A Palmerton Area School District resident wants to start a social club with the long-term goal of creating a community center.

Heather Pasquariello, of Lower Towamensing Township, said it was recently reported that the Palmerton Area School Board and the Palmerton Borough had preliminary talks about a community center.

Pasquariello said she hopes to advance that idea by forming a 501(c)(7) Community Connections Social Club, with the long-term goal of establishing a community center.

“The mission is to create social and recreational opportunities and facilities that promote social connections among individuals, families and nonprofit community members,” Pasquariello said. “A need it seeks to address is the current national mental health crisis of social isolation as well as a need for nonprofit facilities for local nonprofit organizations (i.e. sports organizations; Girl Scouts/Boy Scouts, etc.).”

She said she will seek founding board members through July 31. Additional information is available on her Facebook page, @CommunityConnectionsSocialClub.

Pasquariello said the first board meeting will be in August, and she hopes to launch a youth after-school social club this fall.

The vision

“I really want a space for our nonprofits to use,” Pasquariello said. “We have a ton of organizations in Palmerton that need space,” she said. “I would love for it to have arts and cover a variety, not just sports.”

Pasquariello wants to conduct an ongoing needs assessment to determine what children and families need most.

“And that would be an ongoing thing of what is it that our kids need and our families need in this community,” she said. “I would love to have all populations involved.”

Pasquariello envisions renting the facility on Saturdays for parties, tournaments and other events to generate revenue, while Sundays would be dedicated to community activities. She also hopes to offer an after-school social club until 5:30 p.m. on weekdays, followed by meeting space for groups such as the Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and even a community dance organization.

She believes Stoney Ridge P.A.R.C. along Fireline Road would be the ideal location.

“I’ve always had a passion for nonprofits and just giving back,” she said.

Pasquariello said the project would have lasting benefits.

“This is something that would have such a lasting impact on our community,” she said. “Palmerton is such a unique community with the amount of people that give back and the closeness, that I believe would take to it.”

Though she was not born and raised in Palmerton, Pasquariello said, “We chose to build our family here 18 years ago. I am invested in the community. While many may not have seen me at community events, as I worked nights and weekends the entire time my children were young, community involvement is something that has been built into me since a child.”

Her experience

A social worker, Pasquariello said she began philanthropy work in high school, organizing her first Adopt-a-Family for Christmas program. She also participated in a peer helper support group and volunteered at Turning Point domestic violence shelters.

“The nonprofit experience that had the biggest impact on me entering the field of social work was being on the youth board of directors for Camelot for Children,” she said. “I am so grateful for that experience, where we planned monthly youth activities, assisted with summer camps and assisted with fundraisers.”

She earned an associate degree in social work from Northampton Community College, a bachelor’s degree in social work from Cedar Crest College and a master’s degree in social work from Marywood University.

Pasquariello’s first job after college was with the KidsPeace partial hospitalization program, working with school-age children facing mental health challenges. She later joined Lehigh Valley Health Network as a psychiatric social worker, completing psychiatric evaluations for inpatient treatment and drug and alcohol detoxification and rehabilitation.

“My greatest skill is advocacy,” Pasquariello said. “A lot of medical social work is advocating with the insurance company to get the services necessary, which is honestly what I consider my greatest strength.”

Background

School board Director Earl Paules said at a May meeting that borough officials met with district representatives to discuss a proposal that could place a new police station on part of the district’s 4-acre field along Seventh Street. No formal agreements were reached and no votes were taken during the meeting between borough and school district officials.