Community Involvement

Penn East and some friends (both human and four-legged!) joined together to support the NEPA American Cancer Society’s fundraising initiative, Climb to End Cancer. Our group walked an estimated 3 miles to the summit of the Big Pocono State Park and by participating, Penn East was helping to fund medical research, patient programs, and promote the ACS’s 24/7 helpline services.

Way to go Penn East!

Our latest Mother’s Day Diaper Drive was a huge success! Between our members, branch staff and the corporate center, Penn East collected roughly 10,800 items for local families in need. The items ranged from diapers, wipes, pieces of clothing, bath essentials and food products. All of the items, and a $2,000 monetary donation collected through this drive, were gifted to Saint Joseph’s Children and Baby Pantry.

Thank you to everyone who participated in helping to support the growing community!

Penn East celebrated Financial Literacy Month with our friends and Cal at the Lackawanna County Children’s Library. Together, Penn East and our library partners engaged with our young community members through story time, songs, and hands-on learning for financial topics, such as learning how to count our coins! We are grateful for the opportunity to have a foundational and positive impact on our tiny members, our community, and each other!

Penn East joined 90 exhibitors, from several unique industries, at Junior Achievement’s 4th Annual Inspire 2026: Career Exploration Experience to help local students ready themselves for the workplace. During the two day event, Penn East interacted with an estimated 3,000 students by handing out free snacks, refreshments, and the chance to win an Amazon gift card! Our volunteers had a wonderful time socializing with our incoming workforce and our peers!

Penn East enjoyed partnering with several local financial institutions to explain budgeting and real-life financial scenarios to Hanover Area Jr/Sr. High School students. Thank you to Corner Post FCU for hosting this terrific, and educational, event!

Recently, Penn East and Brewster’s Safety Training hosted the Stop the Bleed Program for our community members! Attendees learned how to apply lifesaving techniques, such as tying tourniquets and packing wounds. Thank you to Ken Brewster for providing safety insights and training our members on ways to properly navigate perilous bleeding situations!

Several local schools and pre-schools welcomed Penn East volunteers during their Read Across America week: Lackawanna Trail, Dana Street Elementary, McNichols Plaza Elementary, Little Visionaries Early Learning Center and the Greater Scranton YMCA Early Learning Center.  Penn East enjoyed celebrating the gift of reading and informed several grades, Pre-Kindergarten to 3rd grade, the importance of literacy in the workplace! Penn East will always believe in having a positive impact on our communities, and that includes our youngest members!

This past weekend, Penn East took a dive at the annual Polar Plunge, hosted by the Special Olympics Pennsylvania! The Northeast PA Region raised over $100,000 in support of programming for those with intellectual and developmental disabilities in our communities. Thank you to everyone who participated and donated to such an incredible cause.