Lehigh Valley Health Network–Pocono Foundation Gives Back to Local Organizations to Support the Community’s Health and Safety

The Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN)–Pocono Foundation recently provided financial support to both the Pocono Family YMCA and the East Stroudsburg Fire Department. The LVHN–Pocono Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Lehigh Valley Hospital (LVH)–Pocono, and its purpose is to serve the present and future health needs of the Pocono community.

The Foundation made a donation of $6,000 to the Pocono Family YMCA to fund its new mobile kitchen cart. The cart is fully equipped and will be used for cooking classes to educate people in the community on how to prepare nutritious food for their families. Classes are scheduled to begin later this month. Additionally, the cart will also be used to support the YMCA’s new diabetes prevention program that is slated to kick off this summer. “We are so thankful and excited for the mobile kitchen cart and the opportunity to provide another type of service to our community,” says Erika Huber, Associate Executive Director of the Pocono Family YMCA. “Bringing access to our community to learn about healthy cooking and nutrition while bringing generations together supports our mission and goals to provide programs for all ages, and to improve the quality of life in our community.”

Additionally, the LVHN–Pocono Foundation contributed $10,600 to the East Stroudsburg Fire Department (ESFD) Acme Hose Co. No. 1, which will be used to help offset the cost of critical equipment, such as the Tower 21 ladder truck. The truck was purchased specifically to fight fires in high-rise buildings. “Supporting the ESFD is one of the many ways we give back to this community,” says Dave Woods, Director of the LVHN–Pocono Foundation. “In the event we should ever have a fire emergency at LVH–Pocono, we want to ensure that our local fire department is well-equipped. This is part of our ongoing commitment to help those who serve and protect us,” Woods says. The Foundation makes yearly donations to ESFD, totaling more than $150,000 over the last 15 years.