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Children living at the Kirby Family House in Wilkes-Barre have no Wi-Fi, which means they must walk to other nearby areas seeking internet service to do their homework for virtual instruction, Luzerne County Councilman Matthew Vough recently told fellow County Cares Commission members.
				&ldquo;That broke my heart. Virtual learning is hard enough,&rdquo; Vough said, asking members if they knew of any resources to address this situation at the transitional housing program for homeless families with children, which is operated by the Salvation Army.
				Commission member Justin Behrens said he would put Vough in touch with a potential donor interested in programs that help children.
				Vough said Monday he had not yet reached the possible donor but will personally fund the service if necessary.
				&ldquo;The Kirby House will have Wi-Fi by the end of this week, whether I take care of it or someone else (does),&rdquo; Vough said Monday.
				These are the type of problems the commission was set up to identify and solve, said Vough, who serves as chairman. In this case, his former teacher reached out to report the Kirby House need.
				Activated in August, the commission focuses on helping the homeless, those in recovery and other vulnerable citizens.
				The commission&rsquo;s first major project will be a food and clothing drive also featuring representatives of area programs that help with education, employment, housing and other services for those in need.
				Coupons to obtain food and clothing will be provided to attendees who visit with some of these groups to learn more about their services &mdash; access that could achieve &ldquo;long-term results using short-term relief,&rdquo; said Behrens, executive director and CEO of Keystone Mission, which provides outreach services to the homeless in Wilkes-Barre and Scranton.
				Many entities that serve this population have capacity to help more but struggle to reach prospective participants unaware of their existence, Behrens had said.
				Event attendees also will be surveyed on needs and barriers that are not addressed here, which may prompt the creation of new programs, Behrens said during the commission&rsquo;s Sept. 30 meeting.
				&ldquo;I already know one gap. We have homeless men that are raising children and have no place for them to go for safety,&rdquo; Behrens said. &ldquo;The survey will give us a good snapshot of what&rsquo;s going on out there.&rdquo;
				Vough said he plans to update the commission Thursday on a possible no-cost venue for the event and form several committees to help set it up. Directions on attending the 6 p.m. virtual commission meeting are posted under the council online meetings section at <a href="https://www.luzernecounty.org/1279/Public-Meetings-Online" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">luzernecounty.org</a>.
				The commission also has been highlighting programs during its meetings.
				At the last meeting, commission members were briefed on the Healthy MOMS (Maternal Opiate Medical Support) program that is now available in the county.
				Operated by the Scranton-based Wright Center for Community Health, the program provides addiction recovery support and other services to women who are pregnant or have a child under age 2.
				County Cares Commission member Marcella Garvin is spearheading the Wright Center&rsquo;s Luzerne County program. Information is available at <a href="http://www.healthymoms.org/services/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">www.healthymoms.org</a>.

Luzerne County Cares Commission targeting homeless’ needs