The Newsletter: March 2018

THE

NEWsletter Greater Latrobe - Laurel Valley Regional Chamber of Commerce

BUSINESS AFTER HOURS at DiSalvos Station Restaurant 325 McKinley Avenue, Latrobe, PA

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Wednesday, March 14 5:05 - 6:35pm

Register online » https://gllv.org/march-2018-after-hours

WELCOME OUR NEW PRESIDENT RACHEL’S CHALLENGE LIFESPAN FAMILY SERVICES pg4

presented by S&T Bank

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TABLE OF CONTENTS 2

Chamber Staff

3

Chamber Board of Directors

4

Welcome to the new chamber president

7

Rachel’s Challenge: A program to end school bullying

8

Lifespan Family Services: Helping find foster families across Pennsylvania

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Events

Chamber Staff Briana Tomack President

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Hannah Kahn Membership Coordinator

Mike Dudurich Media Writer

Chamber Board of Directors CHAIRMAN Jerry Supko Commercial Bank & Trust of PA VICE CHAIRMAN Andrea Cuda Ramada Ligonier TREASURER Maryann White Kelly, Sparber, White and Associates, LLC SECRETARY Madalyn Kalning Gutchess Hardwoods Melissa Blystone Valley Dairy Restaurants Brian Edmiston TSI Titanium Eric Huttenlocher Carpenter Latrobe Specialty Metals

Brian Maglosky Kennametal Inc. Jeff Minkovich Community Options Don Orlando Saint Vincent College Gary Siegel Latrobe Bulletin MaryAnn Singley Excela Health Judy Swigart Greater Latrobe School District Cheryl Walters Derry Area School District Todd Weimer Eastern Westmoreland Career and Technology Center

March 2018 | Page 3

Our Spring 2018 Listings Unity Township

Unity Township

Ligonier Township

Unity Township

Stately two-story home on secluded property, well-built and spacious, in-ground pool.

Brand new house, open floor plan, large master with walk-in closet, amazing views.

Rustic Retreat 5 wooded acres, in-ground pool, screened-in rear deck, 4 car garage.

Gorgeous 3 BR ranch, 9 ft. ceilings throughout, hardwood floors, eat-in kitchen.

New Derry

Hempfield Township

Unity Township

Cook Township

Beautifully updated 3 BR ranch, fenced-in yard with private patios, 3 garages.

Well-built executive ranch settled on 1.8 acres, spacious rooms, freshly painted.

Great family home sits on one acre, split level, meticulously maintained.

Freshly painted ranch settled on 2+ acre property, enclosed back porch, move-in condition.

Unity Township

Derry Township

Greensburg

Derry Township

Historic home overlooking Loyalhanna Creek, perfect for Bed & Breakfast or Craft Shop.

Comfortable ranch with wood burning fireplace, basement & game room, utility shed.

Well-maintained and updated home, newer carpet & paint, 3 car heated garage.

Customized ranch on quiet street, swimming pool, perfect for downsizing or starter home!

$649,900

$269,900

$155,000

$299,900

$260,000

$134,900

$299,500

$209,000

$132,900

$296,900

$159,900

$89,000

Buying or selling a home? Contact us today!

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Welcome to Briana Tomack, Chamber President Jerry Supko, the chair of the Board of Directors of the Greater LatrobeLaurel Valley Regional Chamber of Commerce, announces that, effective February 12th, Briana Tomack will assume the role of President of the chamber.

Tomack, a resident of Derry, had been the General Manager of the Hilton Garden Inn in Indiana before taking this position.

“We’re excited to have Briana head the chamber,” Supko said. “We believe her background in sales and marketing, as well as her familiarity with the region will enable her to continue the growth and expansion of the chamber.”

Tomack will oversee the day-to-day operation of the chamber, focusing on membership expansion and retention as well and overseeing events. She’ll also be in charge of yearly budgeting, overall planning and representing the chamber in the region.

Thanks to our Platinum Level Members

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Friday, March 23, 2018 10am-12pm Westmoreland Case Management and Supports, Inc.

FREE community event WCSI Conference Center 770 East Pittsburgh Street Greensburg, PA. Register at www.wcsi.org Questions, contact WCSI - Michel Keller 724‑257‑1403

How one girl’s legacy hopes to stamp out bullying in schools Rachel’s Challenge exists to inspire individuals to replace acts of violence, bullying, and negativity with acts of respect, kindness, and compassion. Rachel’s Challenge is based on the life and writings of Rachel Joy Scott, a victim of the Columbine school shooting in 1999. Through her example, a positive impact in the lives of millions of people happens every year. Superintendents, principals, teachers, community members, parents, and students bring Rachel’s Challenge into their community because of escalating problems such as: bullying, student isolation, teen suicide, discrimination, school violence, and increased disciplinary actions. Through powerful presentations, trainings, community events, and professional development, Rachel’s Challenge provides the sustainable solution. Rachel’s inspiring story provides a simple, yet powerful example of how small acts of kindness and acceptance motivate us to consider our relationships with the people we encounter every day. Rachel’s Challenge renews our hope that our life has meaning and purpose. Rachel’s story gives us permission to start our own chain reaction of kindness and compassion, which positively affects the climate in our schools and communities.

A few weeks after the tragedy, Darrell Scott, Rachel’s father, spoke to a Congressional House Judiciary Committee regarding issues of school violence. His speech has become one of the most widely read document on the internet. Shortly afterwards, he founded “Rachel’s Challenge,” a bullying and violence abatement program. More than two million students annually experience Rachel’s Challenge and can accept the challenges, modeled after Rachel’s life and writings.

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Lifespan helps place foster children closer to home LifeSpan Family Services is a Foster Care and Adoption agency head quartered in Punxsutawney. We were founded by our executive director Patrick Shea over 9 years ago with 3 locations servicing most of the counties in Pennsylvania. As of February 2018, we have opened our latest office in New Stanton on Stan Ave (next to No-win Messenger Service). As a foster parent himself for many years, Patrick was aware of the shortage of local homes. Lifespan’s focus is to recruit foster parents in Pennsylvania’s rural and suburban areas. Unfortunately, these areas have been underserved in the past and children often had to be placed many hours away from their home county.

When a child is placed into foster care, the primary goal is to reunite the child with their family of origin whenever possible. Keeping foster children close to their family is a vital part of the reunification process. With local foster homes, children can maintain their home school districts and peer relationships. Often, visitation is much easier when travel times between the parents and children are minimized as much as possible. Travel times and mileage incurred by workers are also greatly reduced when children are placed locally. Therefore, local placements put less strain on already stretched county and state budgets. School districts are also able to maintain their enrollment and the funding for those students.

Until recently, many foster children were placed many hours away due to this shortage. LifeSpan seeks to help remedy this situation by building a network of compassionate and reliable foster parents throughout our area. Becoming a foster parent might not be as hard as you think. Foster parents don’t have to be perfect.

They just have to be safe, appropriate and willing to open their hearts and homes to a child in need. Foster parents are supposed to be a cross section of the community.

They can be single, married or retired. School age children are a good fit for homes where both parents work. LifeSpan provides excellent training, support and a generous stipend.

We would love the opportunity to discuss our non-profit organization further with local businesses, social groups, community clubs, churches, etc. or if you want to become a foster family, call 724-498-4961 or email info@LifeSpanFamilyServices.com.

YOU CAN make a difference in a child’s life!

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New Scholarship for GLLV Chamber members

Choose from over 150 programs, study 100% online!

Founded in 1949, Grand Canyon University is Arizona’s premier, private Christian university helping students find their purpose by preparing them to pursue their chosen career, advance in their current organization or transition to a new field.

Members of the Greater Latrobe-Laurel Valley Regional Chamber of Commerce are now eligible for a 10% scholarship off the cost of tuition for your chosen program. Earn your degree in business, technology, education and more at GCU.

Learn more and enroll today:

gcu.edu/gllvchamber

Why working professionals choose online programs at GCU: • Industry expert instructors – learn from proven leaders in your field • Complimentary credit evaluation – review transfer credits and find out how long your degree will take • GCU Net Price Calculator – know your investment before you enroll • Local counselors – get the support you from enrollment through graduation

The information printed in this material is accurate as of JANUARY 2017. For the most up-to-date information about admission requirements, tuition, scholarships and more, visit gcu.edu.

Important policy information is available in the University Policy Handbook at https://www.gcu.edu/academics/academic-policies.php For more information about our graduation rates, the median debt of students who completed the program and other important information, please visit our website at gcu.edu/disclosures. Please note, not all GCU programs are available in all states and in all learning modalities. Program availability is contingent on student enrollment. Grand Canyon University is regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. (800-621-7440; http://hlcommission.org/) GCU, while reserving its lawful rights in light of its Christian mission, is committed to maintaining an academic environment that is free from unlawful discrimination. Further detail on GCU’s Non-Discrimination policies can be found at gcu.edu/titleIX. 16GOE0834

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EVENTS Business After Hours presented by S&T Bank

Joint Networking Breakfast w/Ligonier Chamber

All your favorite Business After Hour events including: 50/50, spotlight table, door prizes, music, appetizers, and drinks! Spotlight tables for: S & T Bank, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Phoenix Rehab, and The Baltimore Life Companies.

HOT coffee, HOT breakfast, and HOT networking! This joint breakfast with the Ligonier Valley Chamber will also feature MIMOSAS! Bring business cards and be ready to pitch your business.

New Member Orientation

Chamber Events Calendar Online!

March 14, 2018 5:05 PM - 6:35 PM DiSalvos Station Restaurant Register » https://gllv.org/march-2018-after-hours

March 20, 2018 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM GLLV Chamber Visitor & Information Center Register » https://gllv.org/march-2018-orientation

March 29, 2018 7:45 AM - 9:00 AM Carol & Dave’s Roadhouse, Ligonier, PA Register » https://gllv.org/march-2018-breakfast

Submit your organization’s activities to be posted on the chamber’s event page. The latest events listing is online.

Calendar » www.latrobelaurelvalley.org/events

Learn how to take advantage of ALL the benefits of being a member in the GLLV Chamber.

Greater Latrobe - Laurel Valley Regional Chamber of Commerce

PO Box 463 • Latrobe, PA 15650 • 724-537-2671 • www.gllv.org Visitor & Information Center is located on Route 30 West beneath Sharky’s near Latrobe Airport