There is an often quoted parable that tells of two people fishing downstream who are startled to see a person floating down the river, struggling for life. Working together, the fisher folk pull the person to safety but shortly after they notice another person crying for help. Again, they pull the person to safety. Other community members hear what is happening and rush to help. As the fisher folk tire, volunteers take their place, and the community works together all day and all night to safely pull more and more people from the river. The next morning the community members have a new idea—we need to go upstream and find out why so many people are falling in the water.
Upon walking upstream, the community members find that people are drawn to the edge of a cliff to look at the river and its beauty. Unfortunately, there is no safe way to do this and many of them fall. The community members return and report the number of people who have fallen into the river due to the lack of a protective barrier on the cliff. In response, the community builds a wall behind which people may safely view the water. Some still fall, but there are far fewer.
The UPstream grant opportunity seeks to improve our area communities by supporting existing or new “upstream” systems, interventions, programs, or projects that attempt to create positive social change by addressing a problem at its source rather than managing its “downstream” symptoms.
Organizations interested in applying for UPstream can get more information on our grants overview page.
2022 Grants
Grants Total: $428,380
| Recipient | Grant Amount |
| New Life Community | $7,000.00 |
| Family Promise of Harrisburg Capital Region (FPHCR) | $8,000.00 |
| Ned Smith Center for Nature and Art | $8,000.00 |
| Junior Achievement of South Central PA | $9,000.00 |
| YWCA Carlisle & Cumberland County | $10,000.00 |
| Eastern PA Trans Equity Project, Inc. | $10,000.00 |
| The Cracked Pot Coffee Shop | $4,856.44 |
| Millersburg Area Senior Center | $10,000.00 |
| Keystone Service Systems | $10,000.00 |
| Neighborhood Football Club Inc | $5,000.00 |
| The Salvation Army | $5,000.00 |
| Capital Area Therapeutic Riding Association | $7,500.00 |
| Open Stage of Harrisburg | $6,000.00 |
| LEAF Project Inc | $10,000.00 |
| PA Lyme Resource Network | $5,794.00 |
| Alexander Hamilton Memorial Free Library | $6,000.00 |
| Carlisle CARES | $10,000.00 |
| Boys & Girls Club of Chambersburg and Shippensburg | $8,000.00 |
| Cumberland Valley Breast Care Alliance Inc | $10,000.00 |
| LIU12 Franklin County Literacy Council | $10,000.00 |
| J. Herman Bosler Memorial Library | $5,850.00 |
| Unite Central PA | $5,000.00 |
| Waynesboro Community & Human Services | $10,000.00 |
| Antietam Humane Society | $8,000.00 |
| Keystones Oral Histories | $8,000.00 |
| Blue Mountain Escape, Inc. | $9,750.00 |
| Lebanon Valley Volunteers in Medicine | $10,000.00 |
| Twin Valley Players | $10,000.00 |
| Summer Program for Youth | $10,000.00 |
| Beacon Clinic for Health and Hope | $9,700.00 |
| Employment Skills Center | $8,430.00 |
| Perry County Literacy Council | $10,000.00 |
| Community Check Up Center of South Harrisburg | $6,000.00 |
| The Capital Region Literacy Council | $10,000.00 |
| Diaper Depot Central | $10,000.00 |
| New Hope Ministries, Inc. | $10,000.00 |
| Camp Hebron | $10,000.00 |
| Harrisburg Community Theatre | $6,000.00 |
| Healthy Steps Diaper Bank | $8,000.00 |
| Harrisburg Police Athletic League | $5,000.00 |
| Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Capital Region, Inc. | $10,000.00 |
| Medard’s House | $10,000.00 |
| LGBT Center of Central PA | $5,000.00 |
| Wildheart Ministries | $10,000.00 |
| Girls on the Run Mid State PA | $10,000.00 |
| Millersburg Ferry Boat Association | $7,500.00 |
| Bridge of Hope Harrisburg Area | $10,000.00 |
| Tri County Opportunities Industrialization Center | $8,000.00 |
| Veterans Outreach of Pennsylvania | $10,000.00 |
| SavingOurAncestorsLegacy | $5,000.00 |
| Lykens Valley Children’s Museum | $8,000.00 |
| Gamut Theatre Group Inc. | $5,000.00 |
