LANCASTER, April 15 –The Bench Mark Program will receive $499,000 in grant funding to expand its after-school mentoring program for high-risk youth in Lancaster City, state Rep. Ismail Smith-Wade-El announced today. The competitive grants, approved today by the School Safety and Security Committee under the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency, is part of more than $64 million awarded to organizations across the state. The Bench Mark Program’s “Back to School” initiative uses mentoring to stop high-risk adolescents in Lancaster from slipping from chronic absenteeism into school disengagement, juvenile justice involvement, and community violence. The project targets approximately 180 students each year, ages 13-18, who are truant or trending toward chronic absenteeism and are referred by McCaskey High School or Magisterial District Court at the early stages of school withdrawal. “More of Lancaster City’s vulnerable youth will be able to benefit from Bench Mark Program’s holistic mentorship program thanks to this funding,” said Smith-Wade-El, D-Lancaster. “Kids need to know someone has their backs and is there to help them build the skills they need to handle life’s challenges. Bench Mark’s team of dedicated mentors have repeatedly proven that they’ve been there for our kids since 2014. “I am grateful to the PCCD for recognizing and supporting Bench Mark’s Read more

LANCASTER, April 15 –Advoz: Mediation & Restorative Services and the Touchstone Foundation were awarded $500,616 in grant funding to help expand their youth programs aimed at reducing student conflict and improving student mental health, respectively, state Rep. Nikki Rivera announced today. Read more

READING, April 15 – Today, state Rep. Manuel Guzman announced that $499,984 in grant funding will be allocated to launch EMPOWER Resilience, a new violence prevention initiative serving youth in Reading. Olivet Boys & Girls Club of Reading and Berks County will receive the funding from the FY 2025-26 Violence Intervention and Prevention grant, under the direction of the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency. More than $60 million in state funding was given toward these grants in FY 25-26 to better address community violence throughout the commonwealth. The EMPOWER Resilience initiative aims to serve youth ages 5-18 in Reading, particularly those in neighborhoods with elevated risk factors. The program will engage in mentoring and supervision with children across six club sites, operating during high-risk after-school and summer hours. With the funding, the program would be scaled to serve approximately 1,000 youth annually. “The Boys & Girls Club is a staple in our communities, and I’m ecstatic to see it receive this funding to expand its footprint in Reading,” Guzman said. “After-school and summer programs give our youth structure, community and a place to express themselves in a positive way. I look forward to seeing EMPOWER Resilience make a real difference, and I thank the state for the funding.” Olivet Boys & Girls Club CEO & President Rick Perez also applauds Read more

NEWLY LISTED PROGRAMS Commonwealth Financing Authority: Multimodal Transportation Fund (MTF) Who May Apply: Municipalities, councils of government, businesses, economic development organizations, public transportation agency, ports (rail/freight) Use: The MTF provides grants to encourage economic development and ensure a safe and reliable system of transportation exists in Pennsylvania. The program is intended to provide financial assistance in order to improve public transportation assets that enhance communities, pedestrian safety, and transit revitalization. Funds: Requests must have a total eligible cost of $100,000 or more and no request shall exceed $3,000,000 for any project. Application Deadline: July 31, 2026 More information: DCED Website Department of Agriculture: PA Preferred, PA Preferred Homegrown by Heroes, and PA Preferred Organic Marketing Grant Program Who May Apply: Grants may be awarded to PA Preferred, PA Preferred Homegrown by Heroes, or PA Preferred Organic licensees Use: Offsetting the cost of designing or redesigning product labels to include the PA Preferred logo, PA Preferred Homegrown by Heroes logo or PA Preferred Organic logo or Enhancing farmers’ market displays with the PA Preferred, PA Preferred Homegrown by Heroes or PA Preferred Organic logos Funds: Up to $500,000 is available in funding, with no grant to exceed $10,000 Application Deadline: Read more