Outreach - Center for Community Resources


With respect for the individual and with the highest professional standards, Outreach - Center for Community Resources, offers a variety of programs that promote family stability and economic self-sufficiency.

About Us

For over 35 years, Outreach - Center for Community Resources has provided evidence-based programming to individuals and families throughout Northeastern Pennsylvania. Outreach operates two locations - the Seventh Avenue Center in Scranton, PA and a satellite office in downtown Wilkes-Barre, PA. Outreach serves thousands of individuals, a majority of which earn less than $25,000 annually and live below the Federal Poverty Line. 

Outreach offers a robust variety of programs and wraparound case management to help individuals and families achieve economic self-sufficiency and family stability. Outreach strives to help move families forward. 

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The average cost of school supplies is $100 per child
The average cost of school supplies is $100 per child

Outreach hosts a Children's Career Fair each summer, encouraging children to dream big about their future. During the event, children in attendance are provided with school supplies to prepare for the upcoming school year.

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$250 can help with a down payment on a car.
$250 can help with a down payment on a car.

The Outreach LEAD (Lead, Educate, and Develop) Center helps individuals remove barriers to economic self-sufficiency through workforce development training, GED preparation, financial literacy, and the Ways to Work car loan program.

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Afterschool tutoring can cost between $30 - $50 per hour.
Afterschool tutoring can cost between $30 - $50 per hour.

Outreach provides free afterschool tutoring and STEAM educational activities for elementary-aged children residing at the Skyview Park Apartment Complex.

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Resume services can cost an average of $100
Resume services can cost an average of $100

Outreach LEAD Center provides workforce development training and job services free of charge. The LEAD Center staff are highly trained to help jobseekers find quality jobs that offer family-sustaining wages. Outreach has partnerships with more than 200 regional businesses and often host job fairs to connect these employers to qualified candidates.

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$150 provides a meal for one our support groups
$150 provides a meal for one our support groups

Outreach offers support groups for men and women. Outreach offers a Fatherhood Group and Parent Cafes (a parent support group). In 2025, Outreach's Fatherhood Group held the Fathers Matter Walk in Scranton that highlighted the importance of a father's role in their child's life.

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In home parenting programs can cost families nearly $200 per session - Outreach's home visiting programs are offered at no cost.
In home parenting programs can cost families nearly $200 per session - Outreach's home visiting programs are offered at no cost.

Outreach serves numerous families with young children. Outreach offers Parents as Teachers, SafeCare Augmented, and the Incredible Years.

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$30 can cover the cost of supplies for a Toddler Play & Learn Group session
$30 can cover the cost of supplies for a Toddler Play & Learn Group session

Outreach hosts a weekly Toddler Play & Learn Group at the Seventh Avenue Center. Each week, Outreach Family Development Specialists plan a hands-on activity that focuses on one of the Protective Factors help families bond and learn together. In the Spring of 2025, families helped plant flowers in Outreach's backyard green space as part of a City Pride initiative.

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$75 can cover the cost of a GED Exam preparation book for 3 individuals
$75 can cover the cost of a GED Exam preparation book for 3 individuals

In the 1990s, Outreach began offering educational services, including GED exam preparation, to incarcerated individuals at the Lackawanna County Prison. In 2021, Outreach adapted its GED services to offer classes to the wider community. Classes are held at Outreach's Seventh Avenue Center, which houses two dedicated GED classrooms. Outreach is always thrilled to celebrate new graduates, like Nysha!

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$40 per hour - the cost of postpartum doula services
$40 per hour - the cost of postpartum doula services

Outreach postpartum doulas visit the homes of families with newborns to provide support, education, and connections to outside resources. Outreach Doulas are DONA International Postpartum Certified and are committed to helping families thrive during their infant's earliest days.

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$15 can provide a toy for a child on Christmas morning
$15 can provide a toy for a child on Christmas morning

Annually, Outreach and its partners throughout the region put on their elf hats and transform the Toddler Playroom into the Toyland Workshop. Children served by Outreach's programming each receive a toy, book, and warm pair of pajamas. In 2024, Outreach provided gifts for over 400 children.

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A Word from Outreach's President & CEO

Dear Friends,

"Education for Life" perfectly captures the essence of what we do at Outreach – Center for Community Resources. Our comprehensive programs recognize that true education extends far beyond the classroom and continues throughout a person's journey toward stability and independence.

Whether we're providing GED preparation and workforce development through our LEAD Center, offering evidence-based parenting programs like Parents as Teachers and SafeCare Augmented, or supporting families through our court-related and reentry services, we are equipping individuals with the knowledge, skills, and confidence they need to thrive at every stage of life. From prenatal support to workforce training, from helping justice-involved individuals reintegrate into the community to ensuring children are ready to succeed in school, we believe that education is the foundation for breaking cycles of poverty and building strong, stable families.

Our mission of promoting family stability and economic self-sufficiency is realized when we transform lives through education that addresses not just academic needs, but the whole person – their circumstances, their challenges, and their dreams for a brighter future. Education for life means meeting thousands of participants where they are and walking alongside them as they build the skills and resilience needed to create lasting change for themselves, their families, and our community.

Creating pathways and promise,

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Lori Chaffers, MSW
President & CEO