The Carbon Chamber and Economic Development Corporation, in conjunction with the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce presented the first Main Street Lehigh Valley Grant in Carbon County to Lansford Alive last month.

The group applied for and received a $500 matching grant from the Chamber Foundation to beautify the downtown of Lansford.Mary Soto, board member at Lansford Alive, said the money was used for multiple projects including new stone and pavers around the borough, updated planters and Christmas decorations as well as improved landscaping.The group has been working on the improvements for the past six months and is proud to have patronized only local businesses for its improvements.Lansford Alive plans to apply for a second round of streetscape grants to continue the improvements.Lansford Alive is a community-based group aimed at improving the downtown to encourage economic growth and improve the quality of life in Lansford."My family's been in town for a couple generations and I still want to see the town move forward," said Christopher Ondrus, president of Lansford Alive.Main Street Lehigh Valley, the chamber's 501c3 charitable arm, aims to improve every main street in the Lehigh Valley through targeted investments in facade improvements, streetscaped designs, sidewalk beautification and other enhancements to the physical appearance of our local downtowns and surrounding traditional neighborhoods.Over the past seven years, during one of the most challenging economic periods in U.S. history, the Chamber Foundation raised nearly $300,000.Modest grants were awarded all over the valley. This funding leveraged other donations and grants, rallied local volunteers and instilled community pride.The results? Over the past seven years 160 projects were funded in Carbon, Lehigh, Northampton and Warren Counties, more than $6 million in measured impact.To partner with the CCEDC and Main Street Lehigh Valley in improving our downtowns by donating to The Foundation, contact

AliceW@CarbonCountyChamber.org or call 484-274-2080.The members of the Carbon Chamber and Economic Development Corp. are a catalyst for continuously creating cooperative and prosperous businesses to enhance our community.