. 'It will be a traditional Easter egg hunt where eggs will be hidden around the grounds for children to pick up,' NeighborWorks Community Development Specialist Emily Arcaro said, noting there will be candy and prizes inside the eggs and a range of activities for families and attendees. Beyond the egg hunt, the Youth Arts Coalition will provide arts and crafts activities for children, the Scranton Public Library will host a book sale and sign people up for library cards, and the nonprofit Friends of the Poor will offer activities, including coloring sheets, NeighborWorks noted in a news release. The city will also have a pronounced presence at the community event, including the Scranton police and fire departments, with the latter offering a 'touch-a-truck experience.' Scranton officials will provide attendees with information on city resources. Also participating are Head Start, which will provide registration information, and the state Department of Health, which will provide tick-prevention resources, per the news release. 'It really just gets the community out meeting each other and then learning about what resources are available to them within Scranton,' Arcaro said. Novembrino Park is located at 201 10th Ave. In the event of inclement weather, the egg hunt's rain date is April 26. For information, visit or NeighborWorks' Facebook Page. Organizers will post updates there if bad weather forces them to reschedule, Arcaro said.
