Be a Neighbor

Owen Worozbyt, Director of Operations at the Lackawanna Heritage Valley, joins hosts Parker Dorsey and Gerard Hetman in this episode of the Be a Neighbor podcast. We were excited to discuss how he got into his current position, the history and mission of the Lackawanna Heritage Valley, the development of the Lackawanna River Heritage Trail, other community assets that are important to the Trail's long-term health and development, and more!

Michele Bannon, the Mayor of Carbondale and NeighborWorks board member, joins hosts Parker Dorsey and Gerard Hetman in this episode of the Be a Neighbor podcast. We were excited to discuss her journey to her current community service endeavors, what a typical day as mayor looks like, how she first became involved with our organization, her involvement with our ongoing community development work, and more!

Amy Cusick, founder of Christmas Miracles from Heaven, joins hosts Parker Dorsey and Gerard Hetman in this episode of the Be a Neighbor podcast. We were excited to discuss the nonprofit's mission, their work in cleaning the Washburn Street Cemetery, their various other community service activities, inspiration for starting said work, plans for the future, and more!

Ryan Hnat, West Scranton High School art teacher and muralist from Northeast Art Project, joins hosts Parker Dorsey and Gerard Hetman in this episode of the Be a Neighbor podcast. We were excited to discuss how he came to Scranton, the teaching work he does on a daily basis, examples from his teaching experiences on how students' lives have been impacted, his experiences creating murals with the Northeast Art Project, and more!

Brianna Keeler, Comparion insurance agent, joins hosts Parker Dorsey and Gerard Hetman in this episode of the Be a Neighbor podcast. She has collaborated with us on several of our West Scranton events and her husband is from West Side. We were excited to discuss her career, evolutions and changes in the insurance industry that could be helpful information to Scranton residents, what it was like learning West Side, and more!

Kimberly Crafton, Oral Histories Coordinator from Scranton's Story, Our Nation's Story, and Doreen Fazzi, lifelong West Scranton resident and former Scranton School District teacher, joins hosts Parker Dorsey and Gerard Hetman in this episode of the Be a Neighbor podcast. We were excited to discuss how the Scranton's Story, Our Nation's Story campaign has developed, upcoming events regarding the story, the story that Doreen shared for the campaign and her experiences in West Scranton, Doreen's involvement with our Beautiful Blocks program, and more!

Dr. Douglas Boyle and Andy Chomko, president and treasurer of the West Scranton Wrestling Alumni Association, respectively, join hosts Parker Dorsey and Gerard Hetman in this episode of the Be a Neighbor podcast. Both are alumni of West Scranton High School wrestling. In this episode we discuss the West Scranton Wrestling Alumni program: how it got started, their plans for the community center and other activities, and how the community at large can support and assist. Douglas is also the department chair and professor of the accounting program at the University of Scranton. Andy is also the funeral director at Edward J. Chomko Funeral Home & Cremation Services.

Jason Kavulich, the Secretary of Aging for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and West Scranton native, joins hosts Parker Dorsey and Gerard Hetman in this episode of the Be a Neighbor podcast. We were excited to get his insight about his personal and professional background and how it lead him to his role, how he sees the needs of residents across the Commonwealth reflected in the West Scranton neighborhood, how his current opportunity took shape, the priorities he plans to address in his role, who he identifies as mentors/role models in his work, and more!

Allison "Poomie" Novak, the owner and CEO of Poomie's Luzerne Street Market & Deli, joins hosts Parker Dorsey and Gerard Hetman in this episode of the Be a Neighbor podcast. We were excited to get her insight about her personal and professional background and how it lead her to open the deli, what inspired the name, what prompted her to open the deli in West Scranton, what the community reception has been like, and where her plans are for the deli in the future.

Jake Manetti, West Scranton High School head football coach, joins hosts Parker Dorsey and Gerard Hetman in this episode of the Be a Neighbor podcast. We were excited to get his insight about his personal and professional background, the culture of the school community and how it impacts his daily work, his coaching philosophies and guiding principles, his plans for the football program in the future, and how the community can  continue to support the program.

Marissa Duffy, Scranton Parks & Recreation director, joins hosts Parker Dorsey and Gerard Hetman in this episode of the Be a Neighbor podcast. We were excited to get their insight about their personal and professional background, the City's park study and how it will shape investment and development in the parks system going forward, how plans for parks such as Allen Park & Clover Field will increase quality of life in West Scranton, and the upcoming West Scranton Fall Festival.

Thom Welby, state representative of Pennsylvania's 113th District and former broadcaster, joins hosts Parker Dorsey and Gerard Hetman in this episode of the Be a Neighbor podcast. We were excited to get his insight about his personal and professional background, his early life in Scranton, his time serving the community as Senator Marty Flynn's chief of staff, and his experiences with NeighborWorks.

Rob DeLuca, principal of West Scranton High School, joins hosts Parker Dorsey and Gerard Hetman in this episode of the Be a Neighbor podcast. We were excited to get his insight about the history of the high school, the story behind the "Invaders" nickname, notable West Scranton alumni, and how the high school has grown and evolved over the past decades.

Koni Bennett, the owner of one of the only boutique salons in the area (and one of the first) servicing a multiethnic clientele: V A N I T Y Boutique Salon, joins hosts Parker Dorsey and Gerard Hetman in this episode of the Be a Neighbor podcast. We were excited to get her insight about being a business owner, her time in West Scranton and why she chose to start a business here.

Annette Palutis, former teacher at North Scranton for 27 years, West Scranton icon, and member of our West Scranton steering committee, joins hosts Parker Dorsey and Gerard Hetman in this episode of the Be a Neighbor podcast. As a lifelong West Sider and community pillar, we were excited to get her insight about her time in West Scranton, memories of the community, and hopes for future development in West Scranton.

Welcome to the first episode of Be a Neighbor, the official podcast of NeighborWorks Northeastern Pennsylvania. In this episode you will meet your hosts: Parker Dorsey and Gerard Hetman, as we discuss a little bit about ourselves and our roles at NeighborWorks, and why connecting with the community is important. We provide a brief history of NeighborWorks, and how we are committed to revitalizing neighborhoods and creating opportunities for individuals and families to improve their lives through quality housing and financial guidance. We also discuss our three main program areas: the Homeownership Center, Aging in Place and Neighborhood Revitalization. Parker and Gerard also outline the vision for the podcast for the next few episodes: highlighting the West Scranton community (the people, businesses, history and more), and by proxy, our West Scranton Neighborhood Plan.