Harrisburg steps up for Pennsylvanian communities and those facing the sharp end of economic disparity. On Thursday, Secretary Rick Siger, representing the Shapiro Administration, is slated to announce a boost of $36 million in awards aimed at empowering low-income residents throughout Pennsylvania. These funds, birthed from the Neighborhood Assistance Program (NAP), bring to the table tax credits for businesses, nudging them to invest in nonprofit ventures that seek to rejuvenate struggling neighborhoods and breathe new life into civic spaces.
This fiscal injection is just the start, for Governor Josh Shapiro's latest budget forecasts a doubling of the NAP's funding prowess, from $36 million to a robust $72 million. An undeniable victory, this expanded purse stands to embolden the very nonprofits that grind daily to stitch back the frayed fabric of distressed communities, spawn jobs, and kickstart community revitalization efforts.
In Wilkes-Barre, the heart of these efforts beats strong. Events kick off at 10:30 a.m. at 116 South Main Street's courtyard area. There, Siger will meet with local dignitaries and visionaries such as Larry Newman, President of the Diamond City Partnership, and the operators behind Building Blocks Early Learning Center—a tangible success story of the NAP program. Also accompanying the day's itinerary is an interface with the Downtown Ambassador Team and a stop at a downtown movie theatre poised for a revival thanks to NAP's benevolence.
For those with a penchant for visuals and witnessing change up close, the schedule has been teased out: formal remarks followed by visits to the aforementioned NAP projects. The forecast may threaten rain, but the economic prospects in Wilkes-Barre are ostensibly brightening. Participants will be open for interviews before, and after this tour - offering a narrative of growth, a chronicle of progress, and affirmations of the benefits that strategic investments like these can yield for the bedrock of Pennsylvania's future.
Details about the Neighborhood Assistance Program and its upcoming expansion can be fetched from the official press release.
