PMEF awards $11,300 worth of Strong Grants

Penn Manor Education Foundation has awarded $11,300 in Strong Grants to improve opportunities for students and families through its Strong & Healthy Families initiative.

Established in 2016, the grant program provides assistance to families facing financial, emotional and physical difficulties.

The 2018 Strong Grants include $5,500 to pay for uniforms, tools, equipment and supplies for Penn Manor students attending Lancaster Career & Technology Center programs; $2,500 to help students pay fees for SATs and advanced-placement tests to earn college credits; and $1,000 to pay for credit-recovery courses to help students graduate.

In addition, a $1,000 grant is supporting Samaritan Counseling Center’s Teen Hope program, which provides mental health screenings to all Penn Manor ninth-graders; and a $1,300 grant will fund the Literacy Outreach program, which brings books and other materials to children in economically disadvantaged neighborhoods.

The PMEF Strong & Healthy initiative was established in response to the increasing needs of families in the Penn Manor community, where more than 42 percent of students now qualify for free or reduced-price lunches. The Strong & Healthy initiative was seeded with a $25,000 contribution from the Education Foundation and additional donations totaling more than $12,000.

“These Strong Grants enable PMEF to support the efforts of Penn Manor staff to level the playing field by providing opportunities for students facing economic hardship,” said Jan Mindish, PMEF executive director. “The grant program allows teachers and counselors to address these needs in a more comprehensive way.”

The Strong Grants are in addition to PMEF’s existing Venture Grant program for classroom teachers and its scholarship program for graduating Penn Manor High School seniors.

Penn Manor community members can support Strong & Healthy Families by contributing to the PMEF general fund. For more information, contact executive director Jan Mindish at contact@pennmanoredfoundation.org

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