Five Local Visits Deliver Grant Checks Worth $295,000

HARRISBURG PA – It always nice when a friend stops by to visit. It’s even nicer when that friend carries oversize grant checks with your name on it.

The latter form of arrival earned big-smile welcomes Tuesday and Wednesday (Aug. 11-12, 2026).

That’s when 24th District state Sen. Tracy Pennycuick went calling on five local organizations. At each, the senator delivered checks that represent state grant funding. They made a total of $295,000 available for proposed projects.

The money, with Pennycuick’s encouragement, came from the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development.

The Five Grant Recipients

Five Local Visits Deliver Grant Checks Worth $295,000 — Representatives of the Upper Perkiomen Valley Library in Red Hill PA are all smiles as they join state Sen. Tracy Pennycuick, second from left, in receiving an oversized state grant check in the amount of $100,000

Pennycuick met personally with, and congratulated, representatives of the grant recipients. They included:

The Open Link in Pennsburg PA, which received a $45,000 grant to support its Code Blue Shelter and food pantry. Open link is “seeing significant increases in requests for assistance,” Executive Director Marianne Lynch reported.

Boyertown Community Library in Boyertown PA, $50,000 for restroom and Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA)-related improvements. The renovations “will ensure every community member can access and use the library facilities with ease,” according to Library Director Sami Jo Trout.

General Carl Spaatz National USAAF Museum in Boyertown PA, $50,000 for facility renovations. “This grant will enable us to meet the requirements set forth in our five-year plan, and will be critical in terms of sustainment, longevity” and accomplishing its mission, museum CEO Col. Keith Seiwell said.

Perkiomen Valley Library in Schwenksville PA, $50,000 for new equipment and furniture purchases. Library Board President Meredith Glodek said the funds “will provide for the purchase of new shelving and furnishings throughout the children’s section, significantly enhancing the space for young patrons and their families.”

Upper Perkiomen Valley Library in Red Hill PA, $100,000 for facility renovations and ADA-related improvements. Its grant, Branch Manager Christine Bates said, allows the library to create “equitable and inclusionary structural additions to the building.” They should ensure “the library is accessible to everyone in the community,” she added.

Providing Local Support

The state’s financial resources offer support to community organizations and cultural institutions, Pennycuick said. The recipients, she added, “play an invaluable role in strengthening our communities.”

Grants from the Department of Community & Economic Development help fulfill several state goals, the senator said. They advance sustainable development, support strategic business and community initiatives, and provide technical assistance and financial resources.

Our local news reporting includes articles about state, county, borough, township, and village government decisions and activities within, or that affect residents of, Montgomery, Berks, and Chester PA counties. It also includes Traffic articles about private and public transportation issues. Find more government articles here.