ALLENTOWN, Oct. 11 – Continuing their work to boost economic opportunities and growth to support local communities, state Reps. Peter Schweyer, Mike Schlossberg, and Josh Siegel and state Sen. Nick Miller today announced grant funding totaling $1.02 million was awarded to two projects in their communities.

The Allentown School District Family and Community Engagement Welcome Center project received $522,205 and the Casa Guadalupe Center project received $500,120.

Schweyer said the focus of the welcome center is to provide a 3,650 square-foot-area for central registration for Allentown School District students and families.

“The space will accommodate activities aimed at creating a fast and easy registration process where students are directly connected to the services they need, including workforce and health monitoring for the public. This funding looks to streamline an already stressful process for many families. The more we can streamline stressful processes, the higher we raise the quality of life of those families, and I am always looking for ways to do that. In addition, funding to organizations that provide a wealth of resources to our community like the Casa Guadalupe Center is just as crucial and it is always great to work with my colleagues to secure that funding,” said Schweyer.

“Access to broadband service is critical in the 21st century. The more we can do to bring broadband service into communities where access is limited, where organizations and public agencies are committed to supporting these communities, and where neighbors can learn and grow with these services, the better our region will be. We owe a great deal of appreciation to President Biden, Vice President Harris, Congresswoman Wild, and Sen. Casey for making the funding for this program available so that Pennsylvania can invest critical resources into communities and people who will thrive and prosper with high-speed internet,” said Schlossberg.

“The Casa Guadalupe Center is an organization in our community that provides many vital services to our youth, adult, and elderly communities in the Lehigh Valley. This strategic investment in capital assets will enable the development of a new facility to serve as a hub for social, economic, and health-related activities here in Allentown. I am proud that I could be part of this investment and the investment to the Allentown School District, and I look forward to seeing all that this new facility will provide,” said Siegel.

“We want our residents to feel connected to their community and have access to resources for health care, workforce development and other services,” said Miller. “These two centers will be in walking distance for many members of the Lehigh Valley, providing assistance that many of our families need.”

The Multi-Purpose Community Facilities Program, which the projects received funding from, is funded pursuant to the Coronavirus Capital Projects Fund, established by Section 604 of the Social Security Act, as added by Section 9901 of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. The Pennsylvania Broadband Development Authority administers the Facilities Program in accordance with U.S. Treasury guidelines and Act 96 of 2021.

 

Information provided to TVL by:
Tom Andrews/Declan Shaffer