WILKES-BARRE, PA – Renew and Restore, a team of Leadership Northeast’s Core Class of 2026, is creating an on-site laundry room and clothing closet at Clem-Mar House’s new halfway house in Wilkes-Barre for women in recovery. This space will allow residents to access clean clothing and laundry facilities, helping to restore dignity, confidence, and a sense of self-worth as they prepare to re-enter the workforce.
The team welcomes the community to get involved in the following ways:
- Monetary donations: Monetary donations can be made via Venmo @Rebekah-Cleary-1. Checks can be made payable to Leadership Northeast with “Team Renew and Restore” in the memo and mailed to 4 Public Square, Wilkes-Barre, PA 18701. Online donations can be made via PayPal at leadershipnortheast.org/donate with “Team Renew and Restore” added in the “Write a Note” section.
- In-kind donations and request information: If you would like to make an in-kind donation or have questions about our project, please email us at renewandrestorelne@gmail.com.
- Follow us: Check out our Facebook page for the latest news and updates, including fundraisers and Amazon wish list, @Renew and Restore – A Project of LNE 2026
Team Renew and Restore had their first successful fundraiser in partnership with The Cycle Yard in Pittston on Saturday, Feb. 21. The class quickly sold out with 23 bike riders ready to spin for the cause!
The same day of the event, Coffee Inclusive, located upstairs at 350 Kennedy Blvd, Suite 12, Pittston, PA 18640, donated 50% of the proceeds from sales of Ellie’s Classic Smoothie for Recovery and blue heart-shaped cookies in support of the cause.
The team will also be collecting hygiene products in support of women residents. Examples include period products, deodorant, shampoo/conditioner, body wash, toothpaste, toothbrushes, and skin care lotions. A collection box was available at The Cycle Yard ahead of the event. Community members are welcome to contact Team Renew and Restore to coordinate any additional donations.
About Team Renew and Restore: A Leadership Northeast Community Impact Project, as members of Leadership Northeast Core 2026, Team Renew and Restore is made up of seven community members from all different industries and geographies. Ashley Antolik is a Secretary from the Department of Veterans Affairs and a Master’s student at Marywood University studying social work. Rebekah Cleary is a Fiscal Analyst at Luzerne County Head Start. George Korn is a Packaging Engineer for The Hershey Company in Hazleton. Anthony Melf is Operations Director at PA Inclusive and Coffee Inclusive, supporting individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Helene O’Boyle is a Branch Manager for the new Northwest Bank in Luzerne. Jack Parente is the owner of Two Jacks Cycle and Powersports, a family business on Coal Street in Wilkes-Barre. Emma Thompson is the Senior Director of Conservation and Operations of North Branch Land Trust, helping eight counties in Northeastern PA conserve precious land forever.
Clem-Mar House’s new facility will be only one of 13 halfway houses for women in all 67 counties in Pennsylvania. A halfway house provides a home-like atmosphere within a local community that is accessible to public transportation and provides opportunities for independent growth and responsible living. In-home laundry rooms are rare, if not non-existent, in these facilities, making this project unique and meaningful for an underserved population of women. The facility will accommodate up to 34 residents at a time.
“Women stepping down to a halfway-house level of care often face significant barriers, including trauma histories, housing instability, caregiving responsibilities, involvement with child-welfare systems, and limited employment opportunities.
Without safe, structured, and trauma-informed transitional housing, many are forced to return to unsafe or unstable environments that jeopardize their recovery progress and well-being, “ Kathryn Wilk, Project Director at Clem-Mar House, said. “The impact extends beyond the individual woman served, children experience greater stability, families are strengthened, and communities benefit from reduced emergency-service utilization, lower justice-system involvement, and increased workforce participation.”
Through a holistic approach that emphasizes life skills, personal accountability, and community integration, residents are given the tools they need to live healthy, independent lives. Over a three-to-six month period, clients participate in group and individual counseling sessions led by certified drug and alcohol counselors, while also learning to navigate employment, relationships, self-help programs, and community responsibilities.
“When I was given the opportunity to live in a structured, supportive halfway house, everything began to turn around. That halfway house gave me what I couldn’t find on my own: stability, accountability, and hope. It was a place where I could rebuild not just my life, but myself. Today, thanks to that experience, I am sober, stable, and moving forward,” says Brandon B., a 2024 Clem-Mar House Graduate.
Information provided to TVL by:
George Korn
