Our History

The Pipeline of Programs Have Already Been Implemented in The Opportunity Zone

The attendance zone includes Clinton Elementary, A.R. Rucker Middle, and Lancaster High Schools, which are in one of the most impoverished sections in the Palmetto State. The Clinton attendance zone includes the Newtown neighborhood around Arch Street, Chesterfield Avenue, Dunlap and Gay Streets, Pardue Street Apartments, and most of the Midway neighborhood. LPN leaders refer to this zone as the “opportunity zone.” The LPN’s goal is to enable families and students in these areas to achieve academic success and to restore community pride. It will serve the children in this area from birth through their careers.

The pipeline of programs has already been implemented, including extended-day academics at Clinton Elementary, A.R. Rucker Middle, and Lancaster High school.

This local wraparound approach is a powerful partnership that began in 1997 with the Coalition for Healthy Youth, which includes local agencies that focus on children and youth. Later, law enforcement agencies came together and applied for drug-free community grants, which required that other community organizations get on board, including faith-based nonprofits, schools, and government.

Prior to LPN being awarded the grant, much work had already begun in the zone. Lancaster County Partners for Youth, Lancaster County School District, and 24 other area non-profits and organizations had been working diligently for a decade in Lancaster’s poorest neighborhoods. During those years, funding came from local businesses, corporations, grants, and the United Way of Lancaster County—a strong indication of the community’s commitment and dedication to the families needing the most help.

The coalition of agencies had applied and had been turned down four times in the past several years for this multimillion-dollar grant from the U.S. Department of Education. The grant funds a pathway, or pipeline of programs, for children starting at birth. These include the best practice initiatives Lancaster County has employed, but never like this, in one continuous timeframe throughout a child’s lifetime, including their adult career.

LPN has built a park on Brooklyn Avenue, disposed of 80 tons of trash, installed 200 smoke alarms, distributed 250 insulated cooler bags of fruit and healthy snacks, renovated and painted 17 homes, and cleaned dozens of yards.

The project got a big shot in the arm in September 2021 when it received a $28 million grant. The U.S. Department of Education is giving LPN $24,792,000, which will be released in $5 million to $6 million increments yearly as needed over a period of five years. The remaining funds of $3,568,000 are coming from local organizations, corporations, and individuals.

The partnerships formed over the years have brought much success, allowing organizations to learn from each other as to what the needs are and who can provide for them. Its most visible project is “Community Workday,” driven by its motto, “Where one sees beauty, one sees hope.”

The workdays resumed in late 2022 after a two-year pandemic hiatus.

Through the pandemic, LPN continued its food outreach, the Saturday academy, and summer refresher courses for elementary students. Over 3,400 bags of food for students have been distributed since October 2020. Weekly, socially distanced Saturday tutoring sessions for kindergartners through second-graders in math and reading have continued.

Founders’ CEO Bruce Brumfield, a former LPN Advisory Board member, put the grant into perspective. “This is a chance for us to be the Lancaster we have all dreamed of,” he said. “We now have this opportunity to change our community.”

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