PA Inclusive donated $10,000 to Downtown Pittston Partnership in thanks for 10 years of support from the city for the nonprofit.
Submitted photo
PITTSTON – In an effort to give back to the City of Pittston for supporting of PA Inclusive for the past 10 years, the organization has donated $10,000 to Downtown Pittston Partnership.
Frank Bartoli, founder and CEO of PA Inclusive (formerly NEPA Inclusive), presented the check to Mayor Michael Lombardo and Pittston Main Street Manager Mary Kroptavich to support the ongoing efforts of the Downtown Pittston Partnership.
The Downtown Pittston Partnership is a nonprofit organization created to focus on advancing the revitalization of Downtown Pittston by promoting activities, programs, and aesthetic improvements that benefit businesses, residents, and visitors.
The City of Pittston is known for putting on events such as St. Patrick’s Parade, Tomato Festival, Second Friday Art Walks, and Trick or Treat Main Street.
Employees and clients of PA Inclusive support these events each year as active volunteers and attendees.
“PA Inclusive is proud to support the Downtown Pittston Partnership so they can continue to provide all of the educational and inclusive events that bring more than 100,000 people to our beautiful downtown each year including people with intellectual disabilities and Autism, which we support each day,” Bartoli said.
A new event this year is the Disability Pride Festival scheduled for June 22 in Downtown Pittston. PA Inclusive, along with the City of Pittston, are joining Disability Pride Pennsylvania, a non-profit organization whose mission is to celebrate the inclusion of people with disabilities, to host the event.
According to Kroptavich, the city will use these funds for Disability Pride and other free events for the public.
“We appreciate any sponsorship we get, but the sponsorship with PA Inclusive is especially important because they are a downtown business and it’s exciting to bring in a new event to bring awareness to disabilities and across the Commonwealth,” Kroptavich said.
“It’s always great to have businesses downtown that are not only part of the business ecosystem, but are part of the social fabric and the community fabric,” Lombardo added. “PA Inclusive makes it part of their model to be present in the Pittston community. It’s great when we have that across-the-board participation.”
Last year, the Downtown Pittston Partnership offered more than 30 free events to the community, awarded three small business grants, and raised over $40,000 for the annual Shop with a Cop program, among many other initiatives.
