The Salvation Army’s Corps Community Centers

Pennsylvania-based CPA and business owner Larry Wittig is highly involved in his community. In addition to his efforts on various education and workforce boards, Larry Wittig has been a member of the Tamaqua Salvation Army since 2001.

Tamaqua Salvation Army is one of 21 chapters in Eastern Pennsylvania, and like the others, it provides relevant social services and community programming to meet the needs of the community members it serves. Much of this work is achieved through corps community centers. The Salvation Army’s most basic service unit, these centers operate a variety of programs benefiting diverse groups, ranging from children to senior citizens. There are 82 corps community centers in Pennsylvania.

In line with The Salvation Army’s Christian and humanitarian origins and beliefs, corps community centers host and organize Vacation Bible School and Sunday worship services as well as feeding and transitional housing programs. Youth programs emphasize character and spiritual development and aim to inspire and empower at-risk youth to lead healthy and successful lives. Senior programming, meanwhile, includes board games, crafts, health screenings, and exercise classes.

LSWIB 2019 Report on County Workforce Trends

LSWIB Logo image: careerlinkwilkesbarre.org

Alongside his work as a certified public accountant, Larry Wittig has led several boards for Tamaqua-based organizations associated with education and workforce development. Larry Wittig previously served as the chairman of the Luzerne-Schuylkill Workforce Investment Board (LSWIB).

For the past two years, the LSWIB has published an indicator report covering trends in regional population growth, housing, and the economy. The latest report revealed that the region has made a slight recovery since the Great Recession. Driven by retirees leaving the workforce, unemployment has decreased and available jobs have increased.

The unemployment rate in Luzerne County dropped by nearly half from just under 10 percent in 2010 to 5.4 percent eight years later. Between 2013 and 2017, job growth began to outpace population growth, which contributes to more work opportunities and a tight labor market. In Luzerne County, job growth was concentrated in six industries, including transportation, finance, and real estate.

Salvation Army Helps People with Developmental Disabilities

Salvation Army
Image: salvationarmyusa.org

A managing partner of Wittig CPA’s in Tamaqua, Pennsylvania, Larry Wittig also serves as the president and owner of Tamaqua Transfer & Recycling, Inc. Dedicated to serving his community in a variety of capacities, Larry Wittig is also a board member for the Tamaqua Salvation Army and helped fundraise for its new facility.

Focused on assisting people in need, the Tamaqua Salvation Army belongs to a larger network of Salvation Army branches throughout Eastern Pennsylvania. One of the ways the Salvation Army supports the community is through its Developmental Disabilities Program (DDP). It offers residential services, supported employment, and community day services to individuals with intellectual disabilities.

The DPP program covering Eastern Pennsylvania and Delaware provides residential support to almost 100 people. In addition, the regional program has helped hundreds of people with developmental disabilities find fulfilling work or integrate with the community via other means, such as through recreational or volunteer programs. First established in 1980, DPP’s goal is to promote community inclusion and a sense of dignity and self-worth for the people it serves.

Pennsylvania CareerLink Offices Work to Increase Area Employment

Candidate interview 

Photo by Tim Gouw on Unsplash

A a master of business administration graduate with a concentration in accounting from Drexel University, Larry Wittig has worked as a Certified Public Accountant in Tamaqua, Pennsylvania, for more than 40 years. An active civic leader in Tamaqua and beyond, Larry Wittig has served as the chairman of the Luzerne/Schuylkill Workforce Investment Board, Inc (L/S WIB, Inc.).

The L/S WIB, Inc., brings community stakeholders, including companies and economic-development organizations, and public workforce systems together to craft solutions for workforce challenges and boost economic opportunities and prosperity. One of the ways the L/S WIB, Inc., fulfills this mission is by overseeing three offices for CareerLink, a digital platform for connecting employers and job seekers.

CareerLink organizes hundreds of events each year to help local employers recruit new workers. These offices also administer skills assessments to evaluate the abilities of potential staff members. Through federal programs such as On-the-Job Training, CareerLink reimburses some of the money employers use to hire and train people who are unemployed or under-employed.