The LuLac Edition #5, 549 January 20th, 2026

 

BLANKETS & BROTH #3 IN THE BOOKS.

This year’s 3^rd annual Martin Luther King Junior Day of service at the Friedman Jewish Community Center was a huge success. Nearly 200 blankets were made and delivered to the Kirby House at the Salvation Army, Ruth’s Place in Wilkes-Barre and Project Warm at the VA Medical Center.

The Friedman JCC’s food pantry garnered thousands of pounds of food for people, some for the very time, in need.

More than 200 plus volunteers swarmed in sub degree weather to contribute.

This project started with Attorneys Neil and Cathy O’Donnell who attended the Shapiro inauguration and brought the idea to the JCC. I was contacted afterwards to help organize this and the rest is history. On going history. This event has grown fro,m the original 50 attendees to the crowd we saw  this year.

Here’s Neil & Cathy.

Speaking of volunteers, always great to see Attorney Cheryl Sobeski-Reedy who I worked with for many years with annual King Day ceremonies at The Courthouse.

Who shows up next is Joe Stupino who donated some soup and worked the room. Also on hand was Attorney Tom Mosca who has attended the event every year.

So wonderful to see my co-worker Patty Hughes with her grand daughter, County Councilwoman Denise Williams, and Johanna Perez and her daughter.

Then there were the two Zachs from WBRE/WYOU TV doing their thing.

Helping me with my set up, delivery and execution were god friends Patrick Fadden and Bruce Prandy.  Bruce retired Army-presented a 109th Artillery Regement cioin to Mr. Davis. 

A special guest was Lt. Governor Austin Davis with Wilkes-Barre Mayor George Brown and Friedman JCC President Jane Messenger.

Three great attorneys Joanna Bryne Smith, Cheryl Sobeski Reedy and Kelly Bray.

It was also a pleasure working with Carla Weiss the Marketing person at the Friedman.

We had great support from the Times Leader Media group, so glad to see Mike McGinley there as well as Mary Therese Beibel, WVIA Public Media and the Luzerne County NAACP.

Speaking of WVIA Radio, Chris Norton was doing cutaways in the 10am-noon hour and was kind enough to interview me.

 

In the end, these groups came together to attend the event and make it the most successful event ever.  BUT KNOW THIS: 

we just started the engine....the

attendees,  you the workers drove the car!