[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 12] [Extensions of Remarks] [Page 17376] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]HONORING THE SCRANTON AREA FOUNDATION ON RECEIVING THE ATTORNEY ROBERT W. MUNLEY DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD FROM LACKAWANNA PRO BONO ______ HON. PAUL E. KANJORSKI of pennsylvania in the house of representatives Wednesday, September 29, 2010 Mr. KANJORSKI. Madam Speaker, I rise today to ask you and my esteemed colleagues in the House of Representatives to pay tribute to the Scranton Area Foundation on receiving the Attorney Robert W. Munley Distinguished Service Award from Lackawanna Pro Bono. Lackawanna Pro Bono is a non-profit organization established in 1997 to increase the availability of free legal representation for low- income individuals and families throughout Lackawanna County. Over the past 13 years they have organized local attorneys to volunteer their time to provide representation in over 2,000 cases, and in the process have helped nearly 5,000 residents of Northeastern Pennsylvania. Lackawanna Pro Bono will host its second annual Fundraising Gala on October 21, 2010 in Scranton, Pennsylvania. For the second year, Lackawanna Pro Bono will honor a select number of individuals and organizations who have demonstrated excellent service to the community with its Attorney Robert W. Munley Distinguished Service Award. This year's group of deserving recipients includes the Scranton Area Foundation. The Scranton Area Foundation was initially formed in 1954 as a private foundation. In 1988, the Foundation qualified as a charitable non-profit organization and transitioned into a public community foundation. The Scranton Area Foundation's mission is to ``meet a wide variety of education, cultural, human service, and other charitable needs through Lackawanna County.'' To achieve this goal, the Foundation coordinates charitable giving throughout the Scranton area and Lackawanna County by encouraging and facilitating local philanthropy and matching donations to the community's greatest areas of need. The Foundation educates donors on the different mechanisms of charitable giving and works with them to maximize the effectiveness of their donations. Then, the Foundation's staff directs the donations to the community's arts and culture, economic development, education, environmental, health, and recreational needs. Since its inception, the Foundation has awarded over $8 million in grants throughout the Scranton area and Lackawanna County. Madam Speaker, please join me in honoring the Scranton Area Foundation on being recognized as a valued asset of Northeastern Pennsylvania. In the years ahead I am confident they will continue to make positive impacts in the growth of our region. ____________________