Mold Remediation in Norristown, PA

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Business & Tech

National Volunteer Month: SCORE gives back and makes a difference.

Katalinas Communications, Community Contributor

This National Volunteer Month, SCORE TriCounty is proud to announce the positive impact of its volunteers, who donate their time and expertise to help entrepreneurs start and grow small businesses, guide them in achieving new levels of success, and ultimately creating jobs and strengthening the local economy.

In fiscal year 2024, SCORE TriCounty volunteers helped 292 entrepreneurs, providing them with 731 total mentoring sessions.

“SCORE is the most effective source of small business mentoring in the U.S.,” said SCORE TriCounty Co-chair Tom Gosse. “We are proud to be making a positive difference right here in our local community.”

SCORE data shows that entrepreneurs who receive three or more hours of mentoring report higher revenues and increased business growth. In addition, SCORE TriCounty offers a wealth of resources to guide entrepreneurs in every phase of their small business journey.

"We are grateful to the more than 10,000 SCORE volunteers nationwide who selflessly dedicate their time and business expertise to help entrepreneurs achieve their dreams," said SCORE CEO Bridget Weston.

Find out what's happening in Norristownfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Held in April every year, National Volunteer Month recognizes the contributions of volunteers and is an opportunity to join the impact of volunteerism and encourage more people to get involved in their communities. April is a great month to reaffirm your commitment to giving back, including becoming a SCORE volunteer mentor.

Visit http://www.score.org to learn more about local volunteer opportunities or to request a mentor for your small business.

About SCORE

Since 1964, SCORE has helped more than 17 million entrepreneurs start, grow or successfully exit a business. SCORE's 10,000 volunteers provide free, expert mentoring, resources and education in all 50 U.S. states and territories. Visit SCORE at www.score.org.

Funded in part through a Cooperative Agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration. All opinions, conclusions and/or recommendations expressed herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the SBA.

NORRISTOWN, PA — The massive redevelopment project to bring affordable housing to a part of the former Norristown State Hospital grounds is moving forward.

Municipal and county authorities officially signed on the $4.7 million deal with the developer, Pinnacle Realty Development Company, this week.

The proposal will bring a sprawling multi-use residential, business, and retail area on the 70 acre swath of the hospital that was deeded to the municipality and county from the state in 2023.

A total of 728 residential units, including 453 townhomes and 288 apartments, are in the initial proposal, PRDC said.

There is also roughly 70,000 square feet of commercial space, and what they're calling an "office/industrial tech complex" that they're hoping would attract major employers. The tech office space would cover about 200,000 square feet, according to the latest estimate.

Find out what's happening in Norristownfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

In the past, discussions of a mixed use apartment building, retail development, and more public space, including parks, has been floated for the state hospital grounds.

Regardless of what comes to the property, Norristown will see a huge boon in real estate and other local taxes, possibly up to tens of millions of dollars.

Gov. Wolf's administration originally reached an agreement in December 2017 with the municipality to vacate two buildings on the state hospital grounds by 2022, opening the door for the long-discussed possibility of redevelopment.

The announcement came after controversy stewed over the state was forced to begin construction at the state hospital to add more beds following a lawsuit. In a settlement with ACLU in June 2017, the state agreed to create 110 new spots, including 50 at Norristown, after the civil rights organization alleged that individuals with severe mental illness had "languished" for extensive periods of time in jail cells when they should have been receiving care.

DHS previously stated that due to the settlement, the state faces millions in fines if it does not provide the needed space in a timely manner. Norristown was reluctant to comply with the state's demands until the state put together a plan for the future deeding of the hospital to local authorities, which it did in 2023.

The state hospital will remain open into the future at a lower capacity, with altered uses for some of its buildings. There remain 137 beds for forensic patients, and a new forensic facility began construction in 2022.

NORRISTOWN, PA — Montgomery County authorities are calling on the federal government to release some $5 million in grant funding that has been withheld by the Department of Housing and Urban development since last month. The money is the chief source of funding for Your Way Home, the county's partner in rental assistance, rehousing, and other issues related to the ongoing homeless crisis.

Officials said the delay of the grants, which comes amid numerous federal spending freezes imposed by President Trump's administration, has already impacted services provided for some of the county's most vulnerable residents. Some 400 Montgomery County residents, including 120 children, are at risk of homelessness due to the delay, commissioners said.

“HUD never delivered the standard obligation letters to us," Commissioner Neil Makhija said from the Montgomery County Courthouse steps in Norristown, one of an impassioned coterie of speakers who made what was termed a public plea. "Funding for permanent supportive housing that was supposed to arrive this month is not here. Delaying this funding without so much as a word from the federal government is reckless."

Aside from not providing the money, the county says they have received no guidance from HUD on what to do in the interim.

While the funding comes during a time of massive cuts at the federal level and a drastic new reality in the operation of government and relation of local, county, state, and federal entities, Montgomery County authorities say there is no actual order to withhold the grant in question.

Find out what's happening in Norristownfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

County commissioners said they were told only that some contracts were stalled due to "confusion" at the federal level.

"For over a decade, Montgomery County has received funding from the federal government to help keep families safe and in their homes," Commissioner Jamila Winder added. "This system is now broken and we are being ghosted by the federal government."

The Continuum of Care program granted Montgomery County $5,012,740 in January, a vast increase over the $777,616 they received in 2024. The funds go to nine different local nonprofits which are marshaled by Your Way Home. In addition to rental assistance, programs assist with domestic violence protection, eviction prevention, outreach on the streets to homeless individuals, assistance for families, and programs aimed to preventing at-risk children specifically from being left on the streets.

Local officials say that if they don't receive the grants, most of Your Way Home will no longer be able to operate.

The county is currently working on contingency plans and raising funds through public donations to provide gap funding in the interim.