One in seven central Pennsylvania children are at-risk of hunger.

A child’s chance for a brighter tomorrow starts with getting enough healthy food to eat today. Through the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank’s youth programs we give our children and youth consistent access to enough nutritious food to excel.

School Pantry

School pantries alleviate child and adult hunger through the provision of food to children and their families at or in partnership with schools. In some areas, schools are the most accessible resource hub for community members and are the best location to operate a choice pantry. In others, a school pantry may look more like an expanded BackPack program that sends home meal kits for the entire family. Some school pantries serve high school students directly and discreetly, allowing teens to receive the help they may need without notice or stigma from their peers. The school pantry model can also be expanded to higher education, which has a significantly underserved food insecure population.

Sites are on or near a school’s campus, have set distribution schedules, and offer ongoing food assistance services. School pantries may be student-access or adult-access choice pantries, or may offer a box model. Fresh Express Mobile Distributions may also take place at schools.

Program objectives include:

• Providing nutritious food to food insecure children and families for preparation and consumption at their place of residence.
• Distributing food discretely in an easily accessible and safe environment.

Altogether, the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank’s partner educational pantries in elementary, secondary, and tertiary schools provide over 1.2 million pounds of food to about 3,400 households yearly.

If you are interested in taking part in the School Pantry program:

• Contact the principal or school counselor at your child’s school to find out if the school participates in the program. If your school is not a part of the School Pantry program, direct your school principal or counselor to this website for more information.

Eligibility standards are determined by each school pantry program partner.

Kids Cafe

Kids Cafe® programs provide free meals, healthy snacks, and opportunities for educational and social development to low-income children at a variety of community locations such as schools, community centers, and public parks across central Pennsylvania. Kids Cafés can operate as part of day and afterschool enrichment programs during the school year, summer activity programs when school is out, or both.

This free and prepared congregate feeding program traces its origins to Savannah, Georgia. In 1989, two young brothers were discovered one night in the kitchen of their housing project’s community center looking for food. In response to this glaring example of child hunger, the Second Harvest Food Bank of Coastal Georgia started the first Kids Cafe®. In 1993, Feeding America launched the national Kids Cafe® program.

The Central Pennsylvania Food Bank sponsors or partners with more than 180 Kids Cafe® sites that serve nearly 550,000 meals to over 16,000 children every year.

If you are interested in having your child take part in the Kids Cafe® program:

• Contact the principal or school counselor at your school to see if the school or a nearby organization participates in the program. If your school or community organization is not a part of the Kids Cafe® program, direct your school principal, counselor or executive director to this website for more information.

Kids Cafe® sites can be located in any area where more than 50% of the children are eligible for free or reduced-price school lunch. School-age youth up to the age of 18 are eligible to participate.

BackPack

The BackPack program is designed to meet the needs of elementary and middle school aged children who receive free or reduced-price school meals during times when school is closed, such as weekends and holidays. Through this program, children receive packages of child-friendly food to take home with them from school to ensure they do not go hungry over the break.

The Central Pennsylvania Food Bank serves more than 10,000 children annually in partnership with over 100 BackPack agencies throughout central Pennsylvania.

If you are interested in having your child take part in the BackPack program:

• Contact the principal or school counselor at your child’s school to find out if the school participates in the program. If your school is not a part of the BackPack program, direct your school principal or counselor to this website for more information.

Eligibility is determined by each BackPack program partner.

Summer Meals

The Central Pennsylvania Food Bank knows learning doesn’t end when school lets out; neither does a child’s need for healthy, nutritious food. The Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) allows the Food Bank to partner with churches, community organizations and public parks to provide free, nutritious meals and snacks to children during the summer months. The Central Pennsylvania Food Bank serves more than 75,000 summer meals to children in our service territory and also provides assistance and technical support to over a dozen partner agencies that independently serve another 39,000 summer meals.

Grant Program: Education

The DSF Charitable Foundation's grants in education have covered a variety of in-school and out-of-school programs. Much of the Foundation's support in this area has focused on broadening the availability of high-quality educational options.

The Foundation has made two major grants totaling $3.5 million to support public education in Pittsburgh. In 2006, the Foundation awarded $1 million for a high-priority initiative to improve early proficiency in reading, a critical component of Superintendent Mark Roosevelt's Excellence for All reform agenda for Pittsburgh Public Schools. In December 2008, the Foundation committed $2.5 million to help launch the Pittsburgh Science & Technology Academy. The grant supports critical elements of school start-up ranging from curriculum development to facilities enhancement. Founded on the belief that any student can succeed in advanced coursework with sufficient time and support, the design of the Academy brings together features of highly successful schools nationwide and introduces important innovations of its own. The school will open in the fall of 2009 with 250 students in sixth through ninth grades. At full capacity, the school will have 550 students in sixth through twelfth grades.

Other grants for in-school education have taken several forms. Imani Christian Academy, Extra Mile Foundation, The Linsly School, and Oakland Catholic have all received scholarship grants for lower-income students. The Foundation has also awarded multiple grants to support the efforts of Propel Schools to establish a non-geographic district of seven charter schools in underserved areas.

Grants for educational enrichment have ranged from summer camps and after-school tutoring for inner-city children to educational-outreach programming and capital support. Organizations receiving support for after-school or summer programming include the Manchester Youth Development Center, Allegheny Youth Development, Schenley Heights Community Development Program, and Urban Impact Foundation. Organizations receiving support for educational outreach include the Carnegie Science Center, Pittsburgh Children's Museum, and Tickets for Kids. Capital support for the Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium has helped to support expansion of the Zoo Education Complex and establishment of the wildly popular Water's Edge complex, which brought polar bears to Pittsburgh.

The Foundation has also provided support to several organizations working to promote the literacy of children and families in Allegheny County. These include Reading is Fundamental Pittsburgh, Greater Pittsburgh Literacy Council, Allegheny County Library Association, The Heartwood Institute, and Beginning with Books.

Youth-career-development grants have helped students in elementary and high school to learn basic business principles and explore career options through job experience. Organizations that have received grants for youth career development include YouthWorks, Breachmenders, and Junior Achievement of Southwest Pennsylvania.

Hearst Foundations' Mission

The Hearst Foundations identify and fund outstanding nonprofits to ensure that people of all backgrounds in the United States have the opportunity to build healthy, productive and inspiring lives.

Hearst Foundations' Goals

The Foundations seek to achieve their mission by funding approaches that result in:

• Improved health and quality of life
• Access to high quality educational options to promote increased academic achievement
• Arts and sciences serving as a cornerstone of society
• Sustainable employment and productive career paths for adults
• Stabilizing and supporting families

Funding Priorities

The Hearst Foundations support well-established nonprofit organizations that address significant issues within their major areas of interests – culture, education, health and social service – and that primarily serve large demographic and/or geographic constituencies. In each area of funding, the Foundations seek to identify those organizations achieving truly differentiated results relative to other organizations making similar efforts for similar populations. The Foundations also look for evidence of sustainability beyond their support.

Culture

The Hearst Foundations fund cultural institutions that offer meaningful programs in the arts and sciences, prioritizing those which enable engagement by young people and create a lasting and measurable impact. The Foundations also fund select programs nurturing and developing artistic talent.

Types of Support: Program, capital and, on a limited basis, general and endowment support

Education

The Hearst Foundations fund educational institutions demonstrating uncommon success in preparing students to thrive in a global society. The Foundations’ focus is largely on higher education, but they also fund innovative models of early childhood and K-12 education, as well as professional development.

Types of Support: Program, scholarship, capital and, on a limited basis, general and endowment support

Health

The Hearst Foundations assist leading regional hospitals, medical centers and specialized medical institutions providing access to high-quality healthcare for low-income populations. In response to the shortage of healthcare professionals necessary to meet the country’s evolving needs, the Foundations also fund programs designed to enhance skills and increase the number of practitioners and educators across roles in healthcare. Because the Foundations seek to use their funds to create a broad and enduring impact on the nation’s health, support for medical research and the development of young investigators is also considered.

Types of Support: Program, capital and, on a limited basis, endowment support

Social Service

The Hearst Foundations fund direct-service organizations that tackle the roots of chronic poverty by applying effective solutions to the most challenging social and economic problems. The Foundations prioritize supporting programs that have proven successful in facilitating economic independence and in strengthening families. Preference is also given to programs with the potential to scale productive practices in order to reach more people in need.

Types of Support: Program, capital and general support

Walmart’s more than 2 million associates are residents, neighbors, friends and family in thousands of communities around the globe. Walmart works to strengthen these communities through both retail business and community giving, and we support and invest in communities through local giving. The following programs have open application processes with specific deadlines for eligibility and consideration.

Local Community Grants

Each year, our U.S. stores and clubs award local cash grants ranging from $250 to $5,000. These local grants are designed to address the unique needs of the communities where we operate. They include a variety of organizations, such as animal shelters, elder services and community clean-up projects.

Areas of Funding

• There are eight (8) areas of funding for which an organization can apply. Please review the areas listed below to ensure your organization’s goals fall within one of these areas.
• Community and Economic Development: Improving local communities for the benefit of low-income individuals and families in the local service area
• Diversity and Inclusion: Fostering the building of relationships and understanding among diverse groups in the local service area
• Education: Providing afterschool enrichment, tutoring or vocational training for low-income individuals and families in the local service area
• Environmental Sustainability: Preventing waste, increasing recycling, or supporting other programs that work to improve the environment in the local service area
• Health and Human Service: Providing medical screening, treatment, social services, or shelters for low-income individuals and families in the local service area
• Hunger Relief and Healthy Eating: Providing Federal or charitable meals/snacks for low-income individuals and families in the local service area
• Public Safety: Supporting public safety programs through training programs or equipment in the local service area
• Quality of Life: Improving access to recreation, arts or cultural experiences for low-income individuals and families in the local service area

The Pennsylvania Farm to School Grant Program will provide schools with funding to improve access to healthy, local foods and increase agriculture education opportunities for pre-kindergarten through eighth grade.

The program aims to bridge the gap between children and the food system by connecting them to the fresh, healthy food available from Pennsylvania agricultural producers in their community and the surrounding areas. Through changing food purchasing and education practices at schools and early childhood education sites, children will become more aware and engaged with their local food system as well as empowered to leverage their own consumer influence to support Pennsylvania agriculture.

Guidelines & Uses

• Training for teachers and staff.
• Procuring local foods for school cafeterias.
• Educational opportunities 
• Including classroom curricula as well as experiential learning.
• Providing for family and community involvement in educational opportunities
• Field trips to local farms or other agricultural operations.
• School Gardens for the purpose of education or to supply the cafeteria.

Funding Opportunities

• $15,000 maximum award (75% of project)
• A minimum 25% match cash or in-kind is required (25% of project)

As a family foundation in Pittsburgh, PA, our philanthropic traditions are well rooted in our continued support of organizations that foster transformative programs which best serve the local community as a whole in the areas of arts and culture, education, environmental, health and medical, human services, and religion.

Even though the Snee-Reinhardt Charitable Foundation encompasses many broad areas of concern, or categories, there is no one area deemed more important than the next. Nevertheless, the Foundation has found it beneficial underwriting grants that are tangible in nature or serve a higher number of individuals within the community and surrounding areas. The Foundation continually aids organizations that are endlessly striving to serve the community in various ways such as improving social conditions, expanding education, and working to better the environment.

Category Definitions

The Snee-Reinhardt Charitable Foundation’s Board of Directors has designated several areas of concern comprised of specific intentions.

• Arts/Culture: Performing arts, humanities, media and communications, multipurpose museums, public broadcasting, and historical preservations.
• Education: Promotional programs for elementary, secondary and vocational systems, colleges/universities, graduate programs, adult and multipurpose libraries.
• Environmental: Support of natural resources, beautification programs, pollution control, environmental education, and horticultural/botanical programs.
• Health/Medical: Rural health care, crisis intervention, special programs in health centers, and prevention/treatment of specific diseases.
• Human Services: Youth development and recreation, disaster relief, employment training/ placement, multipurpose agencies, and abuse prevention.
• Religion: The theological education and ecumenical programs as well as the mission of many churches, synagogues, and religious charities.
• Miscellaneous: Because every grant cannot be included into a category, the Snee-Reinhardt Charitable Foundation permits grants for animal welfare, community development, sports, camps, fire and police departments and economic development as miscellaneous grants.  

Max and Victoria Dreyfus Foundation Grant

The Foundation will consider requests to support museums, cultural and performing arts programs; schools and hospitals; educational, skills-training and other programs for youth, seniors, and persons with disabilities; environmental and wildlife protection activities; and other community-based organizations and programs.

NOTE:

• Notice of Intent to apply/Nita M Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Centers Prescreening Questionnaire must be received at the 21st CCLC office by the stated Letter of Inquiry above.
• It is critical that eligible organizations collaborate with LEAs when applying for funds.

Pennsylvania Nita M. Lowey 21st CCLC Grant

Program Description

The 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) program is authorized under, Title IV, Part B of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (P.L. 107-110), as amended by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 and reauthorized by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) of 2015. The 21st CCLC program provides funding for the establishment of community learning centers to provide academic, artistic, and cultural enhancement activities to students and their families when school is not in session. The primary goal of these centers is to assist students with meeting state and local standards for core subjects such as reading and mathematics, by providing students with academic enrichment opportunities. In addition to academics, centers may also offer participants a broad array of other services and programs, such as art, music, service learning, character education, drug and violence prevention programming, recreation activities and technology education. Those opportunities may take place before school, after school and/or during the summer. Ancillary services for parents such as literacy instruction may also be given. 

Funding Priorities

As mandated by federal law (P.L. 107-110, §4204[i]), highest funding priority will be given to applications that meet both of the following conditions: 

• The applicant proposes to serve students who attend school districts that have been identified for improvement by the Pennsylvania Department of Education; and
• The application has been submitted jointly by at least one LEA receiving funds under Title I, Part A and at least one public or private community organization.

Funding

The amount of funding per grant is dependent upon the range and extent of services described in the application, the number of participants to be served and the special needs demonstrated by the targeted student population. To ensure that grants are of sufficient size and scope to support high quality, effective programs, no award will be issued for less than $50,000. Applicants planning to operate small programs, those requiring less than $50,000 per year, should form consortia with other potential applicants to increase likelihood of funding receipt. To the extent practicable, the Pennsylvania Department of Education shall distribute funds equitably among geographic areas within the state, including urban and rural communities.

Mr. Antonio J. Palumbo once stated that the greatest investment for the future was in the children and young adults of our country. His overwhelming commitment to youth was clearly exhibited in his support of educational institutions, hospitals, and other charitable organizations.

Sadly, Mr. Palumbo passed away on December 16, 2002. However, he created a perpetual gift to so many and his spirit of generosity lives on through the A. J. and Sigismunda Palumbo Charitable Trust.

Guiding Principles

The A. J. and Sigismunda Palumbo Charitable Trust:

• Supports established organizations with specific goals and objectives.
• Partners with other donors rather than solely underwriting the entire cost of projects or programs.
• Serves as a catalyst for donations to projects and programs that will benefit the largest number of individuals.
• Supports organizations that demonstrate financial accountability and measurable outcomes.
• Provides grants that encourage hope and vision, especially for children and young adults.
• Supports organizations that provide services that benefit the entire community.

Grant Categories

St. Marys, Pennsylvania Charities

Grants are awarded to organizations and institutions located in the St. Marys, Pennsylvania area. 

Catholic Education

Grants are awarded to Catholic institutions, including schools at the elementary, secondary, and collegiate levels.

Health Related Issues

Grants are awarded to organizations and institutions that promote the advancement of health and health-related issues.

Social Services Affecting Youth

Grants are awarded to organizations and institutions whose purpose is for the improvement of conditions that affect the youth of America.

Trustee Discretion

Grants are awarded to worthy charitable endeavors determined by the Board of Trustees.