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WILKES-BARRE &mdash; The Luzerne Foundation Tuesday and Wednesday held its two-day Virtual Forum, during which 33 local nonprofit organizations each offered a four-minute presentation in the hope of receiving a grant.
				Charles Barber, President/CEO of the Luzerne Foundation, hosted the event that was attended by members of the Grants Distribution Committee and several representatives of local foundations and other philanthropically-minded individuals.
				Barber said the Luzerne Foundation will distribute $140,000 to 60-70 percent of the 33 organizations that presented over the two days. He said the average grant is $5,000. Recipients are expected to be announced Thursday. There were 18 presenters on Thursday, following 15 on Tuesday, for a total of 33.
				On Wednesday, Barber and the committee heard from representatives from three fields of interest &mdash; Neighborhoods and Community Development; Social Services; and Youth.
				&ldquo;Like those we heard from on Tuesday, each of these fields of interest work in concert to help shape the fabric of our community,&rdquo; Barber said. &ldquo;Imagine what our community would be like without them.&rdquo;
				Barber explained the three fields presenting Wednesday:
				&#8226; Neighborhoods and Community Development &mdash; Stable, affordable housing is a crucial determinant of health &mdash; the house and neighborhood where one grows up impacts the health and longevity of one&rsquo;s life. Having a safe, decent, stable, affordable home also impacts a child&rsquo;s success in school.
				Community development is essential because it provides the foundation a city builds upon to improve the lives of its citizens. It creates strong, diverse communities that can attract and keep talent, start and grow businesses, and overcome issues that arise.
				&#8226; Social Services &mdash; Typically the largest field of interest, social services are a range of public services provided by the government, private, profit, and non-profit organizations. These public services aim to create more effective organizations, build stronger communities, and promote equality and opportunity.
				Social Services have an important role in helping people to improve the quality of life. Whether the need is food, shelter, jobs, child care, special needs services for children and adults, fuel assistance, Social Services is the &ldquo;blanket protection&rdquo; for our community needs.
				&#8226; Youth &mdash; Youth programs come in many shapes and sizes to accommodate young children, pre-teens and high school students, and young adults. Some programs offer social and emotional support; some are recreational, while others are educational and leadership-driven, like The Luzerne Foundation&rsquo;s Youth Advisory Committee, aka YAC.
				Barber explained the four fields that presented on Tuesday:
				&#8226; Arts & Culture &mdash; Making the arts part of our lives can help us to better appreciate ourselves as a community and enrich us culturally.
				&#8226; Health & Wellness &mdash; Can improve our behaviors and lower health risks can reduce the incidence of chronic diseases. Wellness is especially important as we age because regular exercise and proper nutrition can help prevent a variety of ailments.
				&#8226; Historic Preservation & the Environment &mdash; Preserving the history of a place through its significant historic resources gives a community its unique character. Historic preservation provides a link to the roots of the community and its people and adds to the quality of life making for a more livable community. A clean environment is essential for healthy living. It&rsquo;s our responsibility to protect our natural resources and to teach our children and grandchildren to do the same.
				&#8226; Education &mdash; You have heard it said quite often that education is the key to success. It starts at birth and continues all throughout our lives. Education helps us learn, gain knowledge and become more intelligent. It provides us the ability to achieve a lucrative and enjoyable career.
				&ldquo;While all programs are not created equal, each program shares the common thread of investing in our next generation,&rdquo; Barber said.
				The 33 organizations that offered presentations are: KISS Theatre, Hazleton Area Art League, Music Box Theatre, NEPA Music Teacher&rsquo;s Assoc., F.M. Kirby Center, Greater Wyoming Valley YMCA, United Way of Wyoming Valley, Hazleton Integration Project, McGlynn Learning Center, Candy&rsquo;s Place, Freeland YMCA, Think BIG Pediatric Fund, Rural Health Corp., EPCAMR, North Branch Land Trust, Greater Hazleton Area Civic Partnership, Diamond City Partnership, SPCA of Luzerne County, Big Brother-Big Sisters of NEPA, Brighter Journeys, CEO, Salvation Army, Ruth&rsquo;s Place/VOA, Jumpstart Cart, Victims&rsquo; Resource Center, Dinners for Kids, Wyoming Valley Children&rsquo;s Assoc., Fork Over Love, S.A.F.E., Camp Koala, Grandparents Raising Grandchildren, Camp Orchard Hill, Youth CASA.

Luzerne Foundation completes two-day Virtual Forum