News Releases

Building confidence and learning new skills can take many forms, including building your own bicycle.

To that end, the PPL Foundation has announced a $25,000 grant for the Earn-A-Bike program at The Common Wheel in Lancaster to support six 5-week sessions of hands-on mechanical courses for children. Two of the six courses will be girls’ classes. The program allows participants to learn the basics of bicycle maintenance and safe riding through supervised work on their own donated bike.

The Common Wheel grant was one of more than 70 announced today (6/28) across the PPL service territory to support efforts to improve education, develop the future workforce and revitalize communities.

Of the $450,000 in grants awarded, more than $120,000 is being donated to nonprofit organizations in the south central Pennsylvania region. “This program is a popular and unique opportunity for Lancaster youth,” said Jess Baker, regional affairs director for PPL Electric Utilities. “It’s great to see the smiles on the kids’ faces as they work on their bike, and then help others do the same. These life skills will certainly stay with them as they grow.”

Other examples of initiatives and projects that received support through the PPL Foundation Sustaining Grant program include:

• Junior Achievement of south central Pennsylvania received a $25,000 grant to support an electrical competition at the organization’s full-day science, technology, engineering, math (STEM) summits. Summits are held at high schools across the south central region at no cost to the school.

• YouthBuild AmeriCorps, a program run by United Community Services for Working Families, received a $19,500 grant for a YouthBuild Construction Lab. The new lab will allow young adults in the Berks County area who did not complete high school to acquire additional trade skills.

• Penn State – Harrisburg received $8,500 for an engineering ambassadors program where college students will work with K-12 students on hands-on STEM projects.

• New Hope Ministries in Dillsburg received $10,000 for training and educational programs designed to help people become job ready for open and in-demand positions in south central Pennsylvania. 

In addition, grants went to the organizations below for the listed mission or program:

Lancaster County

• Factory Ministries, Paradise ($5,000) — Pre-K Counts and Literacy Program for children

• Fulton Theatre Company, Lancaster ($3,000) – Building Bridges program for pre-k students

• Lancaster Lebanon Habitat for Humanity ($5,000) — building houses in the city of Lancaster

• Milagro House, Lancaster ($7,000) — education, housing and counseling for women and their children who are experiencing homelessness

• Mom’s House, Lancaster ($5,000) — mentoring, counseling and support for young women working to further their education

Dauphin County

• Roller Education Foundation, Steelton ($6,000) — funding toward a STEM in a Tank aquaponic cart for students

• Capital Economic Development Corp., Harrisburg ($2,500) — operating expenses toward its mission of creating and retaining jobs in the three-county region

Cumberland County

• Leadership, Education and Farming: L.E.A.F. Project, Carlisle ($5,000) — engaging young leaders through meaningful work on farms, working with chefs, and educating and feeding the community.

Additionally, contributions were made to Lancaster Public Library, other libraries and literacy-focused organizations in support of Cover to Cover, PPL Foundation’s initiative to improve child literacy through reading and summer learning programs.

A complete list of grant recipients is available online.

The PPL Foundation awards grants in spring and fall. The next grant cycle — for major grants — begins in August. To be considered for a grant, all organizations must apply online.

Please visit www.pplcares.com to learn more.

About the PPL Foundation: Through strategic partnerships, the PPL Foundation supports organizations that are doing innovative and groundbreaking work to create vital, sustainable communities and empowering each citizen to fulfill her or his potential. The PPL Foundation contributes more than $2 million annually to a wide variety of nonprofit organizations in north and central Pennsylvania.