Community Action Lehigh Valley

Kick off 2025 on a high note by hosting a Generation Next high school student for their first-ever job shadow experience! ✨ We’re looking for individuals and companies to partner with us in providing an incredible opportunity for Generation Next students to explore their dream careers. 📅 When: Date TBD, early 2025 🕗 Time: between 8:00 AM + 2:00 PM Generation Next students will shadow professionals in their field of interest, gaining real-world insights and inspiration. Student interests include medical, marketing, cybersecurity, project management, finance, engineering, psychology, and more! 💼 Details: -Students will complete a questionnaire and reflection paper -They are responsible for their own transportation and lunch -Help us match all of our students with a meaningful experience by signing up to host today! 📩 Contact Amanda Starner, GenNext Coordinator, at astarner@caclv.org to get involved. Let’s inspire the next generation of local professionals!

🎉 Celebrating 60 Years of Impact! 🎉 On November 20, 2024, Community Action Lehigh Valley hosted their 2024 Annual Meeting and marked six decades of dedicated service and community transformation! 🌟 Over 350 guests gathered to reflect on their incredible journey, with a special video message from David Bradley, CEO of the National Community Action Foundation. This year’s event spotlighted neighborhood revitalization programs like Community Action Development Allentown, Community Action Development Bethlehem, and Slate Belt Rising — all working to boost youth engagement, economic success, and community pride. 🏘️✨ "Together, we are stronger. Together, we make a difference. In community, we find unity." 📸 Check out the full recap and photos here: https://ow.ly/nSHF50Us8MI #CommunityAction #60YearsOfService #TogetherWeMakeADifference #NeighborhoodRevitalization

Festivities are in full swing at CALV! 🎄We had an incredible day at our annual Town Hall Meeting, connecting with colleagues and celebrating the holiday season together. The day was packed with a gingerbread house contest between departments, a special visit from a familiar Santa 🎅, and updates from our leadership team highlighting our 2024 accomplishments, important updates, and exciting plans for 2025. We also honored some amazing milestones, celebrating team members marking 5, 10, 15, and even 25 years with CALV! A huge congratulations to our Employee of the Year, Colton Krial (Senior Planner), and Leader of the Year, Tara Campanelli (Warehouse Supervisor for Second Harvest Food Bank of the Lehigh Valley and Northeast Pennsylvania)🎉 We cherish moments like these to come together as a team, reflect on our successes, and gear up for another busy year ahead. Happy holidays from all of us at Community Action Lehigh Valley!

Thank you so much to all 350+ guests who attended Community Action Lehigh Valley’s 60th anniversary Annual Meeting on Wednesday, November 20, 2024. We were thrilled to celebrate six decades of dedicated service and community impact. This year, we spotlighted our neighborhood revitalization programs (Community Action Development Allentown, Community Action Development Bethlehem, and Slate Belt Rising) showcasing how they encourage youth engagement, drive economic success, and enhance community pride. At Community Action, our programs are deeply interconnected and integral to building a stronger, more cohesive community. Together, we are stronger. Together, we make a difference. In community, we find unity. Check out the full recap and watch the event video on our blog: https://lnkd.in/eDqAgwp3

It’s hard to believe November has come and gone, and we’re in the midst of the charitable giving season. We wrapped up November with Community Action’s Annual Meeting, where so many of you joined us to celebrate 60 years of service. Thank you for being part of it! 🥳 To my nonprofit friends navigating year-end giving, I hope you find time to recharge and enjoy this cozy season. 🍵 Community Action Lehigh Valley | Second Harvest Food Bank of the Lehigh Valley and Northeast Pennsylvania | Rising Tide Community Loan Fund #NonprofitLife #YearEndGiving #GivingSeason #GivingTuesday

I continue to reflect on my personal gratitude and the vital role it plays within our community action agencies. The work our member agencies and my team and I do at Community Action Association of Pennsylvania is life-changing. Every day, we confront the challenges of poverty head-on, understanding that each step we take helps families and individuals create a brighter future. By leveraging local, state, private, and federal resources, we empower people with the skills they need, open doors to new opportunities, and guide them toward true self-sufficiency. Our dedicated teams pour their hearts into this mission, determined to make a lasting difference. For that, I am profoundly grateful. We’re not just changing lives—we’re building hope, one person, one family, one community at a time. 💙✨Please like this post to help me thank all of the community action agencies across Pennsylvania. #Gratitude #CommunityAction #ChangingLives #BuildingHope #CAAP #PovertyAlleviation #Empowerment

Let's remember that the day after Thanksgiving is Native American Heritage Day—a time to honor the rich cultures and histories of Indigenous peoples while recognizing the challenges many Native American communities face. Native Americans experience some of the highest poverty rates in the U.S., driven by factors such as historical displacement, geographic isolation, health disparities, underfunded federal programs, and limited economic opportunities. The Lehigh Valley sits on the ancestral land of the Lenape people, who have cared for this land for generations. Addressing these issues requires systemic change, greater investment in tribal programs, economic partnerships, and respect for tribal sovereignty. Let’s take time this holiday season to learn about, celebrate, and support Native communities and their cultures.

A huge thank you to April Donahue and Lori Page-Knerr from QNB Bank for their incredible support of our Generation Next program! CALV's college readiness, access, and completion initiative empowers local high school students with the knowledge they need to make informed decisions about their college and career futures. Learn more about our Generation Next program and how you can contribute at https://lnkd.in/edQTarjq.

As part of our continued efforts to give back to the communities we serve, #TeamBowman recently rolled up their sleeves and got their hands dirty during a fall garden bed cleanup event, Mulch & Mingle, at the East Side Food Pantry in Allentown, Pennsylvania. They worked hard to prepare garden beds that provide fresh produce to local families in need through Community Action Lehigh Valley. #BetterWithBowman #BowmanCares

Happy 25th Work Anniversary, Lizette! 🎉⁠ This year, we celebrate Lizette’s incredible journey and dedication to Community Action Lehigh Valley! Starting as a receptionist after her own time as a participant at the Sixth Street Shelter, Lizette has continuously uplifted and supported our community. Over the years, she’s held impactful roles—from OnTrack Customer Representative to Director of the OnTrack program, and later as Office Administrator for Second Harvest Food Bank of the Lehigh Valley and Northeast Pennsylvania. Now, as the Counseling and Intake Specialist at the Sixth Street Shelter, Lizette has truly come full circle, using her own powerful story to guide others.⁠ ⁠ Lizette’s journey—from arriving in the U.S. from Puerto Rico alone with her children to rebuilding her life through CALV—embodies her resilience and passion. She inspires us all with her commitment and heart for anti-poverty work.⁠ ⁠ Here’s to Lizette’s 25 years of service, and to many more years of making a difference!