25 Stories for 25 Years
Despite spending the majority of their lives in Western New York, Patricia and Richard Garman never forgot the community they came from. The former Snyder County couple made the thoughtful decision to leave an estate gift for scholarship opportunities and to help local nonprofits invest in youth needs in the Selinsgrove, Richfield, Freeburg, and Mt. Pleasant Mills communities. The couple’s experiences, successful careers, and giving nature are remembered in perpetuity through this legacy in our region.
Ethan Kelly (at right), a 2022 Selinsgrove High School graduate, has benefitted from the Patricia H. and Richard E. Garman Scholarship Fund. He is currently studying at Pennsylvania College of Technology to become a heavy equipment technician. He writes, “When I received the news I was chosen for this scholarship, I was so honored and humbled that someone was willing to invest in my educational journey to achieve my dream career. The award has helped to ease my financial burden and provided me the opportunity to focus on my studies and earn a 4.0 GPA during my first two semesters. I hope my successes this year show my continued gratitude for this scholarship.”
The Regional Engagement Center in Selinsgrove used a grant from the Patricia H. and Richard E. Garman Fund last year to help reduce the stigma around mental health through check-ins with Connections Relational Therapy. Through sessions on suicide prevention, trauma-informed yoga, and problem-solving skill building, REC youth learned more about resources they could take home and use with their peers.
“The grant we received from the Garman Fund has allowed us to stay in the forefront of providing mental health awareness and stigma reduction services to our youngest and most vulnerable youth at the REC. We are so grateful for this funding!” (Kelly Feiler, Regional Engagement Center)
(Left: Students participating in a QPR session.)