Member News – March 15, 2023

March Events at Lions Gate

Lions Gate continues to hold regular community events for all ages, including yoga, spin, movie matinees, kids canvas painting, open houses, trivia and live music. Check out the calendar here.

BloomCON HAK4KIDZ Returns on Saturday, March 25

The Bloomsburg Children's Museum is pleased to announce that HAK4KIDZ, the area’s only kid-friendly hacking conference, returns on Saturday, March 25 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at the Kehr Union Center on the campus of Bloomsburg University. The Bloomsburg Children’s Museum produces Hak4Kidz in conjunction with the BloomCON, an adult-hacking conference on Bloomsburg University grounds. Children aged 7-17 are encouraged to pre-register for this FREE conference. Registration can be done at https://www.bloomconhak4kidz.com/.

Upcoming Bucknell Small Business Development Center Workshops

Don't miss these free workshops offered by the Bucknell SBDC:

March 23, 2023, 12 pm - Basic Legal Considerations for Startups and Small Businesses
April 19, 2023 9:30 am - Intellectual Property Fundamentals for Small Business

The SBDC also reminds you that there are several grants and loan opportunities currently open for application, including Economic Injury Disaster Loans, Small Business Advantage Grants, DEP Agriculture Energy Efficiency Rebates, and more.

McKonly & Asbury Webinar: Reviewing SOC 2 Reports Efficiently & Effectively

Organizations need to review SOC 2 reports from critical vendors and some of these reports can be hundreds of pages. In this March 30, 2 PM webinar, David Hammarberg, Partner and leader of the firm’s SOC, Cybersecurity, Forensic Examination, and Information Technology practices along with Lynnanne Bocchi, Senior Manager will discuss how to review these reports efficiently and effectively. Register now.

Free Preview Performance of Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble’s 44th Annual Theatre In the Classroom Production, Park Protectors: The Story of the Buffalo Soldiers and the National Park Service

The Bloomsburg Public Library will host the first public performance of Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble’s Park Protectors: The Story of the Buffalo Soldiers and the National Park Service on Saturday, March 18th, at noon. The show is free, fun, and suitable for all ages. No reservations or tickets are needed! Read the release.

Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble Announces Auditions for this Summer’s ‘Dragons Love Tacos’

BTE is pleased to announce an audition date for this summer’s ‘Dragons Love Tacos.’ Auditions for children and teens ages 8 to 18 will be held on April 15th at the Alvina Krause Theatre, 226 Center Street, Bloomsburg. The doors will open at 9:30 am, and auditions begin at 10:00 am. Read the full release.

Innovative Manufacturer's Center (IMC) Events

IMC will host two free events in April. Contact Lauri Moon, IMC Outreach & Special Projects Manager, with questions.

April 6, 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM - webinar called "Developing Your Workforce with Online Training & Certification"
April 11, 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM - "Electrical Safety Training for General Industry", to be held in person at Northway Industries in Middleburg, PA.

First Front Door Grant Reservations Now Open

This grant offers up to $5,000 in down payment and closing cost assistance for first-time homebuyers. The FHLB of Pittsburgh will match the qualified homebuyer's contribution 3-to-1. For every $1 you contribute, you can receive $3 in grant assistance, up to a maximum of $5,000. The grant assistance can be used toward a down payment and/or closing costs on owner-occupied homes.¹

To qualify you must:

Not have owned a home in the past 3 years
Have household income at or below 80% of the area median income
Not be a student working less than 30 hours per week
Complete at least four hours of homeownership counseling² prior to purchasing the home
Retain the home for five years to avoid having to repay any portion of the grant

Not sure if you qualify? Columbia County Housing & Redevelopment Authorities' Matt Hess has provided an 80% AMI table for reference. Thanks Matt! See it below:

Household Size	Income Limit
1	$ 41,450
2	$ 47,400
3	$ 53,300
4	$ 59,200
5	$ 63,950
6	$ 68,700
7	$ 73,450
8	$ 78,150

Fiscal Year 2023 Nonprofit Security Grant Program Now Open

Through this Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency grant, eligible nonprofits are allowed to request a maximum of $150,000 per investment justification to increase the physical/cybersecurity safety of the applicant's owned/leased facility. No match for this grant is required. More details may be found here. The deadline to apply is April 28, 2023 at 5pm. Questions may be directed to nsgpgrant@pa.gov.