GEISINGER PHOTOS State searches from March 1, 2020 to Jan. 22, 2021. 34.745 percent of searches done in the state were for food assistance.

WILLIAMSPORT — A new online resource that was created to provide assistance for community needs by community organizations was launched just in time for the peak of the pandemic back in March.

NeighborlyPA.com, which was created in a partnership between Geisinger and Aunt Bertha, allows anyone within the state to search for services like food, transportation and housing assistance as well as health, education, legal and money services.

Aunt Bertha, out of Texas, is a network that helps social care providers and non-profit organizations connect with those who need help.

The website has services listed for every zip code in the state and is always adding more organizations and resources to its directory.

NeighborlyPA, which has been in the works for approximately a year and a half before its launch, even added 2,700 new resources since the start of the pandemic and there has been about 42,000 searches within the platform, a majority being for food and housing assistance.

In Lycoming County, there have been over 1,370 searches with 34 percent being searches for food assistance and 19 percent being searches for housing assistance.

In Williamsport alone, there were 874 searches, according to Brian Ebersole, senior director of Springboard Health at Geisinger.

The platform is also being used by Highmark Health through their relationship with Geisinger on their Muncy Township Medical Center.

“As we reflect over the past 12 months with COVID, Neighborly has created this space and we look at it as one of the positives. NeighborlyPA is an opportunity to have direct connection with community based organizations,” Ebersole said. “NeighborlyPA is a tool for everybody. It is open for everyone to participate and engage with.”

Local organizations and non-profits can also use this tool to find out what the needs are in their areas and help their individuals receive assistance that they might not provide.

Those who are interested, organizations or individuals, can go onto the website to create their own account which allows them to get connected with organizations in their area for whatever their needs are.

From there, individuals and organizations can contact the organization that will provide the resources and get what the person needs.

“It is a really easy connection, not only to find the resources but also to make a connection,” Maria Welch, Geisinger innovations program manager, said.

“NeighborlyPA helps with knowing that there are needs and helping align organizations with what the needs are in the community,” Welch said.

“We want to continue to introduce the platform (throughout the state),” Ebersole said. “To make it easy for individuals to find what they are looking for and to use the data to help allocate for future resources.”

“We want to continue to grow and meet the social and health needs of the community,” he added.