January 18, 2024
Community Giving Foundation: Berwick recently welcomed three new members to its Board of Directors.
James Bach
Bach is well known in the Shickshinny area. He owned a furniture store for over 30 years, started the first fitness center in Shickshinny, and has served on different local government boards. Bach is currently a curator for the Shickshinny Historical Society FLT Museum and the president of the Business Association of the Greater Shickshinny Area.
“Community giving means helping others that may not have the resources themselves. Many times, small organizations are trying to do great things, but don’t have the resources to accomplish their goals to help their communities. I am excited to serve as a board member because I believe the Foundation is helping those organizations and communities.”
Raymond C. Karafinski
Karafinski moved to Berwick in 1991, after receiving a bachelor’s degree in marketing from Robert Morris College. He worked with Hill’s Department Store and as a Manager at Sheetz before purchasing his first Subway franchise. Over his 29-year career with the franchise, Karafinski has owned six Subway locations. He married his wife, Deana, in 1997, and they have four grown children.
“As a small business owner in Berwick, this community has supported our family-owned business for 27 years. My children were raised in this community, played on every ball field in Berwick, and we have made so many friends throughout the last three decades. It means so much to me to give back with my time and financially so other generations can enjoy all the amenities that Berwick has to offer. I look forward to meeting other Foundation board members as I learn from them and work with them over the next four years.”
Chief Michael McNeal
McNeal grew up in Nescopeck, and currently resides in Scott Township with his wife and three children. Ever since he was a child, all he wanted to become was a police officer, to work in the community and help people. When he was 21 years old, McNeal began working in law enforcement, first at a maximum security juvenile detention center while attending Lackawanna College Police Academy, and then in part time police jobs. In 2004, he began working at Salem Township Police Department handling mostly juvenile cases. He was promoted to sergeant in 2008 and then chief of police in 2019. McNeal has continued to serve the community through the police department, which is active in the community and hosts fundraisers often to give back.
“I am looking forward to working with the Foundation to reach and help more individuals and organizations in our area. Our police department is just one example of who the Foundation supports, and I am looking forward to being a part of making our community even greater.”
About Community Giving Foundation: Berwick
In addition to three new board members, the Foundation’s Berwick Board is represented by: Cynthia Lombard (chair), Damien Scoblink (vice-chair), Justine Bridge (financial liaison), Kari Dyer, Matthew Getty, Michael Goresh, Marc Nespoli, Brooke Nickles, Michelle Pace, Thomas Popko, and Amanda Stutzman.
Berwick is an affiliate of the Community Giving Foundation, which manages over 350 charitable funds and makes grant investments throughout the region to improve and enrich local lives. For 25 years, the Foundation has helped families, individuals, and businesses create a lasting charitable legacy in the Central Susquehanna region.
