Lehigh Valley Community Foundation’s Good Neighbor Fund Awards The Open Link $10,000 for Expanded Rent and Utility Assistance Program

PENNSBURG, PA - The Open Link, the Upper Perkiomen Valley’s only multi-service agency, has been awarded a $10,000 grant by Lehigh Valley Community Foundation’s (LVCF) Good Neighbor Fund to help Valley households manage rising home energy costs.

The grant will directly support The Open Link’s rent and utility assistance program, which helps low-income Valley residents pay for rent and utility bills like electricity, gas, oil, and other essential home energy expenses. Among record temperatures and escalating utility expenses, within the program, The Open Link currently spends $250 on average per eligible Valley household. The grant will allow the organization to assist approximately 40 families who are facing utility shut offs, financial hardship, and are struggling to keep up with the increased cost of living.

Marianne Lynch, Executive Director of the Open Link, remarks, "We are incredibly grateful for the generosity and support of Lehigh Valley Community Foundation and the Good Neighbor Fund. With this generous grant, The Open Link will be able to help our neighbors in difficult situations where they are choosing between paying for utility bills and other expenses like medicine or rent. Among extreme temperatures and rising utility costs, we are especially thankful for LVCF's investment in our organization, which will help us expand our capacity to provide financial assistance to our Valley community."

The Lehigh Valley Community Foundation promotes philanthropy to improve the quality of life in the region, encourage collaboration among area philanthropists, and serve as a source of information and expertise regarding charitable giving. The Good Neighbor Fund was established in 2024 through a generous initiative by the PPL Foundation and supports nonprofit organizations with existing utility assistance programs serving communities across PPL Electric Utilities’ service territory in eastern and central Pennsylvania. Grant funding helps households that earn up to 300% of the federal poverty level to maintain access to essential utilities and avoid housing instability.

“Families across our region continue to face difficult financial decisions as energy and household costs remain high,” says Megan Briggs, Vice President of Community Investments at the Lehigh Valley Community Foundation. “These grants strengthen the capacity of local nonprofits that are already deeply connected to their communities and able to respond quickly when households need support the most.”

Community organizations like The Open Link play a critical role in helping Valley neighbors maintain safe and stable housing. By investing in organizations with established utility assistance programs, the Good Neighbor Fund helps deliver meaningful relief to households while reinforcing the importance of local partnerships in addressing urgent community needs. Through these partnerships with trusted nonprofit organizations that are already serving their communities, this grant will ensure that financial support reaches households quickly and efficiently.

The Open Link is incredibly grateful for LCVF’s, PPL Foundation’s, and the Good Neighbor Fund’s continued investment in its mission and work within the Valley.

About The Open Link:

The Open Link, a multi-service agency serving the greater Upper Perkiomen Valley, provides services and programs that help, educate, and empower, as well as opportunities that promote socialization and volunteerism for people of all ages to lead healthy and productive lives. Alongside its rent and utility assistance program, The Open Link also provides a variety of critical programs and services, including a food pantry, summer kids meals, financial assistance, benefits application assistance, Code Blue shelter, Meals on Wheels, and more. Learn more at www.theopenlink.org.