PMEF provides nearly $23,000 for Strong & Healthy programs for 2020
March 2, 2020Penn Manor Education Foundation recently awarded $22,800 in Strong Grants to improve opportunities for students and families through its Strong & Healthy Families initiative.
The 2020 Strong Grants include $6,000 to pay for uniforms, tools, equipment and supplies that enable Penn Manor students to attend Lancaster Career & Technology Center programs. Another $6,000 grant will help students pay fees for advanced-placement tests to earn college credits.
A $1,300 grant will fund the Literacy Outreach program, which provides library cards and books to all PM kindergarten students. It will also support Bookmobile visits and free books over the summer months in economically disadvantaged neighborhoods.
A grant for $5,000 to PM C.A.R.E.S. provides household essentials such as toilet paper, cleaning supplies and toiletries to families in need. A $4,000 grant supports counseling programs to meet the social and emotional needs of students, K-12.
A new program for immigrant families new to Penn Manor, Family Fun Nights, will be supported with a $500 grant for supplies.
The $22,800 total awarded this year is the highest since the Strong & Healthy initiative was established in 2016. $10,000 of this funding comes from PMEF’s Founding Friends program.
The Strong & Healthy Families program is in response to the increasing needs of families in the Penn Manor community. Due to limited family income, nearly 42 percent of Penn Manor students now qualify for free or reduced-price lunches.
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.