Poverty's Edge

The Community Action Committee of the Lehigh Valley's take on poverty, how it affects our communities, and what we're doing about it.

28 Apr
0

My City in Flames

by Alan Jennings Most people who know me know that I am a diehard fan of the Baltimore Orioles. I am from Hagerstown, Maryland. My family could only afford vacations returning home to visit aunts, uncles, grandparents. I learned racism there. It was weird: one of my baseball heroes was Orioles outfielder Frank Robinson; I never understood why people who looked like my baseball hero were getting beat up by people who looked like my father, simply because of the color of...

Read More
10 Jul
0

Bernie O’Hare and Mike Molovinsky on Lehigh Valley Discourse

Hello all, Tonight’s guests on my show are bloggers Bernie O’Hare (Lehigh Valley Ramblings) and Mike Molovinsky (Molovinsky on Allentown).  Both blogs are widely read and both cause just a little bit of controversy.  While Bernie focuses primarily on politics and government, Mike spreads his coverage to an array of favorite topics, like boxing and Allentown’s history, as well as politics and government. I’ll be exploring the blogging world as well as the issues in a discussion that has plenty of...

Read More
12 Jun
0

Songs of Protest: This Week on Lehigh Valley Discourse

Most social justice movements seem to have a soundtrack.  Protest songs like “We Shall Overcome” have almost anthem qualities to them. So many of them are just great songs, plus they rattled the cages of the people in power. Join me on Lehigh Valley Discourse as I delve into protest music tonight at 6 PM on WDIY (88.1 FM or wdiy.com).  My guest will be Silagh White, adjunct professor in Lehigh University’s Baker Institute and Director of Arts Engagement and Community Cultural Affairs. Click

Read More
10 Apr
0

Mayor Donchez on LV Discourse and also an interview with US Labor Secretary Tom Perez tonight at 6 PM on WDIY

Bob Donchez has spent his entire career in service to others: he taught social studies at William Allen High School for decades, served for many years on Bethlehem City Council, ran former Pennsylvania Representative Joe Brennan’s local legislative office before ascending to what may well be his dream job. Join the smartest radio listeners in the Lehigh Valley tonight at 6 PM as I welcome Bethlehem Mayor Bob Donchez to the show. You...

Read More
13 Mar
5

Karner, Longenbach and Hailstone on LV Discourse TONIGHT!

The Lehigh Valley’s cities have become a happening.  Through an array of factors, including progressive civic and business leadership, activist mayors, young adults’ interest in cities, tax incentives, location, location and location, Allentown, Bethlehem and Easton are on the march.  And who better to talk about its manifestations than the three cities’ directors of community and economic development? Join me on Lehigh Valley Discourse as I welcome Sara Hailstone, Alicia Miller Karner and Gretchen Longenbach, tonight at 6 PM on WDIY (FM...

Read More
09 Jan
0

Representatives Mackenzie and Schlossberg on LV Discourse

Pennsylvania Representatives Ryan Mackenzie and Mike Schlossberg are finishing their rookie years as legislators.  These two talented, smart, hard-working twenty-somethings are rare among partisans these days: they get along, they work together, and they want to get something accomplished.  Representatives Mackenzie and Schlossberg with be my guests on Lehigh Valley Discourse tonight (Thursday, January 9) at 6 PM.  The conversation will include such topics as a reflection on...

Read More
11 Dec
0

Ervin and Ronald to Discuss Children’s Issues on LV Discourse Thursday

From wide-eyed children to a homeless child, this is the season for and about children.  The real test of our humanity is how we as a society treat the little innocents. On Lehigh Valley Discourse this Thursday, Jane Ervin, CEO of Community Services for Children, and Marci Ronald, Vice President for Community Impact at the United Way, will be joining me.  We will discuss how well the Lehigh Valley fares in its treatment of our children, not just during the holidays...

Read More
17 Oct
0

Tonight on WDIY Lehigh Valley Discourse: Congressman Cartwright joins Alan Jennings!

Matt Cartwright is nearing the end of his first year representing a gerrymandered congressional district that includes Easton and the Slate Belt. His voting record is as Democratic as the other congressman who represents the region, Charlie Dent, is Republican. Listen in tonight as CACLV’s Alan Jennings welcomes Congressman Matt Cartwright on Lehigh Valley Discourse.  They will be discussing the government shutdown and other issues of our time, his impressions of Congress as an institution, and what makes him tick. Click here to...

Read More
22 Aug
0

Lehigh Valley Meet the Buyers on October 22, 2013: An Opportunity to Expand Your Business

Lehigh Valley Meet the Buyers An Opportunity to Expand Your Business Join us for the Lehigh Valley’s first “Meet the Buyers” event to be held on Tuesday, October 22nd at SteelStacks in south Bethlehem. Over a dozen Lehigh Valley organizations have created this expo for small business owners to network and grow their businesses. This unique event features 50 corporate and government purchasing agents, such as PPL Corporation, Lehigh Valley Health Network, and Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem. Small business owners will have opportunities...

Read More
28 Jun
2

TONY, I KNOW YOU TOO WELL TO BELIEVE YOUR ENDORSEMENT OF PAYDAY LENDING

I hate taking on a friend, but Tony Ianelli’s lip-synch of the payday lenders’ talking points defending a despicable loan product is pretty sad (June 26).  Tony is a friend of many years. He has done outstanding work at the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce. But the product Tony thinks would be good for economic development would charge poor souls who can’t pay their bills about 300% so they won’t be able to pay even more bills.  Apparently, he thinks his...

Read More
05 Jun
0

Audio: June 6th on WDIY’s Lehigh Valley Discourse: Lincoln Leadership Academy at 6 PM

     Tomorrow morning, the Lincoln Leadership Academy, a charter school founded by former public school principal Sandra Figueroa, will hold its first-ever commencement exercises on Thursday morning.  Tomorrow evening at 6 PM, Ms. Figueroa will be my guest on Lehigh Valley Discourse.  She will be joined by two of her graduates, Karina Lovera and Abraham Delacruz. Lincoln Leadership Academy’s students are almost exclusively Latino, many attending to seek an alternative to urban public schools.  Charter schools are...

Read More
10 May
0

Celebrate National Public Gardens Day

The Friday before Mother’s Day our country celebrates National Public Gardens Day to increase awareness of public gardens, community gardens, arboretums and botanical gardens. The West Ward Neighborhood Partnership is doing our part in Easton, where we have the largest number of community gardens in the Lehigh Valley.  Thirteen community gardens throughout the West Ward provide residents with a space to plant and harvest vegetables to enhance their diets, to socialize with our...

Read More
08 May
0

Audio: May 9th on WDIY’s Lehigh Valley Discourse: Democratic Candidates for Bethlehem Mayor

    DEMORACTIC CANDIDATES FOR BETHLEHEM MAYOR  ON THURSDAY’S LEHIGH VALLEY DISCOURSE ON WDIY   (Lehigh Valley, PA)  WDIY’s weekly public affairs program Lehigh Valley Discourse will feature the Democratic candidates for Bethlehem Mayor on Thursday’s program, 6-7pm. In a relaxed, conversational style, J. William Reynolds and Robert Donchez will join host Alan Jennings on the program to discuss their vision for the city. The City of Bethlehem has a hotly contested race for...

Read More
02 May
0

Audio: May 2nd on WDIY’s Lehigh Valley Discourse: Alan Jennings Talks with Republican Candidates for Northampton County Executive, Dean Browning and Scott Ott.

    An especially interesting primary battle is taking place in the County Executive election in Lehigh County.  While Democrat Tom Mueller is unopposed in the primary, former county commissioner Dean Browning and current commissioner Scott Ott are fighting for the soul of Lehigh County’s Republican Party.  Browning is a conservative who was ousted in his bid for re-election two years ago when he voted for the budget proposed by then-County Executive Don Cunningham because it included...

Read More
22 Apr
0

Ready, Set, Expo Workshop Series to Start on April 23, 2013

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                             For more information: Kimberly Stout (e) kstout@caclv.org (t) 610.433.5703 Sally Handlon (e) sally@hbrllc.com (t) 484.241.4124  Ready, Set, Expo Workshop Series to Start Lehigh Valley, P.A – Coming this Fall to businesses in the Lehigh Valley is the first Lehigh Valley Meet the Buyers Expo.  This will bring purchasing and procurement professionals from all levels of government (Federal, State, Local) as well as private industry...

Read More
22 Apr
0

PRESS RELEASE: DEMOLITION OF BLIGHTED PROPERTY ON SIXTH STREET TO BEGIN THIS MORNING

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  For more information: Jessica Dreistadt  610-435-1490   Clearing of Site Will Make Way for Expansion of the Sixth Street Shelter The building at 221-223 North Sixth Street in Allentown will be razed beginning this morning, with the site cleared within days.   The Community Action Committee of the Lehigh Valley, which operates the Sixth Street Shelter, has hired Jerdon Construction Services as the general contractor on the project. Penn Quaker Site Contractors will demolish the building. Details of the agency’s plans to expand the...

Read More
16 Apr
1

PRESS RELEASE: LEHIGH UNIVERSITY INVESTS $250,000 IN LEHIGH VALLEY MICROBUSINESSES

LEHIGH UNIVERSITY INVESTS $250,000 IN LEHIGH VALLEY MICROBUSINESSES Unique Partnership with The Rising Tide Enables Students to Learn Community Development Lending By Making Loans Lehigh University officials and students joined representatives of The Rising Tide Community Loan Fund today to announce a unique partnership that will invest $250,000 in Lehigh Valley microenterprises through The Rising Tide Community Loan Fund.   Two Lehigh University seniors are learning community development lending, making loans from the university’s investment.  The press...

Read More
11 Apr
0

Audio: April 11th on WDIY’s Lehigh Valley Discourse: Alan Jennings Talks with Democratic Candidates for Northampton County Executive, John Callahan, Lamont McClure and Glenn Reibman

    This week on Lehigh Valley Discourse, WDIY (FM 88.1) will present a unique approach to the age-old candidates’ debate.  The Democratic candidates for Northampton County Executive will join Alan Jennings for a candidates’ forum on Thursday at 6 PM in a live session.  The format will dispense with the rigid structure common to candidate debates in favor of a no-rules, conversational approach.  John Callahan, Lamont McClure and Glenn Reibman will have a wide-ranging discussion...

Read More
28 Mar
0

United Way Forum on The State Budget: Alan Jennings Offers Comments on the Governor’s Proposed Budget

The United Way held a forum on the state budget today. CACLV Executive Director Alan Jennings was one of the panelists who offered comments on the governor’s proposed budget. His comments are posted below. For more information on the state budget, we suggest you go to http://pennbpc.org/2013-14-budget. You know, when you look down through history at those who inspire us, those we quote, those to whom we erect statues, it is always those who stand in...

Read More
01 Mar
4

West Ward Neighborhood Partnership offering Free Gardening Classes Start March 5th!

    Free Gardening Classes Starting March 5th!     When: Every Tuesday Nights, March 5, through March 26, 2013 Location: Salvation Army, 1110 Northampton Street, Easton PA Why:  Community and backyard gardens are a way to get involved with your community, live healthier, and create a better environment. You don’t need to know how to be a gardener to do it. People of all levels of experience are welcome, and that includes kids. The West Ward...

Read More
07 Feb
0

Audio: February 7th on WDIY’s Lehigh Valley Discourse: Alan Jennings Talks with former leader of the “Nuns on the Bus” Sister Simone Campbell and Maryann Haytmanek, director of the NCC’s New Choice program

    Sister Simone Campbell was the leader of the “Nuns on the Bus,” the group of activist Roman Catholic nuns who followed U.S. House Budget Committee Chairman and vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan on his election-year campaign stops, challenging his proposal to dramatically reduce spending for anti-poverty programs while cutting taxes for Americans in the highest income brackets.  She is the executive director of NETWORK and, in that position, has challenged America as well as church...

Read More
10 Jan
0

December 10th on WDIY’s Lehigh Valley Discourse: Alan Jennings Talks with Civil Rights Veteran, Sheila Michaels and Kevin Easterling, Executive Director of the Martin Luther and Coretta Scott King Memorial Project of the Lehigh Valley

“With the national holiday celebrating the life of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., just days away, I will turn the attention of listeners to the civil rights movement.”  – Alan Jennings, Executive Director of CACLV  Sheila Michaels, a veteran of the civil rights movement who worked for SNCC (Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee) and CORE (Congress for Racial Equality) in the early 1960’s, knew and worked with some of...

Read More
27 Dec
1

The Lehigh Valley’s ‘Collective Resolve’ Means 2013 Will Be Better

I’m not sure how many of us have the time anymore to take a deep breath, clear our heads, and reflect, as we once did, on the year behind us.  Maybe we don’t have any interest in dwelling on the past, given how painful it was for so many.  But it can be a productive exercise. To be sure, it was dark.  We still feel the lingering effects of the Great Recession, as unemployment rates remained stubbornly...

Read More
13 Dec
0

Press Release: Bosch “Stands Up To Sandy” With $100,000 Contribution to Relief Effort.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                             CONTACT:    Alan L. Jennings  610-248-9900  BOSCH “STANDS UP TO SANDY” WITH $100,000 CONTRIBUTION TO RELIEF EFFORT  With Another $20,000 From Catholic Charities, Fund Quadruples, Enabling More Assistance to Be Offered to More Lehigh Valley Homeowners  The Bosch Group, a leading technology and services company with a major facility and over 700 employees in Lehigh Valley Industrial Park, has contributed $100,000 to the United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley to...

Read More
12 Dec
0

Media Advisory: “Stand Up To Sandy” Relief Effort To Receive Major, New Contribution

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT:    Alan L. Jennings                          610-248-9900 New Funding Will Enable Assistance to Be Offered to More Lehigh Valley Homeowners A significant, new, private contribution will enable more lower-income homeowners whose homes were damaged by “superstorm” Sandy to receive help than originally announced.  The task force of local organization that raised funds and recruited volunteers to assist victims of the storm will announce details of the expanded relief effort at a press...

Read More
28 Nov
0

Hurricane Sandy and the Lessons I Learned

By Esther Guzman, Director of the West Ward Neighborhood Partnership As I sat watching the news and thinking of the destruction that Sandy may cause based on my experiences with hurricanes in Puerto Rico, it never dawned on me that in Pennsylvania, so far from the coast, we would experience power outages that lasted several days. Lo and behold…at 8:45 p.m. the power went out…so I thought…it will come back at least by tomorrow…but...

Read More
14 Nov
0

Press Release: Low-Income Elderly And Disabled Homeowners Eligible For Repairs To Homes Damaged By “Superstorm” Sandy: Repairs up to $1,000 per Affected Home

 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT:    Alan L. Jennings                             610-248-9900   Volunteer Effort Will Make Repairs up to $1,000 per Affected Home The task force that came together to coordinate the outpouring of good will following the February, 2011, gas explosion in Allentown has organized a volunteer-based effort to assist Lehigh Valley residents whose homes were damaged by the “superstorm” that disrupted the region the week of October 29.  The effort, custom-made to respond to the...

Read More
13 Nov
0

Media Advisory: Low-Income Elderly and Disabled Homeowners Eligible For Repairs To Homes Damaged By “Superstorm” Sandy

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT:    Alan L. Jennings                          610-248-9900 Details of Special Initiative to be Announced Wednesday  The task force that came together to coordinate the outpouring of good will following the February, 2011, gas explosion in Allentown has organized a volunteer-based effort to assist Lehigh Valley residents whose homes were damaged by the “superstorm” that disrupted the region the week of October 29.  The effort, custom-made to respond to the storm’s...

Read More
09 Nov
0

Video – Rising Tide Community Loan Fund

[embedplusvideo height=”365″ width=”450″ standard=”http://www.youtube.com/v/WnedzYLfuX0?fs=1″ vars=”ytid=WnedzYLfuX0&width=450&height=365&start=&stop=&rs=w&hd=0&autoplay=0&react=1&chapters=&notes=” id=”ep4785″ /] ...

Read More
07 Nov
0

November 8th on WDIY’s Lehigh Valley Discourse: Alan Jennings Talks with Representative Jennifer Mann

Among the changes that the 2012 election will bring is a new representative for Pennsylvania’s 132nd district, long served by Jennifer Mann. Representative Mann was elected at the age of 28 and served seven terms.  She has lots to say and Lehigh Valley Discourse will be giving her a venue on Thursday, November 8, at 6 PM.  Join Representative Mann and CACLV’s Alan Jennings as they talk about her experiences, the difference she made, her regrets, what’s wrong...

Read More
05 Nov
0

News Release: Local Food Banks Help Residents In Need Following Power Outages

Contact: Janice Osborne Regional Communications Officer Telephone: (610) 865-4400 Pager: (610) 830-9771 FOR MEDIA ONLY  Northeast PA food banks available to help residents See bottom of news release for complete list of Northeast PA Region Red Cross chapters and contact information  NORTHEAST, PA (Nov. 5, 2012) – The American Red Cross has been receiving numerous phone calls from the public asking about financial assistance for food or replacement of groceries lost during the recent power outages....

Read More
16 Oct
0

Press Release: CACLV Calls National Penn Bank Move to Downtown Allentown “The Ultimate Community Reinvestment Act”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                          CONTACT:  Alan L. Jennings  610-248-9900 Early this morning, National Penn Bancshares CEO Scott Fainor announced that the company will move its headquarters to downtown Allentown in 2014. The bank will bring hundreds of employees to the city, occupying several floors in City Center Two.  The building will be constructed on the northeast corner of Seventh and Hamilton streets where a building once occupied by First National Bank of Allentown is being demolished. The Community Action Committee...

Read More
11 Oct
0

October 11th On WDIY’s Lehigh Valley Discourse: Discussing Children’s issues with Marci Ronald and Gregg Dowty.

If, indeed, children are our future, as so many like to say, what might that future look like, given the many challenges our children face: declining resources for education, for intervention when they are victimized by predators, for nutrition programs, limited ability of their parents to save money for their educations or to leave something behind for them, neighborhoods that are unsafe and so much more.  With an election just a few weeks away, the public policy debate...

Read More
09 Oct
0

Voice Your Ideas and Opinions Tonight at Envision Lehigh Valley!

  How do you ENVISION the future of Bethlehem? Join Envision Lehigh Valley,  tonight, October 9th at 6PM to 9Pm. Location:    Liberty High School                         1115 Linden Street                         Bethelehem, PA *** Free Childcare and refreshments available. To RSVP call 610-849-7825 or email cadcb-rsvp@caclv.org. For more information visit www.envisionlehighvalley.com.     Envision Lehigh Valley is a public outreach effort designed to engage the citizens of Northampton and...

Read More
02 Oct
0

October 4th On WDIY’s Lehigh Valley Discourse: Economist, Kamran Afshar and Tony Ianelli, CEO of The Greater LV Chamber of Commerce,

“The economy is bad.  The economy is good.  It needs to be stimulated.  It needs to be left alone.  It’s good for Obama.  It’s good for Romney.”  – Alan Jennings Join CACLV’s Alan Jennings and his guests for WDIY 88.1 FM Lehigh Valley Discourse on Thursday, October 4th, at 6 PM, as the discussion leading up to the November election focuses on the economy.  Alan’s guests will...

Read More
19 Sep
0

Audio: September 13th on WDIY’s Lehigh Valley Discourse “Party Officials on the 2012 Election”

Labor Day is the historic “out-of-the-gates” day for elections. While many have been paying attention for some time, over the next several weeks the candidates and their parties and surrogates will be pummeling voters with attempts to convert them to their side or fire up their side to get out and help them win. Below is an archive of September 13th’s Lehigh Valley Discourse, as we discuss the 2012 election with guests Tom Carroll, vice chair of the Northampton County Republican...

Read More
13 Sep
0

TONIGHT! September 13th on WDIY’s Lehigh Valley Discourse: Party Officials on the 2012 Election

  • By
  • September 13, 2012

“Labor Day is the historic “out-of-the-gates” day for elections.  While many have been paying attention for some time, over the next several weeks the candidates and their parties and surrogates will be pummeling voters with attempts to convert them to their side or fire up their side to get out and help them win.”   – Alan Jennings Join CACLV’s Alan Jennings and his guests Tom Carroll, vice chair of the Northampton County Republican Committee, and Walt Garvin, chair of...

Read More
12 Sep
1

No Peas, Please.

  • By
  • September 12, 2012

We welcome back to Poverty’s Edge, Sharon Alexander, Development Coordinator at Second Harvest Food Bank of Lehigh Valley and NE Pennsylvania.         “What do you like most in your bag?”  “Do you like grape jelly?” “What about potatoes?”  These are examples of questions we asked in a taste test we recently conducted with the kids who receive a weekly bag of food as part of our Backpack Buddies  program.  Some of the answers we found were typical...

Read More
05 Sep
0

TOWARD A NEW MARKET, A NEW NEIGHBORHOOD, A NEW TOMORROW

Over the weekend, The Morning Call reported that CACLV had offered a proposal to ensure that the benefits of $500 million in new development resulting from the Neighborhood Improvement Zone had a lasting impact on the downtown, its neighborhoods and the residents who live there.  The proposal is printed in its entirety, below. Matt Assad’s article was well done.  However, as usual, some of the people in the region who couldn’t find a good word to say about anything, especially our...

Read More
16 Aug
0

Press Release: SMALL BUSINESS TRAINING CLASSES RECRUITING ENTREPRENEURS

Community Action’s “Start Your Business” Program to Start 29th Bi-Annual Sessions The Community Action Development Corporation of Allentown (CADCA) will begin its twenty-ninth “Start Your Business” program on Monday, August 20, 2012.  The comprehensive, 20-week program is held on Monday evenings from 6:30 to 8:30 PM at 702 Hamilton Street, Allentown. CADCA’s entrepreneurial training program was created for people of low- to moderate-income who are thinking about starting a business or...

Read More
15 Aug
0

Lehigh Valley Discourse – 2012-08-09

Allentown Mayor Ed Pawlowski has a problem. Actually, like all mayors trying to make their cities viable in Pennsylvania, the mayor has big problems. Having cut city spending to the bone, he still has major obligations such as meeting its pension obligations for retired city workers. So Mayor Pawlowski is proposing some bold measures, including unloading some major operations to private and/or outside interests. → ...

Read More
08 Aug
0

TO FEED A COMMUNITY… TAKES A COMMUNITY

We welcome David Cool to Poverty’s Edge.  Dave has been  Agency Relations Coordinator at Second Harvest Food Bank for nearly a year.  In that time, he has seen an incredible increase in participation at emergency pantries throughout the Food Bank’s 6-county region. Dave knows that demand increases in the summer at the same time that supply decreases.   Over the past couple of years the need for food has risen at emergency pantries throughout the Second Harvest region.  Some pantries have reported numbers that...

Read More
01 Aug
1

Press Release: THE RISING TIDE BOOKS $219,335 TO 8 SMALL BUSINESSES, CONCLUDING THE MICROLENDER’S BEST YEAR EVER

22 Additional Jobs Were Created or Retained The Rising Tide Community Loan Fund made 8 new loans totaling $219,335, making 2011-2012 its best year since it was established in 2001.  During the fiscal year that ended June 30, 2012, The Rising Tide Community Loan Fund booked 19 loans totaling $585,805.  The loans resulted in 70 jobs created or retained. The following businesses received loans: Valley Stone Supply, a stone supply business located in Hanover Township, borrowed $35,000; Great Day Sports...

Read More
20 Jul
0

A Step in the Wrong Direction

We welcome Frank Sabatino, Weatherization Programs Specialist of the Energy Partnership program to Poverty’s Edge.  Frank worked at CACLV in the 1980’s and returned in 2000.  His anti-poverty work began as a VISTA volunteer in 1969.   Here at CACLV, I have worked with programs that help individuals and families with low incomes meet their energy needs for more than 15 years.  Every day during the cold months I get calls from people who range from young working mothers and fathers to...

Read More
17 Jul
0

NOT JUST A DREAM…

We welcome back to Poverty’s Edge Jennifer Hernandez-Reyes, the Communication and Reporting Coordinator at the Sixth Street Shelter (SSS). I was recently watching the Olympic trials for the USA teams. The look on the faces of those who won a spot on our team was priceless. It’s hard not to be proud when you’ve made such an accomplishment in your life. It’s the same face that we see here at the shelter when a family moves...

Read More
28 Jun
3

FAIR HOUSING PRESS CONFERENCE ON JUNE 26, 2012

Allentown, like so many cities, has challenges that, under the best of circumstances, cause disinvestment, concentration of poverty, diminishing tax base, substandard housing and public school issues that feed on each other, accelerating as they do.   Even a mayor as good as Ed Pawlowski must wonder whether God is on his side. The Community Action Committee of the Lehigh Valley has a long history of joining the cause, fighting the good fight, hoping to improve the odds.  Our approach rejects the...

Read More
25 Jun
12

A REVELATION

It all fell into place at the grocery store tonight. Have you ever wondered why people who just aren’t very nice through much of the normal course of the day are so polite, patient, deferential and even friendly when they encounter you in the grocery store? I think it’s because there is such anonymity when we’re driving or on the phone with a stranger.  In a grocery store, on the other hand, it’s too uncomfortable when you can’t help but look...

Read More
29 May
0

THE FRAY

CACLV has at any time an array of public policy initiatives.  Sometimes we are fighting policy retreat that takes past gains away, sometimes we’re fighting to advance a progressive agenda.  But we’re always in the fight.  Following are some key issues we are watching or are in the middle of the fray: GOVERNOR TOM CORBETT’S PROPOSED 2012-2013 BUDGET To study this budget proposal, one would think our problems are over: deep cuts in human services, education, community and development, and still no...

Read More
14 May
0

Trees, Paint and a Party: Jordan Heights Community Day on Saturday May 19th

On Saturday May 19th Wells Fargo Bank will be working with residents and community leaders to make the Jordan Heights neighborhood shine a little brighter.  Volunteers will plant 28 trees on the 300 block of Gordon Street, complete a mural, designed by the community, at the corner of Jordan and Gordon Streets, clean up the Jordan Creek, build community garden beds and put on a community festival for residents of Jordan Heights. The

Read More
01 May
1

We Can Only Do So Much…

We welcome back Jennifer Hernandez-Reyes, Communication and Reporting Specialist at the Sixth Street Shelter (SSS) to Poverty’s Edge.    I am not a garden person.  Ask anyone and they’ll tell you that plants are not my friends.  But as I see the flowers come up year after year with very little maintenance, it got me thinking about our families. Year after year, I see families come into the shelter with very little, yet they seem to blossom while they’re here.  They look to our programs to bring...

Read More
Wildcard SSL