NeighborWorks Northeastern Pennsylvania (NeighborWorks) and the City of Carbondale were recognized for the expansion and sustained success of the Beautiful Blocks program in Carbondale with the Building Community Partnerships Award during the Governor’s Awards for Local Government Excellence ceremony, held at The State Museum of Pennsylvania in Harrisburg this past Wednesday, April 10.
The Beautiful Blocks program of NeighborWorks has impacted both improving property conditions and helped combat blight for Carbondale's participating residents in all seventy-three exterior home improvement projects, including sidewalk repair and replacement, front porch renovations, landscaping, exterior paintings, and new doors and windows. Through this collaboration, residents have received more than $62,000 in grant funding from NeighborWorks Northeastern Pennsylvania, totaling more than $140,000 in funds contributed by residents toward their projects.
“The City of Carbondale is thrilled and proud to be the recipient of this award. The Governor’s Office understands the vital importance of creating clean safe neighborhoods by engaging with our most important commodity…our residents,” said Michele Bannon, Mayor of the City of Carbondale. “We are thrilled to collaborate with NeighborWorks on this very important project, and we are even more thrilled to have our neighborhoods collaborating with one another.”
NeighborWorks would also like to congratulate the City of Scranton and Mayor of Scranton Paige Cognetti for receiving the Fiscal Accountability and Best Management Practices Award.
Each year, one week is designated by the Pennsylvania Legislature as “Local Government Week,” honoring the dedication of Pennsylvania’s local officials and encouraging citizens to learn how local government functions and affects each resident and business in the community. During this week, the Governor’s Center for Local Government Services has made a tradition of hosting a Local Government Day celebration, featuring the presentation of the Governor’s Awards for Local Government Excellence to recognize local officials for their successes in undertaking innovative initiatives to improve the quality of life in their communities.
Photo Caption: (from left): Kelly J. Robertson, Executive Director, Governor’s Center for Local Government Services; Dominick Famularo, Ed.D., Carbondale resident and past Beautiful Blocks selection committee member; Michele Bannon, Mayor of the City of Carbondale; Gerard Hetman, Community Development Specialist, NeighborWorks Northeastern Pennsylvania; and Richard P. Vilello, Jr., Deputy Secretary for Community Affairs & Development, Pennsylvania Department of Community & Economic Development.
