Erie County is getting a $3 Million boost for community projects.
The Pennsylvania Department of Community & Economic Development (DCED) announced tax credit awards through the Neighborhood Assistance Program.
These funds will support food distribution, housing, job training, youth programs, and more. Local organizations like the Second Harvest Food Bank, Erie Playhouse, and Mercy Center for Women are among the recipients.
Projects include distributing millions of pounds of food, revitalizing neighborhoods, and creating new healthcare and behavioral health centers. Senator Dan Laughlin says this investment shows the power of public and private partnerships to improve lives in underserved communities.
Here is a break down of how the money will be used:
Charitable Food Program (CFP)
Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest PA – $683,150 to distribute 11.5 million pounds of food.
Mercy Center for Women – $52,000 for the MACC Food Pantry.
Erie DAWN – $9,750 for “Food For Thought” pantry and urban garden.
St. Martin Center, Inc. – $6,500 to expand pantry services.
Build Community Development Corporation – $17,550 for “Pay-What-You-Can” markets.
Enterprise Zone Program (EZP)
Federal Resources Corporation – $138,672 to redevelop a mercantile building.
Kate Philips & Co., Inc. – $500,000 to renovate a historic downtown building.
Neighborhood Assistance Program (NAP)
Erie Playhouse – $9,750 for early literacy programs.
Erie Downtown Development Corporation – $32,500 for small business support.
Erie Neighborhood Growth Partnership – $16,250 for “Love Your Block” revitalization.
expERIEnce Children’s Museum – $41,600 for inclusive programming.
John F. Kennedy Center, Inc. – $39,988 for infrastructure improvements.
SSJ Neighborhood Network – $61,750 for revitalization and youth programs.
United Way of Erie County – $32,500 for Caring Closets in schools.
Neighborhood Partnership Program (NPP)
Bayfront East Side Taskforce – $237,500 for housing and financial literacy.
Erie Center for Arts & Technology – $95,000 for workforce and youth programs.
Our West Bayfront / Gannon University – $261,250 for neighborhood improvements.
SSJ Neighborhood Network – $190,000 for blight remediation and youth employment.
Special Priorities Program (SPP)
Barber National Institute – $117,000 for a new behavioral health center.
Bayfront East Side Taskforce – $42,750 for home modifications.
BirthRoot Community Doula – $79,650 for prenatal and parenting workshops.
Community of Caring – $23,400 for shelter renovations and staffing.
East Side Renaissance, Inc. – $666,000 for a new healthcare facility.
Erie’s Black Wall Street Inc. – $472,500 for a community innovation hub.
Julia Hospice and Palliative Care – $21,510 for Erie County’s first hospice facility.
Mercy Center for Women – $184,500 for transitional housing.
Minority Community Investment Coalition – $99,000 for urban agriculture and job training.
Sarah A. Reed Children’s Center – $119,430 for campus revitalization.
St. Martin Center, Inc. – $103,500 for financial literacy and foreclosure prevention.