Outreach - Center for Community Resources

"Learning never stopped,  it just changed classrooms."

When Melissa Sullo entered Lackawanna County Prison, she had a bachelor's degree, a background in corrections, and a life derailed by addiction. Thirty days later, she walked out with something she hadn't expected: a road map. Outreach's reentry staff had spent that time teaching her what was possible.

"The outreach staff helped me immensely," she recalls. "They were probably the best service offered to the inmates. They connected me to agencies I didn't know were available — and they listened to my story and my needs." For Melissa, that listening was itself a lesson: that asking for help is the first step toward learning how to build something new.

"I love research. I love helping people. Education is how I bring those two things together."

— Melissa Sullo

After release, she came to Outreach's Lead Center with a clear goal: get back into school. She'd dropped out after earning her bachelor's, and she wasn't going to let that be the end of the story. Working with case manager Stephanie, she figured out how to make it fit, how to balance coursework with single motherhood, with job hunting, with the ordinary chaos of rebuilding a life. Today, she's pursuing an MBA at Western Governors University, entirely online, on her own schedule.

"The tuition is affordable, the schedule fits my schedule," she says. And beyond the MBA, she's already looking further: a PhD, a doctorate, a research-focused career. "I love research," she says simply. "And I like helping people." Education, for Melissa, isn't a credential to collect; it's a lens for understanding the world she wants to change.

The education doesn't stop at her own desk. At Providence Pregnancy Center, where she started as a weekly cleaner and grew into the Mission Support Coordinator role, Melissa teaches life skills to women in crisis: how to cook, clean, navigate sobriety, access resources, and how to rebuild. "A Lot of people are living out of vehicles, pregnant, using drugs," she says. "Somebody who has been in that situation before can just be a shoulder to lean on. A mentor."

That mentorship extends into her own home, too. Her 15-year-old daughter just landed her first job, is enrolled in a gifted program, goes to the gym, and is involved with community organizations. "Teaching my children how to navigate life, that's one of the biggest things that fulfills me."

"I'm not ashamed of my past any longer. I am so thankful and humbled for everything I've received from this community."

— Melissa Sullo

When she looks ahead, the thread is consistent: finish the MBA, buy a house, pursue the doctorate, and keep giving back at Providence. "Education is how I bring those things together," she says. What Outreach gave her wasn't just a job lead or a housing referral; it was the knowledge that learning, in all its forms, was still within her reach. She hasn't stopped since.

Your gift will open doors to economic self-sufficiency and family stability.

Together, we can help more people like Melissa transform their lives through the power of education.

With gratitude,

Lori Chaffers

President & CEO

Who We Are

Since 1988, Outreach - Center for Community Resources has been a lifeline for vulnerable families in Northeastern Pennsylvania. Each year, we serve over 2,500 children and adults working to overcome significant barriers such as, individuals leaving the justice system, youth aging out of foster care, parents seeking support, adults pursuing their GED, and individuals in recovery rebuilding their lives. 

Through four program areas, we provide comprehensive, free support to economically disadvantaged individuals and families. Our evidence-based parenting programs build strong family foundations. We provide workforce development training, digital literacy courses, and connections to second-chance employers, critical services when 92% of jobs require digital skills many of our participants lack. We offer reentry services and GED classes at Lackawanna County Prison, and serve at-risk youth with life skills training, STEM programs, and career exploration.

We meet people where they are, at our Scranton and Wilkes-Barre offices, inside Lackawanna County Prison, and in participants' homes. Through holistic, wrap-around programming, we build strong families. And strong families build strong communities.

While we receive state and federal grants, these funding streams are unpredictable and often insufficient. Private donations fill critical gaps. When you support Outreach, you're not just donating to programs—you're investing in individuals working hard to achieve stability, self-sufficiency, and success.