Hazleton, PA – Today, Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) Secretary Rick Siger celebrated the Shapiro Administration’s more than $1 million investment in the Greater Hazleton YMCA Early Education Center at a ribbon cutting ceremony for its new facility in Luzerne County. The Greater Wyoming Valley Area YMCA, which includes the Greater Hazleton YMCA, used this investment to rehab the blighted former YMCA building to offer affordable early childhood education, as well as before and after school childcare for children from low-income families. The funding is supported through the Neighborhood Assistance Program (NAP), which provides tax credits to private businesses that contribute to nonprofit organizations’ efforts to support neighborhoods and communities across Pennsylvania.

Governor Shapiro’s bipartisan 2024-25 budget doubled the funding for the NAP from $36 million to $72 million, allowing for two rounds of awards. The recently announced second round of awards will support 218 nonprofit organizations across the Commonwealth. The first round was announced by Secretary Siger in September 2024.

Since taking office two years ago, Governor Josh Shapiro and his Administration have focused on investing in our communities to help make Pennsylvania a global leader in innovation, job creation, and economic development.

“The revitalized Hazleton YMCA project is what the Neighborhood Assistance Program is all about – strengthening our communities, bringing new energy to downtowns, and improving the quality of life for all Pennsylvanians,” said Secretary Siger. “I’m thrilled to be here to cut the ribbon on this new early childhood education center, which will open a world of possibilities for our youngsters in the Hazleton area and provide childcare that working parents can afford.”

Of the 218 organizations and developers receiving awards through NAP, 33 community investments are being made in the northeast region.

The NAP investment funded renovation of the former Hazleton YMCA, which had been closed since 2019, transforming it into an early childhood education center offering before-and-after school programs for children at an affordable rate for low-income parents. The project includes multipurpose areas which will also offer programming to connect low-income parents to social services in the community.

“I would like to thank Governor Shapiro, DCED, and the Neighborhood Assistance Program office, as well as our local state legislators, Senator David Argall and Representative Dane Watro, for their support of this project, said Jim Thomas, CEO, Greater Wyoming Valley Area YMCA. “I also want to thank our corporate and foundation supporters, including Rob Mericle, who has committed not only his financial resources but also the services of the Mericle Team. We could not complete this project without the Neighborhood Assistance Program and the many local financial partners who contributed to our program application. I am proud of the community’s commitment to this project and look forward to continuing this partnership as we work to bring a full-fledged YMCA branch to Hazleton.”

The NAP has five main components: The Neighborhood Assistance Program (NAP), Special Program Priorities (SPP), the Neighborhood Partnership Program (NPP), Charitable Food Program (CFP), and the Enterprise Zone Program (EZP). More information is available on the NAP impact brochure.

Governor Shapiro’s Record of Delivering for Economic Development

Governor Shapiro has had many major economic development successes at the midway point of his first term including:

• Creating the first statewide economic development strategy in nearly two decades with a focus on five key industry sectors: agriculture, energy, life sciences, manufacturing, and robotics and technology.
• Securing $500 million in state funds to significantly expand the PA SITES program to develop shovel-ready sites and bring more commercial and industrial sites to Pennsylvania, building on the success of the pilot program that awarded $10.6 million to seven projects.
• Creating the new Main Street Matters program and securing $20 million to fund it and support downtowns, main streets, and surrounding neighborhoods.
• Expanding opportunities for small, minority-owned businesses by securing a $20 million investment for the Historically Disadvantaged Business Program in his first and second budgets.

Governor Shapiro: Two Years of G-S-D

As Governor Shapiro marks two years in office, his Administration is continuing to focus on innovation, economic development, and our economy. The Shapiro Administration’s commitment to investing in our businesses, communities, and workforce is positioning Pennsylvania to be a global economic development leader while opening the doors of opportunity.

Visit Governor Shapiro’s Accomplishments website to explore the Administration’s interactive midterm report and download a detailed PDF overview of accomplishments.

For more information about the Neighborhood Assistance Program or the Department of Community and Economic Development, visit DCED website, and be sure to stay up-to-date with all of our agency news on Facebook, X, and LinkedIn.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Justin Backover, dcedpress@pa.gov or or 717.418.4014

# # #