BETHLEHEM, Pa. — Two Lehigh Valley organizations are on the receiving end of thousands of dollars in grants.
Lehigh Valley Health Network and the Easton Area Community Center’s St. Anthony’s Youth Center got a combined $1,132,206 in state funding, according to a release from state Sen. Lisa Boscola.
The funding is "to support two after-school and violence prevention programs in Northampton County by the state Commission on Crime and Delinquency," the release says.
LVHN got $950,000 and St. Anthony's Youth Center $182,206.
"This state funding will enhance efforts to provide out-of-school time programming in Bethlehem and Easton. And to sustain the Cure Violence partnership between Lehigh Valley Health Network and Promise Neighborhoods of the Lehigh Valley."State Sen. Lisa Boscola
The funding comes from two grant programs budgeted in the 2024-25 fiscal year: the Building Opportunity Through Out-of-School Time, or BOOST, Grants and the Violence Intervention & Prevention, or VIP Grant Programs.
LVHN got a BOOST grant and St. Anthony's Youth Center a VIP grant.
The 2024-25 fiscal budget allotted $56.5 million for the BOOST and VIP grant programs — at $11.5 million and $45 million, respectively.
The state Commission on Crime and Delinquency got requests for $63.2 million from 296 applications. Only 44 local projects and two statewide projects were awarded the grants.
The Pennsylvania Alliance of Boys and Girls Clubs also got $1.5 million in BOOST funding to split among the 12 clubs across the commonwealth that run out-of-school time programs.
They include Boys and Girls Clubs in Bethlehem and Easton.
"This state funding will enhance efforts to provide out-of-school time programming in Bethlehem and Easton," Boscola said in the release.
"And to sustain the Cure Violence partnership between Lehigh Valley Health Network and Promise Neighborhoods of the Lehigh Valley."
'A place for children to have fun'
With just under $1 million, LVHN will use the grant money to "sustain" its Cure Violence partnership.
That program is described in the release as "an evidence-based public health model that treats violence as learned and preventable behavior and can lead to reductions in retaliatory violence," in collaboration with Promise Neighborhoods of the Lehigh Valley.
"Without these programs many children would be unsupervised and there would be a much higher risk of engaging in risky behaviors."Sen. Lisa Boscola
The project aims to build relationships with those involved in and struggling with violence, crisis intervention, "decrease retaliatory violence and promote norm-changing messages of anti-violence," the release says.
Easton Area Community Center will use its funds to enhance and expand its out-of-school time programs, such as after-school and summer camp programs at St. Anthony's Youth Center.
Changes would include transportation, increased capacity, new programs, collaboration and expansion of current behavior-related programs to foster "positive youth development."
"After school programs such as those at St. Anthony’s and the Boys & Girls Club of Bethlehem and of Easton improve academic performance, improve social skills, and provide a place for children to have fun in a safe setting," Boscola said in the release.
"Without these programs, many children would be unsupervised and there would be a much higher risk of engaging in risky behaviors."
