Wilkes-Barre POWER! holds August networking event

The back deck of River Grille played host to Wilkes-Barre POWER!’s August networking event on a gorgeous Thursday night on the Susquehanna. It was an opportunity for local professionals to connect with each other in a semi-casual environment.

Wilkes-Barre POWER!’s main pillars are professional development for its members, growth for business leaders, and community enrichment for the month’s featured organization. This month’s featured organization was United Way Wyoming Valley.

Rich Perry, Wilkes-Barre POWER!’s president, explained the value that the three pillars can provide to new networkers.

“We’re tapping them into all the great initiatives and organizations that are enriching our community,” Perry said of the new members who might not be familiar with the missions that Wilkes-Barre POWER! and its collaborators are championing.

According to Perry, the Wilkes-Barre POWER! leadership team is moving out of a transition phase and into a stable zone of operation. This has allowed the board members to focus more closely on their interactions with the networkers who come to the monthly networking events.

“[The board members] are the first line of brand ambassadors that we have,” said Perry. He added that the leadership team makes a deliberate effort to integrate new faces at Wilkes-Barre POWER! events into the networking experience. It’s an effort that he said benefits both the networker and Wilkes-Barre POWER! in the long run.

“Everyone that’s on our current leadership team is dedicated to growing Wilkes-Barre POWER!, to making a difference in the community, making a difference for our members, and making sure that Wilkes-Barre POWER! is taking that next level step…,” said Perry.

To the delight and amusement of Perry and the rest of the Wilkes-Barre POWER! team, River Grille was decorated for the Spritz Society’s pop-up bar event, which is taking place this weekend. Thursday’s event, in essence, served as the launch of River Grille’s spritz season. To ring it in, the back deck was covered in orange and white decorations.

The United Way

Thursday night’s event saw a familiar face take center stage. Bill Jones, president and CEO of United Way Wyoming Valley, was given the opportunity to tell the crowd about the local United Way’s newest initiatives. Jones has spoken at a handful of Wilkes-Barre POWER! events in the past, but there’s still value in making frequent appearances.

“It’s always a different crowd of people, and the message evolves every year, and so I’m always excited,” Jones said of his speaking engagements at these networking events.

In the case of the Wilkes-Barre POWER! crowd, Jones knows that he has the ear of people who are committed to the community.

“I think it’s awesome that people take the initiative to network and get together and exchange great conversation,” said Jones. “The opportunity to speak to individuals who care about our community, about the work of the United Way, is really valuable.”

If those in attendance are inspired to contribute to the United Way’s initiatives, Jones said that the Wilkes-Barre POWER! events serve as an opportunity to lay out exactly where their generosity will be directed.

“It’s good for people to know where the dollars go and how we’re making a difference, and how many lives we’re touching every year,” Jones said.

And the United Way is certainly making an impact through their various initiative, which are meant to curb the cycle of childhood poverty. The 2024 campaign will kick off in earnest at a community event on September 19 . The event will be held at Mohegan Pennsylvania’s Keystone Grand Ballroom.

At Thursday’s event, Jones laid out the details on some of United Way Wyoming Valley’s latest initiatives.

He described the Nurse’s Pantry initiative, which now has a presence in 34 schools across the Wyoming Valley, including every elementary school. This program provides low-income children with essential products, from hygiene items and clothing to feminine products and school supplies. In total, Jones said that the Nurse’s Pantry has served around 5,400 local children.

The See to Succeed program was also discussed. This allows children who are in need of glasses to get them. Jones said that 366 children were given glasses through See to Succeed last year.

One of the new initiatives rolled out in 2024 has been United Way Wyoming Valley’s collaboration with Family Service Association of Northeastern Pennsylvania. Together, the United Way and FSA launched the Parents Support Line, which can help local parents get in touch with necessary resources, including emotional support, information and guidance, crisis intervention, and more. Parents can dial 2-1-1 and follow the appropriate prompts to find the desired information.