Two new funds have been established at the Carbon County Community Foundation, both to support the important work of organizations providing services in the county.

The Carbon County Catholic Worker Fund was established with an initial gift and support from the Catholic Worker Movement and the Carbon County Catholic Worker community founder, Ericka Williams-Rodriguez.

The organization provides charitable services for those in need across the county, including food pantry services, educational services, spiritual counseling and culture events. It recently purchased the Our Lady of Angels Academy and the neighboring St. Katharine Drexel Catholic Church in Lansford and has plans to convert it into a Dorothy Day House of Hospitality and a new Community Center. The Carbon County Catholic Worker Fund will support the programs and operating costs of that venture.

“We intend to use these buildings to serve the poor with a food pantry, free store, educational center and as a home for a Catholic Worker family. We hope to help fight blight in Lansford with a community center where Our Lady of Angels Academy once was,” Williams-Rodriguez said. “We are hoping to donate St. Katharine’s, formerly known as St. Michael the Archangel Church, to an organization that needs space and will preserve the memory of the miners that funded the building of this historically significant site.”

The Kidder Hike and Bike Trail Fund was established to support the development and maintenance of the recreational trail which connects Big Boulder Lake Drive and Lake Harmony Road in Kidder Township, providing a safe and convenient way for hikers and bikers to reach the area’s restaurants, lodging and other attractions. The completed part of the trail is 1/3 mile long, 12 feet wide, and handicap accessible with a flat, crushed stone surface. There are plans to continue the trail through the mountains’ beautiful, wooded areas to provide easy access to public areas.

The Kidder Hike & Bike Trail group consists of volunteers who raise funds, recruit other volunteers, and help the township build the trail system. Their work is funded primarily through fundraising, grants, donations and events, including an annual “Float Your Boat” event. The Kidder Hike and Bike Trail Fund will support the work of this group in the continued development and maintenance of the trail.

“We at Kidder Hike and Bike Trail group are very happy to be a nonprofit fund under the Carbon County Community Foundation,” said Barbara Franzosa, member of the Kidder Hike and Bike Trail Group. “The foundation affords us the opportunity to pursue grants for future Kidder Township parks and trails and allows us to grow our fund for the long-term care of our trails and parks.”

“We’re thrilled to welcome Carbon County Catholic Worker and the Kidder Hike and Bike Trail Funds into the pool of community impact funds at Carbon County Community Foundation,” said Sharon Alexander, president of CCCF. “Both organizations provide important services to the region, and these funds will allow like-minded individuals to donate and support Carbon County’s current and future needs in these areas.”

Further details about the two new funds, including how interested community members can volunteer or donate to support either organization’s mission, can be found online at www.cccfoundpa.org/existing-funds.

The Carbon County Community Foundation was formed in 2015 with the mission to improve the quality of life for residents of the Carbon County region, now and forever.

The foundation exists to simultaneously be a philanthropic leader, a community resource and a financial steward. Carbon County Community Foundation’s role in charitable giving is to help donors realize their goals today and in the future; to improve the capacity of nonprofits to meet vital needs through grants and workshops; to facilitate opportunities for collaboration and innovation; to build resources and strengthen our community, forever.

Learn more about CCCF at cccfoundpa.org or by calling 1-855-545-1311.