The second annual NEPA Invitational charity event, hosted by professional golfer Brandon Matthews, will be held at the Country Club of Scranton on October 14 – 16, 2022. The event raises support for the NEPA Invitational Fund at the Scranton Area Community Foundation.

The NEPA Invitational is a pro-am golf tournament that hosts professionals, high-level amateurs, and golf aficionados. Spectators are welcomed and encouraged.

Brandon Matthews, a professional golfer on the PGA Tour, was born and raised in Northeastern Pennsylvania. A Pittston Area graduate, Matthews established the NEPA Invitational Fund at the Scranton Area Community Foundation to raise money for charitable endeavors.

“The Scranton Area Community Foundation is proud to work with Brandon Matthews through the NEPA Invitational Fund,” stated Laura Ducceschi, President and CEO of the Scranton Area Community Foundation. “We are grateful Brandon chose to partner with the Scranton Area Community Foundation to help to carry out his charitable goals. His desire to give back will truly make a difference right here in our communities,” she added.

The inaugural NEPA Invitational event, which took place last year, raised over $50,000 to support local charities.

“We are incredibly proud to be hosting the NEPA Invitational for the second year that brings incredible talent to the area to compete in this event as we continue the longstanding tradition for many years to come,” stated Matthews.

The 2nd Annual NEPA Invitational will kick off with a ‘Dinner with the Pros’ event on Friday, October 14, at the Country Club of Scranton. Tickets for the dinner are $300 per person and can be purchased online at www.nepainvitational.com. Dinner, live entertainment, and a live auction are included.

This year, proceeds from the NEPA Invitational will support Geisinger Janet Weis Children’s Hospital.

Tickets to the NEPA Invitational are available at www.nepainvitational.com. Sponsorships and donations are welcome.

The Scranton Area Community Foundation administers the NEPA Invitational Fund. To date, the NEPA Invitational Fund has provided over $45,000 to support a variety of charities including the Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeastern Pennsylvania, Children’s Advocacy Center of NEPA, Meals on Wheels of NEPA, Inc., Outreach, and United Way of Lackawanna and Wayne Counties.

Additionally, the NEPA Invitational Fund also provides a scholarship to support a junior golfer who exemplifies the character that the late William Lawler taught junior golfers in the area throughout his entire life.

The Garden of Cedar, located at 715 Cedar Avenue, Scranton, is on its way to becoming a unique public space for residents of South Scranton and the Greater Scranton Area.

Frank Dubas, President of The Garden of Cedar, donated the property and established The Garden of Cedar Capital Fund at the Scranton Area Community Foundation in 2018 to support the creation and development of the notable community garden.

Today, a vertical planting wall is beginning to take shape, thanks to support from an innovative impact grant! The wall measures an average of 7.5 feet in height and is 36 feet long. Soon, planting containers filled with soil will be attached for planting vegetables, herbs, and spices. Congratulations to the Garden of Cedar for this exciting advancement in the project!

The Matt McGloin Foundation, administered by the Scranton Area Community Foundation, recently presented a $12,500 grant to fund the Clinics at Scranton Primary Healthcare.

PHOTO (l-r): Matt McGloin, The Matt McGloin Foundation; Joseph Hollander, Scranton Primary Health Care Center Chief Executive Officer; David Price, Scranton Area Community Foundation Board Treasurer; Brittany Pagnotti, Scranton Area Community Foundation Communications Manager.

The Matt McGloin Fund, established in 2017 by Matt McGloin, supports charitable causes in the Lackawanna County region. This support has included funding to help a child being treated for cancer, providing oral health kits for hundreds of local children and youth, and providing funding to support veterans’ causes. Additionally, the fund awards a scholarship annually to a graduating senior of West Scranton High School.

To date, over $100,000 has been distributed from the Matt McGloin Fund to support charitable causes across the region.

2022 NEPA Health Care Foundation Careers in Care Nursing Scholarship recipients gather for a photo
(Left to right) Cathy Fitzpatrick (Scranton Area Community Foundation Grants and Scholarship Manager), Michele McGowan (NEPA Health Care Foundation Board Member), Kathryn Nielson, Mary McFadden, Carissa Rand, Gabi Osegueda, Damien George, Nicole O’Boyle, Marie Roke Thomas (NEPA Health Care Foundation Board Member), Frank Caputo (Scranton Area Community Foundation Grants and Communications Coordinator)

In response to the acute shortage of nurses across the region and its effect on the health and wellness of Northeastern Pennsylvania, the Northeastern Pennsylvania Health Care Foundation announces it has awarded $418,000 in its second year towards nursing scholarships for local students as part of its Careers in Care initiative.

The Careers in Care Nursing Scholarship Program has awarded 49 scholarships to students in Lackawanna, Luzerne, and Wyoming Counties who plan to pursue or who are pursuing nursing and who will practice in Northeastern Pennsylvania. These scholarship opportunities come during a time when there have been great strains on the healthcare workforce in Northeastern Pennsylvania. After significant interest in 2021, the Northeastern Pennsylvania Health Care Foundation increased the total amount available for scholarships in 2022 from the previous year. In 2021, a total of $190,312 was awarded to 21 students.

The Careers in Care Nursing Scholarship Program accepted applications earlier this year and, through a rigorous and competitive application process, identified a variety of qualified nursing students.

Recipients include Brooke Bird, Cleora Brown, Alexis Bruno, Sabrina Brynok, Maria Buchleitner, Amy Casagrande, Megan Chestnut, Michael Dargatis, Monica Darjee, Alyssa Dikeman Melisky, Jacqueline Earley, Thamar Etienne, Linda Gagner, Damian George, Chasity Girton, Alison Heck, Jennifer Jaffe, Amy Kwiatkowski, Ashley Lomascolo, Milagros Lopez, Nicole Lubash, Kristyn Lutecki, Leah Majdic, Brittany Marcinkevich, Danielle McCormick, Mary McFadden, Elizabeth McGuire, Tiffany Megotz, Karli Muto, Kathryn Nielsen, Nicole O’Boyle, Devon Ortolani, Gabriella Osegueda, Kimberly Owen, Kathleen Rafalko, Carissa Rand, Samantha Rosselli, Tami Rowlands, Anne Royce, Lorenzo Singotti, Kelly Smith, Kelsey Stanco, Charon Taylor, Celibeth Thomas, Celena Thomas, Tiffany Tomasello, and Ariana Velez.

Scholarship recipients are attending a variety of schools including Luzerne County Community College, Bloomsburg University, Lackawanna College, Penn State Scranton, Wilkes Barre Area Career & Technical Center, Marywood University, Clarion University, Misericordia University, Career Technology Center of Lackawanna County, Graceland University, and Wilkes University.

“The Board of the Northeastern PA Health Care Foundation was very innovative in their planning of these scholarships which are made available to nursing students from CNAs through nurse educators at the graduate level,” said Laura Ducceschi, President and CEO of the Scranton Area Community Foundation. “There continues to be a great need and interest in the Careers in Care program, demonstrated by the increased number of scholarships awarded in the program’s second year.”

The Scranton Area Community Foundation administers the NEPA Health Care Foundation. There will be a third year of scholarships offered in February 2023 for the 2023/2024 school year.