The United Way of Greater Hazleton received a $15,000 First Federal Charitable Foundation grant it will use to help launch The Nurse's Pantry program within all 10 elementary/middle schools in the Hazleton Area School District.
The Nurse's Pantry provides in-school resources of clothing, toiletries and other wellness products to elementary and middle school-aged students. The United Way of Greater Hazleton is working to implement this in the region because, for families living in poverty, the lack of basic hygiene products is known to cause students to miss school, which leads to lost learning time and less academic achievement success.
Through the program, students will be introduced to The Nurse's Pantry through school nurses, principals and guidance counselors. In addition to hygiene products, The Nurse's Pantry also provides clothing, outerwear, undergarments and lice treatment kits.
The United Way plans to use the grant funding to support The Nurse's Pantry in two ways. It will use money to purchase items for the Hazleton Area School District to supply to students and ensure that supplies are readily available for each of the schools. It will also use the funding as a "draw down" account for each school. This will ensures the program's stability and allow for the opportunity to apply for more funding options to keep growing the program.
The United Way of Greater Hazleton has been serving the needs of the underserved in the region since 1928. President and CEO Gary J. Perna Jr. said The Nurse's Pantry program is vitally needed in the area.
“The need for The Nurse's Pantry is crucial in the Hazleton Area School District. Teachers and nurses witness and attempt to address increasingly large numbers of students having trouble getting to and attending school due to a lack of clean clothes and not having access to hygiene products as basic as toothbrushes, toothpaste and soap. Many of these students miss days and even weeks of school because of a lack of access to these basic items, through no fault of their own in many cases. By launching The Nurse's Pantry, one hurdle keeping our children from attending school and learning the most important skills to move forward on their education journey may be broken down,” he said.
The First Federal Charitable Foundation was established to support worthwhile community causes. It strives to nurture nonprofit institutions and programs that will effectively serve those in need from the community, empower nonprofit institutions and programs that will expand their presence in and services to the area, and promote opportunities for new nonprofit institutions and programs that will serve the unserved.
Nonprofit organizations with a 501(c)(3) IRS designation located in Luzerne, Schuylkill, Carbon and Columbia counties are eligible to apply. Any organization whose headquarters is in another county but services either Luzerne, Schuylkill, Carbon or Columbia counties may apply for a grant to be used in one of those counties.
For more information on the foundation or to obtain a grant application, visit www.1stfederalcharitable.org or email