More children, families and seniors will have access to education, health and human services through United Way’s increased investments in Carbon County.

Executives and volunteers representing United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley presented a check for $118,512 at a special event at the Harry Packer Mansion in Jim Thorpe, sponsored by St. Luke’s University Health Network, as well as Bob Jacobs and David Artman.

“Thanks to generous donors and a new grant from the Corporation for National and Community Service, UWGLV is increasing its Carbon County investments from $50,000 to $118,000 to better meet the needs of our community,” announced Palmerton resident Marci Lesko, executive vice president of UWGLV.

“We’re proud to support 15 partner agencies that join each other every day to serve our neighbors and implement solutions to our community’s challenges. Our future is UNITED, and your United Way is dedicated to providing the support our community needs to learn, prosper and grow,” Lesko said.

The investments include $55,000 in grants to partner agencies serving Carbon County residents.

“United Way’s investment in our community is growing. This is a tremendous accomplishment as every dollar raised in Carbon County stays in Carbon County,” said Bob Jacobs, a member of UWGLV’s Carbon County Campaign Cabinet and Investment Committee.

With grants ranging from $1,000 to $7,700, Carbon County program investments aim to increase supports for people with disabilities, increase access to healthy food and shelter, increase access to physical and mental health services, including integrated behavioral health care in a school setting, and increase kindergarten readiness and access to school-age programming.

“With the addition of a PennSERVE grant from the Corporation for National and Community Service, we are investing more than $63,000 into building innovative and sustainable ways to grow our impact in the community and have hired United Way’s first staff member dedicated solely to serving Carbon County,” announced Palmerton resident Jill Pereira, vice president for education and impact for UWGLV.

Heather Mullen will serve as Carbon County AmeriCorps project manager through August 2020. In addition to assessing needs and building relationships, Mullen will be responsible for determining how AmeriCorps members can contribute to improved educations outcomes, school readiness and behavioral outcomes in future years.

United Way’s program investments support nonprofit partner agencies serving Carbon County are:

• The ARC of Northeastern Pennsylvania

• Cancer Support Community of the Greater Lehigh Valley

• Carbon County Action Committee for Human Services

• Carbon-Schuylkill Community Hospital Inc. DBA St. Luke’s Miners Adopt a School Program at Panther Valley School District

• Community Action Committee of the Lehigh Valley

• Domestic Violence Service Center

• Family Promise of Carbon County

• Lehigh Carbon Community College Foundation

• Lehighton Area School District

• Lehigh Valley Children’s Centers

• PathStone Corp.

• Penn-Kidder Ministerium After-School Program

• ShareCare Faith in Action

• Summit Hill Heritage Center

• Victims Resource Center

Grants are provided for one year, beginning July 2019 and ending June 2020. For a full list of the 2019-20 partner agencies and investments, visit www.unitedwayglv.org/carbon.