Luzerne County Head Start, Inc. (LCHS) will provide its summer learning experience to children in the summer of 2023, thanks to a golf tournament sponsored by Navient, a loan management, servicing and asset recovery company.

The annual event held at Blue Ridge Trail Golf Club in Mountain Top raised approximately $28,000 for LCHS’s Jump Start program. The program 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.

This year marked the 16th year for the tournament that supports early learning experiences for children. In addition to the tournament, several businesses provided sponsorship and gift donations for raffle drawings and other prizes.

The Navient Community Fund also awarded an $8,000 grant to LCHS to support the summer learning program.

 

  

Luzerne County Head Start, Inc. in conjunction with the Wilkes-Barre City Health Department and Maternal & Family Health Services will hold the second of two childhood nutrition events on Tues., Sept. 20th at the Head Start Beekman Street location in Wilkes-Barre from 11am – 3pm. Several community agencies that provide various services to families in need will be present. All families and their children are invited to attend this free event. There will be a bicycle helmet giveaway, samples of nutritious meals and more! The project is funded by the PA Dept. of Health’s Preventive Health and Health Services Block Grant. The first childhood nutrition event was held back in June.

Hello, Early Head Start families! We are excited to re-introduce our Early Head Start newsletter. Please click the link below to read our Fall 2022 edition. We are also thrilled to announce our in-person socialization events have returned. The first socialization events were held at our Edwardsville and Wilkes-Barre centers on August 11th and 12th, respectively. It was wonderful to see all of our families and children in person. More to come later this month… stay tuned!

EARLY HEAD START FALL 2022 NEWSLETTER

Luzerne County Head Start, Inc. (LCHS) will hold two separate recruitment events on Fri., July 29 at the Dallas Shopping Center along the Tunkhannock Highway in Dallas (near Fidelity Bank) and again on Mon., Aug. 1, in the parking lot of Dunham’s Sports at the Laurel Mall near Hazleton.

‘Woods Ice Cream Truck’ will serve hand-dipped ice cream to those who fill out an application for LCHS’s early childhood education program. The Early Head Start program provides home visiting services to qualified pregnant women and children birth to 3-years-old. The Head Start/Pre-K Counts program provides preschool services to children from three to 5-years-old.

Families who complete an intake or application will receive a ticket for a free ice cream for each person present. Both events will take place from noon to 3pm, while supplies last. 

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.

Ready, set, grow!

Luzerne County Head Start, Inc. (LCHS) is helping families bring farm fresh produce to their tables this summer as part of its farm to early childhood education (ECE) initiative. Farm to ECE is a group of activities that offer increased access to healthy, local foods to enhance the quality of early learning programs and improve the lives of the program’s children, families and staff.

Children who are part of LCHS’s year-round Early Head Start home visiting program and those enrolled in Head Start preschool summer services receive a grocery tote of fresh produce to take home each Wednesday for three weeks in July. In total, $5,000 worth of produce purchased from Rowland’s Pennsylvania Produce, Falls, will be distributed to these children and their families throughout July. The project provides fresh food to more than 130 children from birth to age five and their families.

Head Start, Executive Director, Lynn Evans Biga, says, “Early exposure to a variety of fruits and vegetables increases the likelihood children will continue to practice good eating habits later in life. Nutrition affects cognitive skills, behavior, and overall health, which all have an impact on academic performance. It is our belief that children need to be well to do well.”

Biga says the partnership with Rowland’s allows Head Start to help provide families with more healthy eating options for their children they might not otherwise be able to afford. In addition, the agency is also helping to support a small business by purchasing local.

William Banta, who co-owns the farm that has been in his wife’s family for three generations, is thankful for the partnership this opportunity has provided. Banta says it is a tremendous help to their small business.

“The COVID-19 pandemic presented a number of challenges for us. Farm expenses have gone up and our regular sales have been reduced, especially to restaurants. Many never re-opened and others haven’t fully bounced back. This opportunity fits right into what we aim to do.”

While Banta admits farming can be challenging work, he enjoys working together as a family and the relationships he has formed with charitable organizations like Head Start. This is the second year LCHS has participated in this initiative with Rowland’s.

Last year, funding for the project was provided by a grant from the Pennsylvania Head Start Association. This year, the program is supported by money from the American Rescue Plan – Early Childhood Relief Funds.

Farm to ECE activities support healthy eating habits, a connection to local food and agricultural communities, and teaches children how food grows.

From left to right: Ronald, Daniel, Anna, Liam, and Eden

The City of Wilkes-Barre Health Department in conjunction with Luzerne County Head Start, Inc. and Maternal & Family Health Services will host an infant & childhood nutrition event in the parking lot of Luzerne County Head Start’s Wilkes-Barre office, 23 Beekman St., on Tues., June 21st from 11am-3pm.

Healthy eating at a young age is important for proper growth and development. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020–2025 recommend those 2-years and older follow a healthy eating pattern that includes a variety of fruits and vegetables.

During the event, a $15 voucher for the Wilkes-Barre farmers market will be provided to attendees (one voucher per family). A number of area agencies will also be on hand to provide information, activities and kid-friendly giveaways for those in attendance. Those in attendance include:

• Luzerne County Head Start, Inc.
• Maternal & Family Health Services
• Luzerne Wyoming County MH/DS Early Intervention Program
• Food Demonstrations from the Commissions on Economic Opportunity
• Dinner 4 Kids
• Women, Infants & Children
• Free 2BMom
• Penn State Extension Co-op
• Community Health Bags from The Domestic Violence Service Center
• The City of Wilkes-Barre Health Department’s ‘Healthy Bear’ and ‘Wheel of Health’

Nutrition education materials will also be distributed to families. Plus, don’t miss a special appearance from TUX, the Wilkes/Barre Scranton Penguins mascot from 11am -12pm! The event is free, open to the public and has plenty of parking.

This project was funded by the Pennsylvania Department of Health’s Preventive Health and Health Services Block Grant.

Twelve Luzerne County Head Start (LCHS) alumni from six school districts in Luzerne County who will continue their education after high school were honored during LCHS’s 57^th anniversary celebration.  Scholarship recipients are usually recognized at the agency’s annual luncheon, which was canceled this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  In order to celebrate their accomplishments, the agency sponsored a small indoor celebration at its Beekman Street location in Wilkes-Barre.  Recipients were invited to attend the celebration, where they met with their scholarship sponsors. 

The Luzerne County Head Start Alumni Scholarship program was established in 1987 to honor the achievements of former Head Start students graduating from high school and continuing their education.  This year, 12 scholarships totaling $18,100 were presented to students who will pursue higher education.  From 1987 through 2022, scholarships totaling $311,350 have been awarded to outstanding students who began their educational journey at a Head Start program.  Recipients must submit an application and are selected based on academic performance, personal achievements, leadership, motivation and school and community involvement. The scholarship fund is supported in its entirety by community organizations, individuals and businesses. 

In addition to the scholarship awards, LCHS employees were honored at a virtual ceremony earlier in the day for their years of service and dedication to the nonprofit organization.  Awards were also presented to the agency’s 2021-2022 “Outstanding Community Partners,” including Chief Donald Leshko & the Hazleton Fire Department; Joe & Bedonna Mitchneck, founder of the “Toys from Heidi project;” Pastor David Walker and the Dallas United Methodist Church and Caitlin Styczen, Mondelez International.  LCHS’s Outstanding Community Partner award recognizes area businesses, organizations and individuals in the community who have made significant contributions to the Head Start program and who have made a difference in the lives of the children and families the agency serves.

For the second year, Luzerne County Head Start presented its Bold Leadership award to an outstanding staff member.

The award acknowledges and celebrates exemplary leadership that has a significant and positive impact on the children, families and staff at LCHS. It recognizes those who have been an employee at the organization for at least three years, and who demonstrate initiative, serve as outstanding role models, and inspire others to work collaboratively and creatively, while serving as a champion for the children and families LCHS serves. 

The recipient of the 2022 LCHS Bold Leadership Award was maintenance worker, Charles Josulevicz.

Charlie has been a dedicated employee for many years and always displays a pleasant, cooperative attitude in all that he does.  On a daily basis, he demonstrates qualities that go above and beyond what is expected of him. 

Charlie’s kindness and patience is evident, as he often drops whatever he is doing at the moment to lend a hand to someone in need.  Despite the many demands he and his department have on their time, they go from center to center, answering whatever the call may be.  During the pandemic the workload has increased, but the department continues to be reliable in every way. 

Charlie also maintains strong relationships with everyone he comes in contact with, including the children at LCHS.  His wonderful sense of humor and friendly personality further exemplify his character. His kindness and hard work create a welcoming atmosphere at LCHS.

Charlie, LCHS thanks you and your team for all you have done to meet the challenges we faced this past year. We are grateful to have you as part of our team and are proud to present you with the agency’s Bold Leadership Award.