Applications open for Hometown Heroes veteran banners in West Scranton

The nonprofit NeighborWorks Northeastern Pennsylvania is accepting applications for Hometown Heroes banners in West Scranton.

Part of the West Scranton Neighborhood Plan of NeighborWorks, the banners honoring current and former members of the military with a connection to West Side will go up on Main Avenue and Luzerne Street in spring, the organization said in an announcement.

Family members wishing to honor a loved one for their military service can obtain an application by vising www.nwnepa.org, or by visiting the NeighborWorks Northeastern Pennsylvania office at 815 Smith St. in West Scranton.

Applications will be accepted Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1 to 4:30 p.m.

To complete an application, family members must submit a paper copy of the application form to the office, and also provide a photo of the veteran in military uniform, as well as proof of honorable discharge (a DD Form 214 is preferred.)

A cost of $250 per banner is assessed for printing and hanging; a check or money order for the full amount payable to NeighborWorks Northeastern Pennsylvania must accompany each application at time of submission.

Banners will be available on a first-come, first-served basis and will be available until all spots are filled. NeighborWorks expects to have about 150 banner spaces available, but that might change depending on whether poles are replaced by utilities or taken out of service, NeighborWorks Community Development Specialist Gerard Hetman said.

All existing banners will be replaced by banners from the current round of applications. Families of veterans honored on existing banners can retrieve their banners by contacting the NeighborWorks office.

The Hometown Heroes banner program was initiated in West Scranton by a project group from the Leadership Lackawanna Core Program Class of 2021, who organized an initial run of 30 banners. A second run of more than 100 banners was hung in the spring of 2022.

Anyone interested in participating in the Hometown Heroes program can contact Hetman at 570-558-2490 or ghetman@nwnepa.org.

A Hometown Heroes banner on Main Avenue in West Scranton...