The Foundation is extremely pleased to be able to invest in the following difference-making community projects in 2025.
Downtown Johnstown Redevelopment Authority $30,000
Capacity & Community Development Program
With a population now under 20,000 people, generational poverty, crime, and industrial blight have been difficult to tackle in this distressed municipality. Despite the enormity of these challenges, city leadership and community stakeholders have made exciting progress to break the cycle of despair by organizing community priorities, leveraging outside investments, and planning for a better future. The Foundation grant will leverage $100,000+ in local match funding to create a new park in downtown Johnstown. Municipal and community stakeholder partners will turn a vacant, blighted property into a community pocket park to fill a gap in greenspace, serve as a social and cultural gathering site, and support the broader revitalization of downtown Johnstown.
East Goshen Township $1000
Recreational & Educational Development Program
Parkinson's disease is the fastest growing neurological condition in the world. The disease slowly reduces one’s physical and cognitive abilities, and has no known cure at this time. Treatments focus on retaining physical and cognitive abilities for as long as possible. The sport of Ping Pong has been uniquely shown to benefit those with Parkinson's, and can become a compelling addition to someone's treatment. PingPongParkinson is a national non-profit organization, of which East Goshen Parks and Recreation is an official chapter, serving the greater Chester County. The grant will serve to expand the program, pulling those from a wait list and doubling the year-round program in size.
Influencing Action Movement Foundation Inc. $30,000
Recreational & Educational Development Program
The Farmers Market Youth Garden project from Influencing Action Movement Foundation, Inc., fiscal sponsor of Black Girls With Green Thumbs, is a community-based program that engages youth in hands-on gardening, food systems education, and green entrepreneurship. Located in a neighborhood adjacent to a local farmers market, the program will transform an unprogrammed, new county park into a vibrant learning hub where participants grow fresh produce, explore sustainable practices, and gain skills in business and wellness. Through workshops, mentorship, and public engagement opportunities, the program will foster leadership, environmental stewardship, and healthier eating habits. Designed to serve youth from some of Delaware County’s most distressed communities, the program will build pathways to empowerment while addressing critical issues like food access, public health, and community resilience.
Bedford Borough $30,000
Capacity & Community Development Program
The Green – Walking Trail Development addresses a clear and well-documented need for inclusive, accessible, and no-cost recreation within Bedford Borough. With 15.6% of the population living below the poverty line, 19.6% identifying as having a disability, and 21.7% aged 65 or older, the Borough faces compounding access barriers related to income, mobility, and age. The trail project will create a defined, ADA-compliant walking trail within Bedford Borough’s most prominent public park. Designed as a 1,050-linear-foot limestone dust loop, the trail will provide a safe, low-impact walking surface accessible to individuals of all ages and abilities. This trail will not only improve circulation and functionality within the park, but it will also directly respond to documented community needs for passive, no-cost outdoor recreation.
City of Clairton $6,028
Recreational & Educational Development Program
The Clairton pool is a vital community asset that serves hundreds of residents each summer. However, many individuals with mobility limitations—including those who use wheelchairs, older adults, and children with disabilities—face significant barriers accessing the pool and navigating the uneven, grassy terrain surrounding it. The city will use the Foundation’s grant to purchase two ADA accessible wheelchairs to help community members navigate in and out of the community pool, and a beach wheelchair with large sand tires for residents in need to navigate the grassy terrain surrounding the pool.
Leetsdale Borough $15,000
Recreational & Educational Development Program
Leetsdale’s Health and Fitness Area project will benefit underserved residents with limited access to fitness and recreation opportunities, in particular low-income residents, the elderly, and the disabled. 52% of Leetsdale residents are low-income; an estimated 40% of residents are on fixed income, and 10% of households are served by a local foodbank. The Health and Fitness Area Project is part of a comprehensive revitalization of Henle Park, and includes the purchase, delivery, and installation of five units of exercise equipment geared towards low-impact strength and balance training, as well as safe surfacing, on a sidewalk-accessible area adjacent to other park amenities. The Health and Fitness Area will enhance community health, create an inclusive space for all ages, and promote accessibility of park amenities with special consideration to active retirees and people with disabilities.