Amazing People Fund provides a platform for positivity

WILKES-BARRE — Kurt Krasavage said his vision was to really put the spotlight on the people who deserve it and showcase the “Valley with Heart” and highlight all the amazing people and organizations that are working every day to make our community a better place.

So Krasavage has partnered with the Luzerne Foundation to set up a nonprofit fund — appropriately named the Amazing People Fund — to help other nonprofits increase awareness and fulfill their mission through the use of media and fundraising.

The format for Krasavage’s project will be modeled very similar to the show “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives,” but with local nonprofits being featured.

“I will show up on-site and give a 30 second opening about where we are and who we are meeting,” Krasavage said. “We will then film a welcome moment and tour the facility of these nonprofits or, in the situation like Sleep in Heavenly Peace, we were on site and captured dozens of volunteers building the beds live. We couldn’t do this any other way to show the community impact and effort.”

During the filming, Krasavage and his team will ask questions and keep it interactive.

“We try to capture volunteers, donors, recipients, building owners, leaders and get a few sound bites with multiple perspectives,” Krasavage said. “I then do a sit-down interview, asking questions about the mission, how it was started, goals, needs, etc.”

Krasavage said each total process takes about two to three hours to film, with the end product being five to seven minutes. He said the goal is to educate, inspire and entertain the audience.

“Being on site allows viewers to get a first-hand point of view of the people and resources available,” Krasavage said. “We are able to get unique perspectives with drones, capture moments happening in real time, and give virtual tours of the resources.”

One of the things that Krasavage said inspired him was the first time he walked into Parenting Autism United to meet Lindsay Dragon.

“I said to myself, ‘Wouldn’t this be incredible if everyone had the same opportunity to see what I see? Imagine how many more people would get involved,’” Krasavage said. “This is exactly what we are doing.”

Krasavage said while mission statements are great, they sometimes leave more questions than answers and miss the emotional connection.

“My goal with Amazing People is to show and tell what the nonprofits are doing and keep everything in a fun, well organized and energetic platform,” he said.

Getting the word out

Krasavage, 39 of Edwardsville, is a real estate investor who earned a bachelor degree in architectural engineering at Penn State University. He talked about how he came up with the idea for his Amazing People project.

“We exist because local nonprofits struggle to get their mission seen, and also they do not have resources to get professional media production which ultimately helps them raise exponential funds,” Krasavage said. “Many people have resources to donate, but don’t know how to get involved, or they end up donating to large organizations when there are hundreds of nonprofits in our back yard where the majority of the donation would transform their own community. They just don’t know about it — that’s where I come in.”

Krasavage said he has a Facebook group of 1,700 members where he has been sharing powerful stories and events.

“I’m giving the community a platform to share positivity,” Krasavage said. “My goal is to keep raising funds so I can spend it producing the series to highlight the people that deserve it the most.”

Krasavage said he is also looking to raise funds to directly donate to the non-profits.

“I’m starting this mission here in NEPA where I grew up and live, but will also be expanding across the state within the next year,” Krasavage said.

Paul J.Oswald, chief operating officer at the Luzerne Foundation, said the foundation plays a crucial role as the grant-making partner by managing all accounting and financial transactions for the Amazing People Fund.

“This allows the dedicated team and other volunteers of Amazing People to concentrate on assisting nonprofits in expanding their impact and fulfilling their mission through the strategic use of media and fundraising efforts,” Oswald said.

Featured organizations

The nonprofits featured in each of the five-to-seven-minute episodes are:

• Street Art Society, Amy Bezek

In 2018, a small group of women artists and community activists got together with an interest in completing mural projects in Luzerne County. Street Art Society of NEPA is a grassroots non-profit corporation that formed as a result. Street Art Society’s mission is to improve the aesthetic, cultural and investment value of communities in Northeast Pennsylvania by initiating and coordinating the completion of public artworks within those communities.

• Sleep in Heavenly Peace, Denise Ogurkus

All children deserve a safe, comfortable place to lay their heads. In Idaho and across the U.S., too many boys and girls go without a bed — or even a pillow — to sleep on. These children end up sleeping on couches, blankets and even floors. This can affect their happiness and health.

That’s where Sleep in Heavenly Peace comes in — a group of volunteers dedicated to building, assembling and delivering top-notch bunk beds to children and families in need.

• Parenting Autism United, Lindsay Dragon

Parenting Autism United was started in 2020 just after COVID sent the world into hiatus. Having that time to brainstorm and put programs together that are helpful, functional, positive and nowhere to be found in the area an obvious and new path.

Being a family of four, the Dragons strive to see the positive side when they can, appreciate the silver linings and never settle with the basics. Yes, they’re important, but the details are where they thrive as a family and as individuals.

• Wilkes-Barre Preservation Society, Tony Brooks

Wilkes-Barre Preservation Society was founded in the fall of 2003 to promote the architectural and social history of the city.

In December of 2003 and 2004, Tony Brooks, Betsy Bell Condron, Lisa Griffiths and Harry Haas hosted Victorian themed tours of the downtown mansions. Over the years, thousands have enjoyed architectural walking tours of Wilkes-Barre’s River Street Historic District, Luzerne County Court House and social history tours of Hollenback Cemetery.

• Jumpstart Cart

The primary purpose of the JumpStart Cart is to serve young adults with special needs leaving the academic setting and entering the workforce perhaps for the first time. They recognize that employees with specific motor, social, and/or communicative needs can participate just as fully in the work environment with the necessary supports in place.

The educational system does a phenomenal job to prepare these young people to enter the workforce. However, there is a need for more programs to support them during this transition. The JumpStart Cart is designed to provide adults with special needs an opportunity to work in an environment that is fun, safe, and promotes further development of skills.

OnTheStacks supports Amazing People

Bill Corcoran Jr., executive producer and founder/CEO of OnTheStacks, said he is delighted to see the Amazing People project come to fruition and he is also extremely proud of his OTS team for their excellent execution.

“I eagerly anticipate the positive impact this will have on the community and the much-needed attention it will bring to these non-profit organizations,” Corcoran said.

Jimmy T. Martin, Director & Executive Producer, added, “Directing this series has really opened my eyes to the many unseen efforts of the people behind these nonprofits. And with this project, we hope to give them the visibility that they deserve.”

Also involved on the OTS team with the project is Eric Curtis, director of production and editor.

Want to help?

To learn about how you can help the Amazing People Fund, contact the Luzerne Foundation via its website, luzfdn.org , or email Krasavage at kurt@theamazingpeople.com.