Spring Fling raises more than $118,000 in support of FSA’s 125-year
mission of building thriving communities through stronger families
WILKES-BARRE, PA – The Family Service Association of Northeastern Pennsylvania (FSA) recently honored the Thalenfeld family for three generations of philanthropy and benevolence in service to the health and human services nonprofit by presenting them the Legacy Award at the 125th Anniversary Spring Fling Gala.
Established in 1895 by a civic-minded group of concerned citizens, FSA provides diverse services that empower people and families to reach their full potential by building healthier relationships and ultimately stronger communities.
Today, FSA provides 14 programs to 17 counties in Northeastern and North Central Pennsylvania. The Counseling Program in Luzerne County provides individual, family and couples counseling; the Guardianship Program is offered to residents of Luzerne, Lackawanna, Monroe and Wyoming counties; the Children’s Advocacy Center of Susquehanna and Wyoming counties provides a safe space for victims from 3- to 18-years of age, and ParentChild+ offers an in-home early learning program aimed at caregivers and children in Luzerne County.
The PA 211 NE / Help Line is a free 24/7/365 information and referral and after-hours telephone answering and crisis management service. PA 211 NE is part of the state-wide PA 211 service which consists of six regions. The PA 211 NE / Help Line region is responsible for handling contacts in 17 counties. Any resident in the coverage area can seek help from PA 211 NE by calling 211, texting 211 (898-211, plus a zip code) or logging on to PA211ne.org to obtain referrals to food, housing, utility assistance, COVID-19 information, physical or mental health care, drug or alcohol detoxification or rehabilitation, in-home learning programs, and additional human services. Help Line provides an after-hours answering service and crisis management to nonprofits and government offices.
About 100,000 friends, family members and neighbors, for example, utilized the services provided by experienced, highly trained telephone case workers.
In conjunction with Luzerne County Children and Youth, Luzerne County Adult and Juvenile Probation and Luzerne County Court of Common Pleas, FSA also provides programs that address a myriad of societal concerns, including recidivism, family reunification, truancy and more. The services include: High-Risk Youth Re-Entry, Family Group Decision-Making, Family Finding, Batterer’s Intervention, Intensive Family Reunification, Outreach Prevention, Specialized Adolescent Assessment Unit, Turning Points and Anger Management programs.
“The Family Service Association has been extremely fortunate to have such loyal and ardent supporters throughout our 125 years. More importantly, though, their financial assistance and ample leadership have enabled us to have a positive impact on countless lives directly or indirectly in our communities,” said Gertrude C. McGowan, Esq., chief executive officer of FSA. “Our staff truly lives by our motto, that we build resilient families and thriving communities – one person at a time.”
FSA’s many accomplishments would not have been possible if not for the gracious support of the Thalenfelds and many advocates like them. The family has been associated with FSA since the late David R. Thalenfeld, the former CEO and co-founder of Trion Industries, led the capital campaign that enabled the organization to purchase the building in downtown Wilkes-Barre that remains home to FSA’s offices today. John Thalenfeld, the president of Trion Industries, followed his father’s lead when he became a board member in 1994. He has since served three terms as chairperson and been active on numerous committees. Adam Thalenfeld continued the family tradition of serving the greater community when he joined the board in 2019.
“I take great pride in following the lead of my grandfather and father,” said Adam Thalenfeld. “They taught us ‘if you want to live in a good community, you have to give back to it.’”
The annual Spring Fling raised $121,447 in support of the services and programs offered by FSA. For more information about FSA or to support its programs in health and human services, please log on to www.fsanepa.org or call (570) 823-5144.
Caption:
The Family Service Association (FSA) of Northeastern Pennsylvania recently presented the Thalenfeld family with the Legacy Award at the 125th Anniversary Spring Fling Gala. The Thalenfeld family also received a citation from the Pennsylvania Senate, sponsored by state Senators Lisa Baker and John Yudichak, in recognition of their ‘dedication’ to the “well-being of their communities.’ Participating in the presentation, from left, are Gertrude C. McGowan, Esq., chief executive officer, FSA; Adam Thalenfeld, FSA board member; John Thalenfeld, president, Trion Industries, and Megan Kennedy, chairperson of the FSA Board.