Being neighborly is always something to strive for, but it became more of a necessity when the pandemic hit. And health officials know making sure a community is healthy goes beyond what happens in a doctor's office.
"We understand that health is really only 20 percent what happens in a health care facility, which is what we all think about. It really is about everything that goes on in a person's life. Where do they live? What access to food do they have? can they get to the places they need to get to, to support themselves and their families?" said Brian Ebersole, a senior director at Geisinger, working on community initiatives.
Ebersole describes neighborlypa.com as a resource network within the community to provide help to those who need help nonprofits, for-profits, you name it.
"It's been a project born out of the needs of the community. How do we identify a social need and connect that need to the resources already available? A lot of that happens within the Neighborly platform."
Geisinger officials say since the pandemic began, the number one most-searched resource on the site is help with food insecurity, with a close second being help with housing.
You can search by zip code for legal services, abuse hotlines, transportation, prescription medicine help, and more in all of the state's 67 counties.
"A lot of people are getting more comfortable with technology. We think it's important to have this technology solution, or as we say, a social worker at your fingertips, to help you out," Ebersole said.
The next additions to the website will be various summer school and summer meal programs.
The one thing that is not available on neighborlypa.com is help finding vaccine appointments.