Lou and Nicole Miele and their family have, for the past 90 years, brought business and employment to Lycoming County and beyond through four generations.

While they may be known for jukeboxes and PA Skill Machines, their impact reaches much further.

Over the years, the Miele Group has donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to local charitable organizations. They have books upon books showing their impact on the community.

Last Thursday night could be considered their crowning achievement.

The Miele Group, through Miele Manufacturing, proudly donated $1,017,500 to the YWCA of Northcentral PA. This funding will help update the HVAC system in the 97-year-old building, creating a safer, more dignified space for women and children in crisis.

The YWCA is one of the most needed and impactful organizations in our area. Most are unaware of just what the YWCA does and how much it encompasses. I am hard-pressed to name an organization more deserving of such an incredible gift.

The YWCA Northcentral PA began shaping the future for women and children in the late 1800s, creating a safe place for young working women to live and gather. Over 130 years of service to Lycoming County later, the YWCA supports this community by providing comprehensive and life-saving services for women, children, and men as they work to rebuild their lives through two signature programs, Liberty House and Wise Options.

Since 1977, Wise Options has provided a comprehensive victim service center for individuals in Lycoming County. Designed to meet the needs of survivors and their children whose lives have been affected by domestic violence, sexual violence, and other violent crimes, Wise Options offers free and confidential services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, with services available to victims of all ages and genders.

The YWCAʼs Wise Options shelter provides refuge for survivors of violence in a safe and secure site and is the only shelter of its kind in Lycoming County.

Rapid Rehousing

Wise Options provides survivors experiencing homelessness or attempting to flee with housing search, coordination with landlords, case management, and rental assistance.

Counseling & Advocacy

Trained counselors and advocates work with survivors as they navigate their paths to rebuild their lives, recognizing every journey is unique.

Legal Advocacy

Advocates assist survivors through court and hospital accompaniment, providing emotional support, explaining legal terms and processes, and planning for safety.

Protection from Abuse (PFA) Orders

PFAs are orders used to refrain an abuser from continuing to harm victims. The YWCA is the first and
only stop in Lycoming County to obtain and file for a Protection from Abuse order.

Survivor Support Groups

These groups provide opportunities for survivors of domestic and sexual violence to come together and offer one another support through developing trusting and caring relationships.

Domestic violence can be any form of violence against an intimate partner. It can be physical, emotional, verbal, economic, spiritual, or sexual. It’s not always the visible bruises one can see. Abusers display a variety of behaviors that intimidate, manipulate, humiliate, isolate, frighten, and threaten their victims. Domestic violence does not discriminate and happens to both men and women of all ages, races, and various economic backgrounds. A former Wise Options client shared just how meaningful the program was in their life. “I can now sleep peacefully at night without the fear of physical injury because of what the advocates at Wise Options did for me.”

As YWCA CEO Amber Morningstar said, “Your $1 million gift doesn’t just update electrical panels and HVAC systems; it helps us restore dignity and comfort to the lives of the most vulnerable people in our community.”

The YWCA Northcentral PA is dedicated to ensuring their critical and life-saving services are offered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The crisis hotline provides emotional support, domestic violence advocacy, community referrals, safety planning, and crisis intervention. The hotline is accessible 24/7 by calling (800)326-8483. For more information on the YWCA Northcentral PA, visit http://www.ywcawilliamsport.org

So, to the Miele family and all of their employees who help make donations like this possible, Thank You. Thank you for caring and giving back, for seeing your community’s needs, and for making it possible to address those needs.

Cheers to another 90 years of business and community support.