Pennsylvania Power & Light Co. officials will meet Tuesday (4/15) with representatives of community groups and local government agencies interested in applying for grants in 1997 through PP&L's Community Partnership Program.
In the first two years of the Community Partnership Program, PP&L invested more than $5.4 million in neighborhood revitalization, small business development and affordable housing programs across its 29-county service area. None of the grant program costs are reflected in the price PP&L customers pay for electric service.
"The grants are an investment in the communities we serve that will pay off in stronger neighborhoods, more home ownership opportunities, better housing standards and new jobs," said Florence McNelis, PP&L customer programs director for northeastern Pennsylvania.
An evaluation of the program by an independent research firm revealed that every dollar spent in the first year of the program generated at least $28 in social and economic benefits.
The PP&L grant investments for 1995 have increased home ownership, increased local tax revenue for communities, reduced crime and created more than 200 full-time or part-time jobs.
In the Hazleton area, PP&L presented four grants totaling $110,000 last year, noted Martha Herron, PP&L's Hazleton area community development director.
The City of Hazleton Office of Community Development received $25,000 for a revolving loan fund to help business owners bring buildings up to code standards, improve building exteriors and make buildings more energy efficient.
The Tamaqua 2004 Partnership received $50,000 to attract matching funds for a project to develop commercial space in the downtown area.
The Borough of West Hazleton received $25,000 for a program that helps low-income home owners correct building code deficiencies, weatherize their home or make general improvements.
Hazleton Area Habitat for Humanity received $10,000 toward the purchase and rehabilitation of two properties.
"The most exciting thing about the Community Partnership Program is that it enables PP&L to team up with people who are making a difference in the community," Herron said. "The program has business benefits for PP&L because it directly affects the success of the communities we serve."
At the April 15 meeting, PP&L officials will explain program guidelines and eligibility requirements for the third-year grant program. The meeting will begin at 1:30 p.m. at PP&L's Hazleton Service Center on Poplar Street.