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 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 Wilkes-Barre area, PP&L presented five grants totaling $200,000 last year, noted John M. Levitski, PP&L's Wilkes-Barre area community development director.
The Commission on Economic Opportunity received $100,000 for a project to clean up, paint and repair homes in the Heights Section of Wilkes-Barre.
Developing Communities for Success received $15,000 for home repairs for low-income, single-parent families in the Heights Section of Wilkes-Barre.
The Economic Development Corporation of Northeast Pennsylvania received $50,000 to start a "Micro-Loan Program" for start-up businesses in urban areas of Luzerne County.
The Pittston Redevelopment Authority received $25,000 to rehabilitate homes in the city.
Wyoming Valley Habitat for Humanity received $10,000 to refurbish a home for a low-income family.
"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," Levitski 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 8:30 a.m. at PP&L's East Mountain Business Center on Route 115 in Plains Township.