The third annual West Scranton Garbage Olympics, a part of Scranton City Pride, was a success this year! We're so grateful to the families, community groups, individuals, and local businesses for helping clean up West Side despite the rain. Together, we made a difference with over a dozen volunteers picking up 16 bags of trash!

We also had a closing ceremony at our office, with prizes awarded to the teams with the most trash collected, the strangest item found, and team MVPs! Thank you to everyone for participating, and we're looking forward to seeing you in 2026!

Scranton City Pride is a project of Scranton Tomorrow, NeighborWorks Northeastern PA, and United Neighborhood Centers of Northeastern Pennsylvania. For more information on City Pride, visit scrantoncitypride.org.

NeighborWorks will host its second annual Carbondale Block Party and cookout scheduled for Saturday, July 26, with a rain date of July 27, at the YMCA Park at 89 N Main St, Carbondale, PA, from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. This family-friendly event aims to bring together residents of all ages to highlight the city's unique features and foster community engagement. Stay tuned for more details!

Applications are now being accepted for the Elder Cottage Housing Opportunity (ECHO) in Luzerne and Wyoming County. The application deadline is July 18, 2025.

Elder cottages are small, separate, manufactured residences that are temporarily placed within the side or rear yard of a family member or caretaker. It is an affordable housing option that allows for older adults to remain close to their loved ones while still maintaining their autonomy, privacy and dignity.

Applications and more information can be accessed here. This initiative is a collaboration between NeighborWorks and the Luzerne County Area Agency on Aging.