CLARION, Pa. – Clarion County Adventures and Clarion Blueprint Community are pleased to announce The Farmers National Bank of Emlenton recently made a contribution to the 2nd Avenue Park Project.
The Farmers National Bank of Emlenton contributed $100,000.00 for the 2020 funding cycle through the Neighborhood Assistance Program (NAP) and has agreed to contribute an additional $100,000.00 in the 2021 funding cycle.
Clarion County Adventures has partnered with The Children’s Scholarship Fund of PA, a well-known 501c3 entity specializing in Pennsylvania Tax Credits since 2001. For the 2020 funding cycle, $447,000.00 in donations were secured, resulting in Pennsylvania tax credits of $335,250.00 to these donors. These tax credits may be used to directly reduce Pennsylvania taxes, including taxes on wages, business income, rental, and investment (interest, dividends, and gain/loss) income.
When a donor commits to a NAP project that the Commonwealth then approves, 75% of their donation becomes a direct reduction in their Pennsylvania taxes. This allows donors to direct their Pennsylvania tax dollars to locally approved projects instead of sending them to Harrisburg.
Phase one of the park project is expected to begin at the end of the summer. Infrastructure and site development work will be the first step in bringing the park to Clarion.
When the park is fully completed, it will contain a playground, sports courts, splash pad/ice skating area, walking path, pavilion, outdoor games, restrooms, and plenty of green space.
The park will be owned and operated by Clarion Blueprint Community.
“I am grateful to work for a company that is committed to the communities we serve,” said Sarah Macbeth, Branch Manager of the Clarion office of Farmers.
“Acts like this are how we can give back to the communities that have been very good to us over the years. With this gift, we can see the Clarion Blueprint Community’s vision of the park turn into a reality, and we are happy to give back in such an impactful way, a way that will keep giving for many years to come. That is truly what Farmers stands for, and I cannot wait to see what the future holds for this park and Clarion.”
“Giving back to our communities is not something new to us,” said William Marsh, President, CEO, and Chairman of the Board.
“We have been prioritizing the welfare of our customers and neighbors in the towns we serve since 1900. We work to find projects for our bank to invest in that benefit the whole community and make a difference to the families and businesses around us, reflecting our brand positioning statement, ‘Community Banking at its Best.’ The NAP program is a good fit for our bank, and we are happy to participate and are excited to see the benefits it will provide to our communities. The Clarion park will be an excellent resource for families now and for generations to come.”
The Farmers National Bank of Emlenton is an independent, nationally chartered, FDIC-insured community commercial bank headquartered in Emlenton, Pennsylvania, operating 19 full-service offices in Allegheny, Butler, Clarion, Clearfield, Crawford, Elk, Jefferson, Mercer, and Venango Counties in Pennsylvania. The bank is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Emclaire Financial Corp.
Developed by FHLBank Pittsburgh, the Blueprint Communities initiative was created with the goals of building strong local leadership, developing local and regional planning skills, and encouraging coordinated investments in targeted communities by public and private funders. Clarion has been a Blueprint Community since 2014.
