125887874_web1_WREN-KITCHENS-1

Gov. Wolf: UK’s largest kitchen retailer bringing 360 jobs to Luzerne County

125887612_web1_casale_edit.cmyk

Dispelling COVID-19 myths

WILKES-BARRE &mdash; Family Service Association of Northeastern Pennsylvania (FSA) recently published its September results and first quarter of Fiscal Year 2021 reports for each county and region in its footprint.
				FSA is the provider of PA 211 NE services. The PA 211 NE region includes the following 17 counties: Bradford, Clinton, Columbia, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Lycoming, Monroe, Montour, Northumberland, Pike, Snyder, Sullivan, Susquehanna, Tioga, Union, Wayne, and Wyoming.
				Gert McGowan, President/CEO at FSA, said the utility of these reports include providing information to funders to determine the most pressing needs in their region. The reports also advise the community of the top agency referrals.
				In the first quarter of FY 2021 &mdash; July 2020 through September 2020 &mdash; the top five agency referrals for PA 211 NE Luzerne County callers were to the following agencies: Commission on Economic Opportunity, Catholic Social Services of the Diocese of Scranton, Pennsylvania Department of Human Services, Commonwealth Health and Family Service Association of Northeastern Pennsylvania.
				The Top Needs identified by PA 211 NE Luzerne County callers in the first quarter of Fiscal Year 2021 were: rent payment assistance, food pantries, talk lines/warm lines, community shelters and directory assistance.
				Total phone and text contacts to PA 211 NE in Luzerne County in the first quarter of Fiscal Year 2021, totaled 2,007. Luzerne County residents had 153 website session and 425 page views
				&#8226; 85% of the callers were between the ages of 18 to 69 years.
				&#8226; 10% of the callers were between the ages of 70 and 79.
				&#8226; Only 5% of callers either refused to identify age, or were 80 years or older.
				In the entire PA 211 NE 17-county region, PA 211 NE handled 6,760 calls and texts as well as 846 website sessions with 1,830 page views.
				Top Agency Referrals across the 17-county region included: Eastern Pennsylvania Continuum of Care, Pennsylvania Department of Human Services, Commission on Economic Opportunity, Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency, and Salvation Army of East Stroudsburg.
				Top Needs identified across the 17-county region for the first quarter of Fiscal Year 2021 were: rent payment assistance, housing related coordinated entry, food pantries, community Shelters, and electric service payment assistance.
				With each report, PA 211 NE provides a quote of appreciation from one of its callers. In the August 2020 report, the PA 211 caller stated, &ldquo;Thank you for being there. It is nice to call and talk to a real person.&rdquo;
				&ldquo;FSA continues to see the need for this vital service as the COVID cases seem to be rising, and families in the region continue to have tremendous needs&rdquo; McGowan said. &ldquo;We are so glad to be able to assist by providing these vital referrals to human services in this unprecedented time.&rdquo;
				Tom Foley, Director of PA 211 NE, is the drafter of the reports to the community said the staff is very dedicated.
				&ldquo;And they recognize how much the community needs their expertise,&rdquo; Foley said. &ldquo;It is what keeps them working so hard and improving their quality scores with PA 211 each month.&rdquo;
				Family Service Association of Northeastern Pennsylvania urges those in need of a referral to human services, disaster recovery, or crisis to call: 211, text 211 (898-211 plus provide a zip code), or log onto pa211ne.org.

Family Service Association releases first quarter report for PA 211