Countdown to giving Week
PHN CHARITABLE FOUNDATION
SERVING LAWRENCE COUNTY, THE SHENANGO VALLEY, GREENVILLE / NORTHERN MERCER COUNTY, GROVE CITY, AND NORTHERN TRUMBULL COUNTY
AMOUNT DONATED: $0
The PHN Charitable Foundation (PHNCF) was founded in 2005 as the sole fundraising arm of the Primary Health Network (PHN), Pennsylvania's largest Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC). PHNCF's mission is: "To build and support programs in the PHN service area that increase access to healthcare services and assist, through scholarships, with the pursuit of medical and allied health careers." PHNCF supports this mission by raising funds to build and sustain programs that are intended to improve the health and quality of life in the communities PHN serves. Its fundraising activities are driven by community support and engagement.
Giving Week Progress:
FUNDRAISING GOAL: $2,000
Programs Supported by Your Donations
Program Impact and Community Engagement
Potential donations to the PHN Charitable Foundation will directly support our community-based literacy initiatives, which are designed to foster a lifelong love of reading—beginning in early childhood and continuing throughout life. Our foundation has strategically invested in two key programs that promote literacy across Western Pennsylvania:
1. Reach Out and Read
We proudly support Reach Out and Read, a nationally recognized nonprofit that integrates literacy promotion into pediatric primary care. Through this initiative, pediatric providers give age-appropriate books to children during wellness visits from six months to five years old, encouraging families to read together daily. Since the program’s inception, over 6,000 books have been distributed to young patients across our network, laying the foundation for strong language and literacy development during the most formative years.
2. Little Free Library
We have also invested in the Little Free Library program, which provides 24/7 access to free books in community spaces, modeled after traditional libraries. These small, publicly accessible book-sharing boxes are stocked with a diverse selection of titles for all ages. To date, we have distributed over 4,000 books through this initiative across PHN’s Western Pennsylvania counties. Thanks to the generosity of our community, our book drives have collected more than 7,000 donated books, helping to keep these libraries well-stocked and vibrant.
Both programs are sustained entirely through donations and fundraising efforts. With additional support, PHN Charitable Foundation aims to expand the Little Free Library initiative to every community served by the Primary Health Network in Western Pennsylvania—ensuring that all residents, regardless of income or background, have access to the joy and opportunity that reading provides.
Needs that Cannot beMet without Your Help
Over the past year, our organization has experienced a dramatic increase in demand for our literacy programs, particularly among underserved populations in our community. However, due to significant funding constraints and limited fundraising capacity, we have been unable to meet several critical needs that directly impact on our ability to deliver equitable, high-quality literacy services.
Rising Demand for Literacy Services
The educational disparities in our community have widened, especially in the wake of ongoing economic challenges. We have seen a surge in requests for early childhood reading programs. Unfortunately, due to limited resources, we have had to limit the number of books that are being distributed to those in our communities.
Barriers to Program Expansion and Accessibility
Our current funding levels do not allow us to expand our programs into additional high-need neighborhoods or rural areas where literacy rates remain critically low.
Staffing Limitations
We are currently operating with a reduced staff, which has placed a significant strain on our team and limited our program capacity.
