Luzerne County Head Start, Inc. recently hosted a health and wellness fair to provide community-based partners and Head Start parents with training on how to help children and take care of oneself.  The free event was held at The Woodlands near Wilkes-Barre and was open to any parent enrolled in LCHS’s program, as well as a number of community organizations who provide services to young children and families. Dr. Neal M. Horen, director of early childhood at Georgetown University’s Center for Child and Human Development, spoke to both parents and professionals about the importance of emotional wellness, stress reduction, support systems and self-care.  Parents listened to a number of guest speakers who provided valuable information about medical and oral care for children, as well as substance abuse disorders.  More than 20 vendors were on hand to let parents know about resources that are available to them in the community.  Health and wellness giveaways were handed out to participants and parents had the chance to win a number of raffle baskets.  The event was made possible by a one-time grant from the Pennsylvania Head Start Supplemental Assistance Program.

Luzerne County Head Start’s Pre-K Counts center, located inside Church of Christ Uniting, Kingston, recently received a $250 donation from Community Bank as part of National Good Neighbor Day.  National Good Neighbor Day is celebrated annually on Sept. 28 as a day of gratitude and community building.  LCHS was among several local nonprofits that benefited from this community initiative.  In addition to the donation, a representative from the Wyoming Ave., Kingston branch of Community Bank dropped off school supplies and children’s books for each boy and girl in the classroom. Good Neighbor Day was proclaimed a national day by President Jimmy Carter in 1978 to raise public awareness that good neighbors help achieve human understanding and build strong, thriving communities.

Luzerne County Head Start, Inc. (LCHS) will continue to provide its summer learning experience to children, thanks to a golf tournament sponsored by Navient, a leading asset management and business processing services company. The annual event, held at Blue Ridge Trail Golf Club near Mountain Top, raised approximately $28,000 for LCHS’s Jump Start program.  Jump Start is a 4-week-long summer learning experience that offers comprehensive services for 30 eligible 3 and 4-year-old children who will attend LCHS in the fall. 

In addition to the tournament, several businesses provided sponsorship and gift donations for raffle drawings and other prizes.  Since the golf tournament’s inception, Navient has raised approximately $250,000 for LCHS.  Navient Foundation, the company-sponsored philanthropic organization, also awarded an $8,000 grant to help support the program. 

LCHS is an income-based program that provides early childhood education and comprehensive services to pregnant women, children birth to age five, and their families in Luzerne and Wyoming Counties.