Tag Archives: Camp Curtin YMCA

Construction begins for Camp Curtin YMCA’s affordable housing project

March 29, 2022 | by Maddie Gittens

Jamien Harvey at Woodbine and Jefferson streets, the location for the Camp Curtin YMCA’s affordable housing project

On a chilly Tuesday morning, Jamien Harvey watched bulldozers work on a lot at the corner of Woodbine and Jefferson streets.

Just a day before, he woke up in the morning, nervous if the project he had dreamt of for several years would actually happen.

But after years of planning, delays due to the pandemic and supply chain issues, Harvey watched a project to build affordable housing begin.

“This is important to me because I know what changes a community—environment and education,” Harvey, executive director of both the East Shore and Camp Curtin YMCA said. “We’ve got to get housing up, and we’ve got to do it fast.”

In October 2021, the Camp Curtin branch of the Y ceremoniously broke ground on its “Harrisburg Cornerstone Initiative,” which aims to eliminate vacant lots and provide homeownership opportunities to low-income families in the Uptown area.

The once empty lot at Woodbine and Jefferson streets, near the Camp Curtin Y, is the location of the $1.2 million first phase of the initiative. The Y is constructing four affordable single-family homes, each including three bedrooms, two-and-a-half bathrooms and an off-street parking space.

The four homes each are listed for $150,000.

According to Harvey, there is already a waiting list of about 30 applicants for these four homes. They plan to select the buyers based on a lottery system.

The Y is working with The Erica Rawls Team real estate team at Keller Williams of Central PA for the marketing and sale of the homes. All applicants are required to take financial literacy and first-time homeowner courses, Harvey explained.

Harvey wasn’t surprised to see the significant interest in the homes. It has only deepened his belief in the demand for affordable housing in Harrisburg.

“This shows me that we need to continue to build and do it fast,” he said.

Harvey expects construction of the four affordable homes to be completed by mid-summer.

In addition to this project, he has a larger vision of continuing to build housing in the Uptown area, specifically the neighborhood surrounding the Camp Curtin Y.

“Homeowners take better care of their neighborhood,” he said. “It brings more eyes and ears to the community, changes crime and impacts how people take care of their properties. It makes huge differences.”

Additionally, he’s hopeful for how it impacts low-income families.

Harvey explained how families who purchase the homes will have instant home equity, as the buildings are appraised at $250,000 each, but are being sold for $150,000.

“The equity will give families generational wealth—that’s an ultimate goal of the project,” he said.

For more information about the Camp Curtin YMCA’s Harrisburg Cornerstone initiative, visit their website.

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Shalom House to open community drop-in center, possible emergency housing under new director

March 8, 2022 | by Maddie Gittens

Kyla Harvey, executive director of Shalom House

An Allison Hill nonprofit has a new initiative to make getting help more convenient.

While Shalom House is a nonprofit that primarily provides assistance and housing to women and children, the organization hopes to reach the wider community with a drop-in resource center.

“We just want to help people in the community,” said Mya Crawford, a case manager at Shalom House. “Anything people need help with, we will be here to help them.”

On March 14, Shalom House will open its community drop-in center to the public. Staff will provide assistance and resources for needs such as securing housing, managing finances, filing for disability and finding mental health services, among other things. Anyone in need of help is welcome to walk into the center, Crawford explained. Computers will also be available to access.

Additionally, Shalom House plans to offer monthly educational courses to the public.

The drop-in center will be open on Mondays, from 3 to 7 p.m. and Wednesdays, from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.

The resource center is only part of a new vision and direction for Shalom House, which is under new leadership this past year.

Last September, former Shalom House board member Kyla Harvey took over as the organization’s new executive director.

Harvey has a degree in social work and has previously served as program director at the Camp Curtin YMCA and executive director of the Neighborhood Center of the United Methodist Church in Harrisburg.

Harvey’s own past experience as a single mother makes her passionate about Shalom House’s mission and helps her identify with the families they serve, she said.

“I’m truly passionate about helping women of all ages,” she said.

Shalom House currently operates a 22-bed emergency shelter for women and children near its office on S. 15^th Street. However, Harvey has plans to possibly expand the organization’s offerings by adding additional housing in their main building.

Shalom House purchased their building, formerly the Unitarian Church of Harrisburg, in 2019 with plans to renovate the building for use as a community center. They also partnered with Capital Area Head Start which has offices in the building. Under the previous director, Denise Britton, Shalom House considered building transitional and emergency housing on lots behind the main building.

However, most of the plans were put on hold during the pandemic and much of the building still needs work, Harvey said.

Her new plan includes creating 12 apartment units for people in need of temporary shelter and two larger units for longer-term living. The additional units are especially needed, with the effects of COVID and a lack of affordable housing that makes securing housing more difficult.

“COVID has really created a huge issue for the homeless population,” Harvey said.

She hopes to begin work on the project before this time next year, she said.

It’s not just homelessness that Harvey is focused on in her role at Shalom House, but also what causes it. The new drop-in community center is one way to address those issues.

“My vision is to provide housing, but also to provide preventative measures so people don’t become homeless,” she said.

Shalom House is located at 9 S. 15^th St., Harrisburg. For more information, visit https://shalomhouse.net/.

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The Week that Was: News and features around Harrisburg

October 29, 2021 | by Lawrance Binda and Maddie Gittens

Officials broke ground on the Camp Curtin YMCA’s affordable housing project this week.

Our November issue of the magazine is out today! This issue is all about supporting small businesses in and around Harrisburg. Grab an issue and shop small for the holidays this year. Before you do, read this week’s news coverage, below.

The Barefoot Historian & Co. offers spooky tours around Carlisle to those who dare. In our magazine story, read about Courtney Cauthon’s journey to opening a ghost tour business.

Bob’s Art Blog has the scoop on what’s coming up at the Art Association of Harrisburg, including “Nothing Pretty,” a surreal exhibit. He also spotlights Doggie Delights, a gourmet dog treat stand in the Broad Street Market.

The Camp Curtin YMCA broke ground on an affordable housing development in Uptown Harrisburg, our online story reported. The project will include constructing four single-family homes for low-income residents.

Our editor encourages readers to shop small and local for the upcoming holiday season in his November Editor’s Note. Small businesses are the focus of this month’s issue of the magazine.

Market Fresh, a family-owned grocery store, opened this week on N. 6^th Street in Uptown Harrisburg, our reporting found. The owners hope to provide fresh produce to a community that has been lacking it.

Meatballs are on the menu for Rosemary. Learn how to make her meatballs in brandy, here.

Messiah University has launched its “Thriving Together” program to unite local churches around the mission of racial justice. The initiative brings together diverse congregations to participate in anti-racism training and to study theologies of justice and reconciliation, our magazine story reported.

Habitat for Humanity hasn’t let the pandemic halt its work. In our magazine story, read about how the housing nonprofit pivoted to provide maintenance to homeowners in need.

The Harrisburg Beach Club plans to open next week, serving up drinks and a riverside view, our online story reported. They plan to utilize heaters and fire pits to keep customers warm during the winter months.

Harrisburg completed a few large-scale trash cleanups in Allison Hill and Uptown this week, our reporting found. City officials said that, with increased staff and resources in the public works department, they can better address illegal dumping issues.

Sara Bozich’s Weekend Roundup will have you ready to hit the town. See all the events that the Harrisburg area has to offer this weekend, here.

Shank’s Tavern has become a local staple in Marietta. Our magazine article tells the story behind the two-century-old restaurant.

Theatre Harrisburg is back with in-person performances for the season, after a long break due to the pandemic. It kicked off with “The SpongeBob Musical,” which runs through Nov. 7 at Whitaker Center, our online story reported.

Trees will be planted on several Harrisburg streets in an upcoming planting blitz by the city, our online story reported. City Forester Ellen Roane is looking for volunteers ready to get their hands dirty.

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Camp Curtin YMCA breaks ground on townhomes in Uptown Harrisburg, meant to promote home ownership

October 28, 2021 | by Maddie Gittens

Officials broke ground on an affordable housing development in Uptown Harrisburg.

Jamien Harvey has a vision for a Harrisburg neighborhood.

He shared that vision on Thursday as officials broke ground on an affordable housing development near the Camp Curtin YMCA in Uptown.

“Homeownership is critical to building strong community,” said Harvey, executive director of both the East Shore and Camp Curtin Y’s.

The Camp Curtin Y’s “Harrisburg Cornerstone Initiative” aims to eliminate vacant lots and provide homeownership opportunities to low-income families, he explained.

A rendering of the proposed affordable homes.

The initiative will kick off with the $1.2 million development of four affordable single-family homes on a vacant lot at the corner of Woodbine and Jefferson streets. Each home will include three bedrooms, two-and-a-half bathrooms and an off-street parking space.

Harvey said that the Y will work with a realtor to market the homes to low-income families interested in homeownership. While the prices will vary depending on the income of the family, the cost will likely range from $150,000 to $200,000, Harvey said. Families will also be required to complete financial literacy workshops.

Harvey, along with other officials, spoke to the importance of creating stable housing. They noted its effects on job security, food security, health, safety and education for children and families.

“The environment which families grow up in is important,” Harvey said. “Change the environment, you can change behavior.”

The York branch of the YMCA served as an example of creating affordable housing, Harvey said. Their model inspired him to take up the challenge in Harrisburg.

The planned site of the development at Woodbine and Jefferson streets.

Harvey expects work to begin at the building site by next week and wrap up by spring.

The homes at Woodbine and Jefferson streets are the first phase of what Harvey hopes is a large-scale affordable building project in the neighborhood.

“If we can get homeowners up here and build a family and community then we really feel like we can change things with the Y being the cornerstone in the middle,” he said.

The funds for the project are coming from a variety of local sponsors and partners, including PNC, UPMC, S&T Bank, M&T Bank, Tri-County Community Action, the City of Harrisburg, Harrisburg Housing Authority, Mid Penn Bank, Dauphin County, Harrisburg Redevelopment Authority and PHFA.

“The pandemic really slowed up our process, but I had a vision,” Harvey said. “We had a vision and nothing was going to stop that vision.”

For more information about the Camp Curtin YMCA’s Harrisburg Cornerstone initiative, visit their website.

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Urban agriculture group will teach Harrisburg kids about sustainability, gardening

September 17, 2021 | by Maddie Gittens

File photo of the Camp Curtin YMCA community garden

Summer may be wrapping up, but Harrisburg kids will have a chance to close out the season by getting their hands dirty in the garden.

On Sept. 25, local urban agriculture group Ngozi’s Let’s Get Dirty! will host an educational and hands-on event to teach residents about gardening and sustainability.

“Our goal is to inspire, educate and empower the residents of Harrisburg most impacted by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19),” said certified permaculture instructor Rafiyqa Muhammad of the agricultural organization, in a statement.

The Living Healthy Harrisburg event will take place at the Camp Curtin YMCA’s urban garden, in back of the facility, and run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Ngozi instructors will teach students how to build a garden using a recycled chair and how to grow a strawberry plant in anticipation of next spring. The class is limited to 12 children.

They will also help youth build, design and paint compost containers for the YMCA garden.

“Living Healthy Harrisburg engages, demonstrates and educate local communities on how to reduce their carbon footprint as well as holistic approaches through green sustainable living,” Muhammad said.

From 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. children’s author Danielle M. Jackson will read from her books, including her newest, “Lettuce Turnip at the Farmers Market.” The first 10 children will receive free, signed books. The author of “From Hurt 2 Healing,” Jamillah London, will be present as well.

In addition to learning about planting food, students will get to taste some from the YMCA’s garden harvest.

To help participants get some energy out, fitness instructors Charisse Grayer and Sandy Johnson will lead kids in wellness activities.

The YMCA, the Young Professionals of Color-Greater Harrisburg and Gateway Health Plan will also attend to provide education and information about their organizations.

Ngozi’s Let’s Get Dirty! Urban Agriculture is an initiative by local businesses, nonprofits, elected officials and community members to provide education on regenerative and economically viable urban permaculture farming practices.

For more information about Living Healthy Harrisburg, visit their Facebook page.

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Free workshops will show residents how to create their own backyard urban garden

June 4, 2021 | by Maddie Conley Gittens

File photo of the Camp Curtin YMCA garden in 2018.

Harrisburg residents are encouraged to “get dirty” in a series of workshops aimed at teaching people to garden.

Local nonprofit Ngozi’s Let’s Get Dirty! Urban Agriculture Center will host free classes on composting, recycling and sustainable living, as well as affordably creating a garden.

Certified permaculture designer and Ngozi’s co-founder Rafiyqa Muhammad will instruct participants on how to set up a recycled resin patio chair garden to grow healthy food in their own backyards.

Organizers of the event hope to empower Harrisburg residents that have been affected the most by the pandemic.

Workshops will run from June 5 to 13 at the Camp Curtin YMCA’s urban garden. Over 40 households will have the chance to participate in the classes and take what they learned back home to their families. Only one person per family may attend.

Registrants will receive supplies and can choose to grow kale, melons, peppers or collard greens. Instructors will teach them when to plant, when to harvest and how to naturally feed their gardens.

The permaculture workshops are sponsored by Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, South Central PA Food Bank, The Whitt Family Foundation, Camp Curtin YMCA, and GIANT.

For information on how to register contact Rafiyqa Muhammad at [email protected]. To learn more about Ngozi’s Let’s Get Dirty! Urban Agriculture Center, visit their Facebook page.

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New chapter for Nativity School, as ribbon is cut on Uptown Harrisburg facility

October 22, 2020 | by M. Diane McCormick

Lavelle Muhammad, Nativity School’s executive director, gets ready to cut the ribbon today flanked by, from left, state Rep. Patty Kim, Harrisburg Mayor Eric Papenfuse, board member Sheri Phillips and state Sen. John DiSanto.

In sixth grade, Anthony Lester struggled with reading, but his English teacher at Nativity School helped him improve. Now that he’s in eighth grade, what’s his favorite subject?

It’s English.

“I like that the school pushes you harder to work better,” he said. “It’s like a family group. If you need help, you can talk to your teachers. If you have problems going on at home, you can talk to Mr. Muhammad or Coach DJ about it.”

He means Executive Director Lavelle Muhammad and Dean of Students Demond Bates at Nativity School of Harrisburg, the all-boys, faith-based, nondenominational middle school embarking on a new chapter. On a misty Thursday morning, school and government officials cut the ribbon on a new space – the first that the school can call its own.

The facility at 2101 N. 5^th Street, purchased from Zion Assembly Church, allows expansion of enrollment in sixth, seventh and eighth grades, plus the addition of fifth grade starting in 2021-22.

Nativity School educates and mentors inner-city and at-risk middle-school boys from low-income families. Academic help and life guidance continue while alumni attend high school and college. Attendance is free, and tuition is paid to local private high schools.

“We’ve got to make sure they graduate,” said Muhammad. “Most of them don’t come back to talk about academics. They come back to talk about life. At that age, there’s really not a lot of fathers. We have to kind of stand in place as the fathers.”

Nativity students at today’s ceremony included Jaden Garnes, Omar Ibrahim, Anthony Lester, Ty’Myr Wilkerson and Jhameer Tucker.

The new facility is a dream made real since the school’s founding in 2001, said Sheri Phillips, board member and, in Muhammad’s words, “the backbone of Nativity.” Students first attended school in space shared with the St. Francis of Assisi Church soup kitchen – sometimes stepping over homeless people sleeping on the floor.

Moving to the Camp Curtin YMCA provided access to classrooms, gym and cafeteria, but space limitations restricted expansion, Phillips said. Around 2018, Zion members expressed their support for the school by agreeing to sell their classroom space. After settlement in March 2020 and renovations begun in April by Weidner Construction Services, the school opened on time.

“This is just the beginning for us,” Phillips said.

The project was a community effort, said state Rep. Patty Kim, who admitted to “falling in love” with Nativity when her chief of staff’s son attended. Students “deserve the best” in a school space, and so do faculty, “who worked so hard day in and day out, loving the kids, caring for the kids, praying for the kids,” she said. “This can be a model for the rest of the school district. It can.”

Harrisburg needs Nativity School’s emphasis on conflict resolution “through intellect and education rather than through violence” and on community service, said Mayor Eric Papenfuse.

“The mission of Nativity School is one that benefits all of us,” Papenfuse said. “It’s one we can be incredibly proud of, and it’s one that is now secure by finally finding a long-term home.”

Before the ceremony, eighth-grader Omar Ibrahim cited community service – picking up trash around the YMCA on N. 6th Street, helping Homeland Center residents play bingo or decorate gingerbread houses – as one of his favorite things about Nativity School.

“I like how we’re not distracted,” he said. “I like how we get a better education. I like how we get to do a lot of stuff in the community to help people.”

Nativity School offers a lifeline to young men and provides a model for lawmakers trying to “change the bureaucratic problems” of state-level education, said state Sen. John DiSanto. “We need to reimagine education, we need to reengage, we need to reach the youth, and we need to continue to demonstrate the positiveness within the city and in the communities of poverty that are really challenged.”

Inside the school (currently on a hybrid weekly schedule of classroom and remote learning) are five classrooms, cafeteria, and a former sanctuary converted to gym and auditorium. For the first time, alumni returning for guidance or a place to do homework have a lounge, complete with foosball.

Current students have already embraced the school as their own.

“It makes me feel more of a great person,” said eighth-grader Jaden Garnes. “I know I’ll learn more stuff and get a better education.”

The school offers students “a place that we can call home,” said Bates, the dean of students and basketball coach. Nativity School staff balance education with life guidance, letting students know “that you can make a mistake and recover,” he added. Expanding to fifth grade presents the chance to touch students even earlier, when they can build stronger defenses against peer pressure.

In a moment of serendipity, a passing motorist stopped to ask about the hubbub and the blazer-clad students. Awed by what he learned, he told Muhammad that Nativity School was exactly what he wanted for his kids and would enroll them next year.

Muhammad admits to not realizing how much work was needed to convert the space to classrooms, but now, like that passerby, he’s in awe.

“This is incredible,” he said. “I’m looking at my office like, ‘This is amazing. I can’t believe this.’”

Nativity School of Harrisburg is located at 2101 N. 5^th St., Harrisburg. For more information and to support the school, visit their website.

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Breaking Walls, Building Lives: At Nativity School, Lavelle Muhammad educates, prepares boys for life

July 31, 2020 | by Deborah E. Lynch

Lavelle Muhammad in front of the new Nativity School of Harrisburg.

Most cultures believe that parents must always put their children first. But, unfortunately, that doesn’t always happen.

At 14 and 15 years old, Lavelle Muhammad was sitting in rehab centers in the Lancaster area with his mother, helping her work through her issues. That pain has never left him and is what propelled him on his life’s path.

More than 30 years later, Muhammad is trying to find solutions for young boys, some in similar situations, now as principal and executive director of Nativity School of Harrisburg, a middle school for disadvantaged inner-city boys. Sometimes, however, life continues to intrude on the safe space that he and the school are trying to create. In just one week last September, two shootings outside Nativity’s home at the Camp Curtin YMCA in Harrisburg disrupted school.

The day after the second shooting, the community turned out to support the anxious students with state representatives, city councilors, county commissioners, police officers, firefighters and neighbors, who showed up to walk them safely into school. But getting back to normal required their 6-foot-3 gentle giant of a principal to emit calm and allay fears.

“I think he’s so good with them,” Nativity board Secretary Sheri Phillips said. “One, I think because of his—he has such a good presence because of his size. And, two, because his voice is just so calm. He doesn’t get overly excited. He has a very calming presence for the boys. They have a lot of respect for him.”

His students echo those feelings, adding other words to the list like “curious” and “corny.”

“Lavelle Muhammad made me want to be at school because he brings good vibes into our school,” said Jahfi Logan, now a rising 10th-grader at Trinity High School in Camp Hill.

Even more, Logan liked that Muhammad is relatable and “laughs at his own jokes.”

As his teenaged experience of being a parent to his parent illustrates, Muhammad didn’t always find it so it easy to laugh at himself.

“I was so angry, so similar to these boys [at Nativity] because I didn’t understand why I was angry, but I was angry by the condition and the life circumstances given to me,” he said.

He was able to channel his anger and pain through his athletic talents. In high school, his coaches and a special teacher, who saw the pain through Muhammad’s popular sports star bravado, gave him hope. That teacher, “who, with all due respect, was a nerd,” didn’t judge. Instead, he offered solutions as “he talked to me differently than anyone had ever talked to me,” helping Muhammad make it through high school and onto the football field at Millersville University.

After college, he felt a bit lost, but that lack of direction proved fortuitous, leading him to Harrisburg for a new start. He had a job working with juvenile delinquents and fell in love with the community, even as he grew frustrated over the senseless killings and misguided youth.

“I just wanted to be an agent of change, so I got with some like-minded men who were concerned citizens, and we would just mentor the youth, work with them, walk around the streets, communicate with people, let them know there’s an opportunity out there beyond what they were given now,” he said.

Since that time, he’s continued to reach out within the community to find others who would help him work to secure the streets. It’s there that he’s found potential Nativity students.

He said that young boys running the streets at night, some shirtless, would see him and his friends walking the streets, dressed in suits, and would be amazed at this sight. They became almost like well-intentioned Pied Pipers as the boys, intrigued, would follow along beside them, asking questions, staying safe. Some did end up attending Nativity School after Muhammad sought out their parents and explained the school and its mission.

Life or Death

Founded in 2001, Nativity School of Harrisburg is part of a larger network of Catholic-based Miguel Nativity schools around the country that were founded to offer hope and to break the cycle of poverty in inner cities.

Nativity School of Harrisburg, although faith-based, is non-denominational. Students are taught facts about many religions, the history of the Bible and passages from the Bible. The goal: to give boys from hardship something to believe in.

As a father figure to many of the boys who come from fatherless homes, Muhammad stresses the need to give them a loving and nurturing relationship.

“I’ve always looked at it like ‘never forget that they’re children, but treat them as adults with a lot of respect,’” he said. “I like to have fun with them … but at the same time, I’m stern with them.”

When he first arrived as principal at Nativity, Muhammad was looking for boys to attend the school.

“We had one, a fifth-grader sitting in his living room when a bullet shot through his window and hit him in his mouth. The next day DJ [Demond Bates, Nativity dean] and I found him,” said Muhammad, who has, for the past 12 years, also worked as a relief houseparent with his wife at Milton Hershey. “He was too young to enroll, but we stayed with him, communicated, and in sixth grade, put him in the school. Now, he’s soon to graduate from Milton Hershey School.”

The streets still call out to Muhammad. He galvanizes other men to canvas the areas like 16th and Market streets where they see all kinds of activity.

“We give them a smile, give them some encouragement,” he said, of the men on the streets. “That breaks those walls—those tough guy walls. You’re not worried about their humanity because once you tap into their divinity, you break those walls.”

He’s breaking down similar walls at Nativity, finding boys who want to be educated, getting boys who are scarred by life to trust and believe and adding educational programs.

To’Ron James, a Nativity graduate and recent graduate of Trinity High School who will attend Bloomsburg University this fall, confirms that Muhammad instilled trust in him.

“He did have a powerful message for us—it’s either life or death,” James said. “You’re either going to do the right things or you’re going to do the bad things. That still hits me to this day.”

At the same time, Muhammad is working to build new programs based off his ideas about humanity and finding solutions to problems. He hopes to start a conflict resolution center in Harrisburg, separate from his work at Nativity. He is talking with local community groups and leaders who are seeking the same thing—“to make our community a safer place to live”—to start such a center.

“My desire is to open a conflict resolution center that community members can come to—a place to resolve conflict and learn conflict resolution skills,” he said. “The goal is obviously to help to lower the killings and the shootings in our community and teach our children how to use their verbal skills to de-escalate. It’s a way to prevent physical altercations—let’s come talk and resolve this without the bloodshed.”

A New Space

Nativity School of Harrisburg, long located in the Camp Curtin YMCA, hasn’t had the space to help as many students as the school’s leaders would like, but the purchase of a building at 2101 N. 5th St. this spring changes everything.

While the school gets more than 40 applicants a year, it has only been able to accept 15 boys. With the new building, which also houses Zion Assembly church and Tri-County OIC, Nativity leaders hope the school will be able to continue to grow and serve as many as 200 students over time. They also hope to add a fifth-grade class.

Nativity’s board had been looking at properties for years. They wanted a building with a gymnasium and classrooms. It was a complicated search that continues to involve big fundraising campaigns. But when the Zion Assembly congregation, which was too small for its big space, decided it wanted to support the Nativity mission by selling to the school, the dream finally became a reality.

The location helps Nativity achieve another dream, too—to continue to work together with the Camp Curtin Y, along with Homeland, to help to improve and make a difference in that neighborhood and in the city as a whole.

Why just boys? Nativity started with just a student or two who had come from juvenile detention. Over the years, the focus changed from rehabilitation to education and the need to build strong families.

“A lot of the households don’t have father figures, and it affects them in school and in their lives,” said board Secretary Sheri Phillips of Nativity’s mission. “Nativity gave them a place they could go and learn and feel a family atmosphere.”

For now, Nativity hopes to expand the number of boys it can serve and to continue to celebrate the successes of its graduates. More and more of the boys are graduating from high school then continuing their education at colleges and trade schools. Many of them return, wanting to give back to the school that helped them break the cycle of poverty.

To learn more about the Nativity School or to donate to their building campaign, visit www.nativityschoolofharrisburg.org.

May News Digest

May 29, 2020 | by Lawrance Binda and Maddie Conley

Businesses Receive Stabilization Grants

More than 300 Harrisburg-licensed businesses last month received $5,000 grants to help them survive the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic.

The city and Impact Harrisburg announced the awards from a pool of money funded by both entities.

“We wanted to fund as many businesses as we possibly could across the broad spectrum,” said Sheila Dow-Ford, executive director of Impact Harrisburg, a nonprofit set up following the city’s financial crisis to help spur economic development. “So we are hoping we hit the mark in that regard.”

The program allowed businesses to request up to $10,000, but, given the large number of applicants, Impact Harrisburg decided to give $5,000 grants to all qualified applicants.

Initially, both the city and Impact Harrisburg were to contribute $500,000 to a $1 million fund, with the city’s portion originating from its dormant “revolving loan fund.”

However, qualified applications exceeded the initial funding, so Impact Harrisburg kicked in another $750,000. The city now is considering adding money for a second round of funding.

“Our goal is to keep these businesses afloat so, when it is time to reopen, they have a fighting chance of surviving and bouncing back, hopefully stronger than ever,” said Mayor Eric Papenfuse.

Recipient Angel Fox of Fox’s Wash and Go said that the grant will allow her to repair washing machines in her Allison Hill laundromat, as customers have been “over-stuffing” the machines to try to stretch their own limited financial resources.

Elementary Coffee Co.’s Andrea Grove said that, beyond the money, she appreciated that care was taken to distribute the grants to all deserving, qualified applicants.

“We desperately need this money, but so many other people need it as well,” she said. “That is a beautiful testament to the care that this community has for each individual business and the position that they are in.”

For recipient Lori Reese, the money will help her sustain her personal organizing business, Consider It Done LLC, and it will help offset additional costs brought on by the crisis. Like many companies, she’s been forced to do more business online, which has meant extra, unanticipated costs to expand her virtual presence, capabilities and security.

Reese also mentioned a non-financial benefit of the program. Much like Grove, she said that she appreciates the effort, caring and the creativity that her city and Impact Harrisburg showed for the small business community here.

“I feel valued as a city business and a city resident,” she said. “Because it’s local, it means more to me.”

Harrisburg Area Enters Yellow Phase

Most of the Harrisburg area last month entered the less-restrictive “yellow” phase of the state’s phased reopening plan.

In south-central PA, Cumberland, York, Perry and Adams counties were the first to transition from the red phase to the yellow phase in late May. A week later, Dauphin and Lebanon counties joined them.

On June 5, Lancaster County, along with the remainder of “red” counties in the commonwealth, will transition to yellow, Gov. Tom Wolf announced.

Wolf credited the policies of the state government for helping to cut the number of new cases of COVID-19 in the commonwealth. Cases peaked in early April at almost 2,000 new cases a day and gradually fell to fewer than 1,000 new cases a day.

“We know not only that we succeeded in slowing case growth, but that our actions, our collective decisions to stay at home and avoid social contact—we know that saved lives,” Wolf said. “My stay-at-home order did exactly what it was intended to do. It saved lives, and it bought us valuable time.”

The state government uses a tri-color red/yellow/green system to guide re-openings in the commonwealth.

Under the red phase, people are supposed to observe strict “stay-at-home” orders, and “non life-sustaining” businesses cannot operate from their physical locations. Under yellow, these restrictions are eased, but limits remain in place. For instance, schools must remain closed, bars and restaurants are stilled banned from offering sit-down dining, and gatherings of more than 25 people are prohibited.

Under the green phase, most restrictions are lifted, though large crowds remain prohibited. Late last month, 17 mostly rural counties in the northwest and north-central parts of the state entered the green phase.

Allison Hill Project Gets Go-Ahead

One of the largest housing developments on Allison Hill in recent years is slated to move forward, as Harrisburg City Council last month approved a plan for a multi-building project just off of Market Street.

Council unanimously approved the land use plan by TLC Cornerstone Renewal to construct 26 townhouses, a 24-unit apartment building and a community center in a five-block area bounded by N. 15th Street, Walnut Street and Crabapple Street.

“This is such a blighted area,” council President Wanda Williams said during a council work session. “It certainly will enhance this area.”

At that work session, developer Tarik Casteel, president of TLC, told council members that he hopes to break ground in the early fall on the $14.7 million affordable housing project on the 2.1-acre site.

“This project will be big in this community,” he said. “It’s definitely needed, not just in this community but in several areas of the city of Harrisburg.”

Nearly two years ago, TLC cut the ribbon on its first big project, the 20-unit Harrisburg Uptown Building (HUB) and the HUB Veteran Housing Campus.

Casteel told council that the new Allison Hill project would be just the first phase of a three-phase project for the area. He expects a 16-month construction period for the first phase.

“In Allison Hill, there is definitely a need,” he said. “This was one of the worst areas of the city. That’s why we wanted to come into this area, because it is the worst.”

Council Approves CDBG Disbursement

Harrisburg City Council last month approved the disbursement of annual federal housing funds.

The city set aside money from its share of Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) for use by nonprofit “sub-recipients.” These included:

A Miracle for Sure: $13,810
Center for Employment Opportunities: $13,810
Communities in Schools: $13,810
Heinz Menaker Senior Center: $14,000
Latino Hispanic American Community Center (LHACC): $13,810
Neighborhood Dispute Settlement: $13,810
Pennsylvania Immigrant and Refugee Women’s Network: $13,810
The Salvation Army Harrisburg Capital City Region: $25,000

The city also distributed federal Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) funding to the following organizations:

Capital Area Coalition on Homelessness: $24,000
Christian Churches United of the Tri-County Area: $63,000
Shalom House: $43,100
YWCA Greater Harrisburg: $50,000

These funds originate from the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development, and, every year, the city sets aside some of the money for use by community nonprofits.

Harrisburg Plans Cyber School

Come fall, Harrisburg school district students will have another way to learn, as district officials have announced a new, full-time cyber school.

Last month, officials unveiled the Harrisburg Virtual Learning Academy, which is meant to broaden educational options and offer an alternative to cyber charter schools.

“Early on, we asked our teachers to make calls to get feedback from our families. This was way back in March,” said Susan Sneath, chief academic officer for the district. “They were already telling us there was no way they were going to send their children back to [the brick-and-mortar] school.”

Sneath knew the district needed to have another option for students. Thus, the Harrisburg Virtual Learning Academy (HVLA) was established.

According to the district, the HVLA will be full-time and free to Harrisburg students. The program offers K-to-12th grade enrollment, in which each student is provided a Chromebook.

This differs from the district’s existing Cougar Academy, which is a “blended” cyber program that requires that students also spend time inside the classroom. In contrast, HVLA is fully remote.

Students will receive recorded instruction from teachers with additional meetings as needed. While the school is primarily online, there are face-to-face tutoring options, including English language arts and math. Special education teachers, English as a second language teachers and reading specialists will be available to provide support.

Sneath explained that students will continue to receive academic advising through an assigned counselor and can expect outreach from a social worker to aid with social and emotional needs. Technology support will be readily available, as well, during school hours.

The school district plans to use trained educators from the Montgomery County Intermediate Unit, an entity that supports local school districts. Additional faculty, such as counselors and academic advisors, will come from Harrisburg staff.

Students in HVLA can participate in academic advancement such as Advanced Placement courses and “gifted” programs. They will also be tied to their neighborhood’s school, which will allow access to all special events and extracurricular activities such as picture day, athletics and prom.

All HVLA students are considered Harrisburg Cougars, and they will receive a diploma from the Harrisburg school district.

In the past, students in the district seeking online education have often looked to cyber charter schools, but Sneath hopes that this option curbs that.

“We want to keep our kids, and we want to provide the very best for our kids,” she said. “We developed HVLA with that in mind.”

HVLA will not take the place of the district’s remote learning plan for students in the case that students can’t return to school buildings in the fall. The cyber-school is only for those who enroll.

“The intent for the people who enroll in HVLA is that they are going to stay in HVLA,” Sneath said.

Development Projects Approved

Two significant development projects in Harrisburg should soon break ground after receiving final approval by the city.

City Council last month unanimously approved a land development plan by the Hudson Companies to build a 130,000-square-foot office building on the 2500-block of N. 7th Street, the site of the former headquarters of D&H Distributing.

The Hermitage, Pa.-based company plans to demolish D&H’s low-slung building and construct a new, three-story, brick-and-glass building on the site. Hudson then will enter into a long-term lease with the commonwealth, which plans to locate about 850 Department of Human Services and Office of Administration workers there. Most will move from the former Harrisburg State Hospital grounds, which the state is trying to sell.

Hudson hopes to break ground on the project in several months, with completion in late 2021.

City Council also approved a land development plan for the construction of four new townhouses on the 600-block of Woodbine Street. The nearby Camp Curtin YMCA plans to undertake the $1 million affordable housing project on vacant land currently owned by the Harrisburg Redevelopment Authority.

Jamien Harvey, the Camp Curtin YMCA executive director, said he hoped that this project would just be the first phase of building more affordable housing in the area.

Harvey said that the houses, which will cost about $175,000 apiece to build, will sell for $70,000 to $80,000.

“We are looking to change the look of our neighborhood,” he said. “We’re looking to eliminate blight. We’re looking to cut down on the drugs and the violence in our neighborhood, and we’re looking to building a community with pride. This is one of many projects to come.”

Preliminary School Budget Approved

The Harrisburg school district last month approved a preliminary budget for next school year, using federal aid to close a substantial budget gap.

District Receiver Janet Samuels accepted the $157.6 million spending plan, which does not raise school taxes for the 2020-21 year.

The district took a $4.2 million hit due to the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting economic crisis. Unexpectedly, the district had to lower anticipated revenue from earned income taxes, PILOT tax payments, real estate taxes and increases in the state’s basic and special education subsidies.

To help close the deficit, the district was awarded a $4.7 million grant from the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act. However, those funds expire Sept. 30, according to Acting Superintendent Chris Celmer.

“It’s going to take time to work through logistics of how we are able to spend that,” he said.

Celmer said that, if additional state funding doesn’t eliminate the deficit, a staff realignment may help, along with the CARES Act funding.

The 2020-21 budget is $8.6 million higher than the current, 2019-20 school year’s projected final budget. Employee salaries and benefits, along with other higher expenses, are causing the increased spending, according to the district.

Another virtual budget workshop is scheduled for June 15. A final decision on a 2020-21 spending plan is expected on June 22.

The proposed completed budget will be available to the public on the district’s website for 30 days before the last meeting in June.

School Board Appointment

The Harrisburg school district has named Nora Carreras to its board of directors, filling an open seat following the death of Gerald Welch.

District Receiver Janet Samuels last month appointed Carreras, who works for the PA Department of Human Services, due to her “long history as a public servant along with her wealth of knowledge of resources that support children, families and the broader Harrisburg community.”

Under state code, Samuels had 30 days to fill the seat, which was left open after Welch died of COVID-19 complications on April 15. Welch was elected last year to the nine-member board and was in the first year of a four-year term. Carreras’ appointment runs through next year.

“It is a pleasure to welcome Ms. Nora Carreras to the Harrisburg school board of directors,” said Acting Superintendent Chris Celmer. “Ms. Carreras has a proven track record of providing advocacy and support for at-risk families through the commonwealth of Pennsylvania.”

Carreras expressed excitement for the opportunity.

“I am honored to join and support the district’s effort to bring increased educational quality and fiscal accountability,” she said. “Every student in the city of Harrisburg deserves the opportunity to thrive, to learn in a supportive environment and reach their full potential.”

Home Sales Down, Prices Up

Sales dropped but prices rose in the Harrisburg area, as the realtor’s association released its first report during a full month of COVID-19 restrictions.

In April, 455 homes sold in the three-county area, compared to 619 in April 2019, but the median price increased to $200,000 compared to $180,000 a year ago, according to the Greater Harrisburg Association of Realtors (GHAR).

In Dauphin County, 212 houses sold at a median price of $173,000, versus 294 houses at a median price of $167,000 in the year-ago period, GHAR said.

Cumberland County saw 222 houses change hands compared to 296 a year ago, while the median price rose to $235,000 from $202,500. Perry County bucked the trend, with 21 houses selling for a median price of $173,000 compared to 29 houses for $200,000 a year ago.

For the three-county region, days on the market dropped to an average of 50 days versus 53 days the previous April, according to GHAR.

So Noted

TheBurg received 16 individual and group 2020 Keystone Media Awards in the annual peer-reviewed contest sponsored by the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association Foundation. These awards cover a wide range of categories, including for reporting, editorial writing, column writing, illustration, photography and design. TheBurg also won the coveted “Sweepstakes” award for best performance in its category statewide.

Changing Hands

Benton St., 607: D. Thomas to Neidlinger Enterprises LLC, $60,000

Brookwood St., 2462: K. Boyer to CR Property Group LLC, $47,000

Calder St., 321: R. & F. Armetta to 1037 Maclay St. LLC, $70,000

Chestnut St., 1810: CR Property Group LLC to C. Blodgett, $91,500

Derry St., 2531: J. Hocker to J. Einzig, $72,500

Edgewood Rd., 2315: I. & A. MacFarlane to E. Shaner, $214,000

Edward St., 260: J. Dudick to Realm Properties LLC, $97,000

Fulton St., 1707: K. Herbe to A. Murray, $124,900

Fulton St., 1714: N. Smith to N. Pachella & M. Pickup, $127,500

Grand St., 920: M. & A. Bukowski to E. Fisher, $115,000

Green St., 1710: M. Della Porta to B. & B. Hinnenkamp, $210,000

Green St., 1931: N. Condon to S. Agbaw, $204,900

Green St., 2003: S. Biray to B. Maurer & M. Zia, $194,500

Green St., 2043: R. Shokes Jr. to D. & T. Schutt, $214,900

Green St., 2328: J. & L. Leahy to Moxie Properties LLC, $41,000

Holly St., 1815: CR Property Group LLC to B. Nevid, $105,000

Kelker St., 317: Wilmington Trust NA to BDS Property Group LLC, $62,000

Lexington St., 2619: CR Property Group LLC to A. Bertschmann, $105,000

Logan St., 2247: CR Property Group LLC to J. & A. Oates, $101,000

Logan St., 2305: B. & K. Saltzgiver to C. & R. Herr, $42,000

North St., 242: J. & S. Wesley to J. Lucia, $105,000

N. 2nd St., 2525: P. & A. Ramos to A. Arturet, $205,000

N. 3rd St., 1604: C. Overbaugh to A., P. & T. Bair, $124,000

N. 3rd St., 2435: D. & G. Laninga to D. & M. Lambert, $149,900

N. 4th St., 1336: R. & F. Armetta to 1037 Maclay St. LLC, $80,900

N. 4th St., 2442: M. & N. Godfrey to Graevel Holdings LLC, $50,000

N. 4th St., 3111: B. Redman to D. Miller & M. Strouse, $138,000

N. 6th St., 2446: J. Urena to R. Contreras & Y. Vargas, $230,000

N. 14th St., 226: W. Cruz to J. Bowen, $66,000

N. 15th St., 1336: M. Smith to J. Valverde, $50,000

N. 16th St., 814: D. Boyle to E. Reyes, $30,000

N. 16th St., 1105: K. Drayton to N. Gutierrez, $50,000

N. 16th St., 1219: L. Wolf to J. Cruz, $42,000

N. Front St., 2509: Pennsylvania Builders Association to Morning Star Pregnancy Services, $475,000

Parkway Blvd., 2509: A. & L. Smith to J. & M. Torres, $135,000

Penn St., 1208: R. Christ & D. Cole to Wheatland Restore LLC, $88,501

Pennwood St., 3202: CR Property Group LLC to A. Bertschmann, $110,000

Revere St., 1720: Atlantic NorthStar Properties LLC to N. de los Santos, $49,000

Race St., 542: N. Fenstermacher to A. Dullebawn & A. Ditzler, $140,000

Reily St., 206: D. Burnham to Fratelli Property Investments, $135,439

Rudy Rd., 2339: W. MacMichael to L. Kurutz, $169,900

Seneca St., 623: Atlantic NorthStar Properties LLC to J. Thieu, $44,000

S. 18th St., 1033: Secretary of Housing & Urban Development to F. Ramos, $30,100

S. 25th St., 448: K. & M. Stone to G. Bedasa, $115,000

S. 25th St., 616: P. & L. Brown to R. Reyes & F. Nunez, $65,000

S. Front St., 601: R. & L. Firestone to J. Shen, $184,900

Swatara St., 1913: G. Amador & C. Vargas to J. Tejada, $62,000

Sycamore St., 1726: Ocwen Loan Servicing LLC to D&F Realty Holdings LP, $30,000

Harrisburg property sales for April 2020, greater than $30,000. Source: Dauphin County. Data is assumed to be accurate.

Harrisburg Council funds business grant program, approves development projects

April 28, 2020 | by Lawrance Binda

Harrisburg City Council met in a virtual legislative session on Tuesday.

A new grant program designed to sustain city businesses got its final approval on Tuesday night, as Harrisburg agreed to kick in half the money for the fund.

City Council unanimously agreed to allocate $500,000 for the new Neighborhood Business Stabilization Program, a $1 million fund that is offering up to $10,000 for city-licensed businesses, including nonprofits, to try to offset some of the economic damage caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I am certainly in support of it,” said council President Wanda Williams. “These small businesses that were hit hard by this COVID-19 will be able to function again and pay their employees.”

The money is coming from the city’s revolving loan fund, a dormant program that once provided loans to assist city-based businesses. Williams emphasized that measures will be taken to ensure that recipients properly use the funds as indicated in their applications.

Impact Harrisburg, a nonprofit formed as part of the city’s 2013 financial recovery plan, is providing the fund’s other $500,000 and is administering the program.

Impact Harrisburg has already begun accepting applications for the grants. It expects to begin making funding decisions around May 7.

City Solicitor Neil Grover, who is also the chairman of the Impact Harrisburg board, told council members that the program, which just opened last week, already has received more than 300 applications totaling about $2 million in eligible funding requests, about twice the amount allocated for the program.

Because of the overwhelming demand, Grover said that the city and Impact Harrisburg would like to identify additional funding for the program.

“The subscription numbers already exceed the combined monies,” he said. “The board is going into discussions about whether we can locate other sources of money as we start to be able to measure the need locally.”

On Tuesday, City Council also approved two pending development projects.

It unanimously approved a land development plan by the Hudson Companies to build a 130,000-square-foot office building on the 2500-block of N. 7^th Street, the site of the former headquarters of D&H Distributing.

Hudson hopes to break ground on the project in several months, with completion in late 2021.

At last week’s council work session, Jamien Harvey, the Camp Curtin YMCA executive director, said he hoped that this project would just be the first phase of building more affordable housing in the area.

Harvey said that the houses, which will cost about $175,000 apiece to build, will sell for $70,000 to $80,000.

Council also heard a financial update from city Budget and Finance Director Bruce Weber, who largely reiterated a presentation he provided last week to the Intergovernmental Cooperation Authority. In both presentations, Weber said that, despite the general economic collapse, the city’s finances remain fairly stable, though subsequent months will offer clearer insight into how much revenue the city will lose because of higher unemployment and the loss of parking revenue.

Lastly, council unanimously passed a resolution allowing Harrisburg to enter into an intergovernmental cooperation agreement with the Pennsylvania Department of Health to receive as much as $540,250 to fund lead hazard control activities in the city. This will enable the city to continue its existing lead abatement program over several more years.

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