JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – Sharing ideas about community development can help municipalities such as Johnstown and Lancaster find solutions to the common issues they face.
So, on Wednesday, the Community Foundation for the Alleghenies welcomed Lancaster Mayor Danene Sorace to the organization’s annual Founders’ Day event to talk about efforts to improve her city, while learning about local projects and programs.
The dinner also served as a celebration of CFA’s past year spent making contributions in Cambria, Bedford, Somerset and Indiana counties.
“We decided we wanted to focus on work that our donors have helped to make happen, so, in other words, the good things our donors have done to sort of encourage and foster community progress,” CFA President Mike Kane said during an interview before the official presentation at Sunnehanna Country Club in Westmont Borough. “And when we thought about that, we thought, ‘Boy, wouldn’t it be nice to have somebody from a community that’s really making a lot of progress and sort of talk about what’s happening in their community, and we can sort of contextualize it with ours, and maybe learn some lessons and have a good conversation?’ ”
Kane added: “When we see what people are doing in other communities, it really helps us to come back from the Community Foundation side and think how we’re going to prioritize our philanthropic dollars. In other words, we’re seeing what works. Can we sort of replicate those kind of programs here?”
Sorace, during an interview, talked about how Lancaster has worked to increase citizen involvement in neighborhoods, become more responsive to crime and other concerns, and encourage renters on their path to homeownership.
“Developing that commitment to community and that care and concern means that the public investments that we’re making in those neighborhoods are going to stick,” Sorace said.
Sorace said residents are now “willing and believe that we will actually respond and come down and knock on doors and talk to people about the things that they’re seeing and take action.”
“That is a huge step forward because, for a lot of years, people either did not believe that it was worth their time to pick up the phone and call City Hall, and, even if they did call, they had no expectations that something would change,” Sorace said.
She also came to the event to learn about efforts being done by Johnstown and the Community Foundation for the Alleghenies.
“As a mayor, I steal from everywhere,” Sorace said. “It’s kind of like the mantra of mayors – ‘You have a good idea. I want to hear about it. Tell me how I can utilize that in my community.’ We do that all the time.”
CFA officials additionally provided information about the group’s past year, when 6,538 donors made contributions to funds, totaling nearly $20.6 million. The Community Foundation awarded almost $15.2 million in grants and charitable distributions, along with more than $680,000 in scholarships.
The CFA also has $94.75 million in year-end assets.
“It’s the report of the Community Foundation, but it also, in a real way, reflects the story of all of you in this room because that’s the way a community foundation is composed, by the people who are a part of it,” said Mark Pasquerilla, the organization’s chairman.
Dave Sutor is a reporter for The Tribune-Democrat. He can be reached at 814-532-5056. Follow him on Twitter @Dave_Sutor.
