Lawrence County Social Services, Inc.

Lawrence County Social Services, Inc., a nonprofit organization headquartered in New Castle, Pennsylvania, is a federal grant recipient delivering homelessness intervention, veteran family support services, early childhood education, and community action programming to HUD, the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Agriculture, and state education and human services agencies. The organization acts as both a prime recipient (59% of awards) and a sub-recipient under state and local grantees (41% of awards), with a growing federal footprint anchored in HUD's Continuum of Care Program and the VA's Supportive Services for Veteran Families program.

HUD dominates the recipient portfolio. The Department of Housing and Urban Development Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and Development accounts for 94 awards, reflecting Lawrence County Social Services' consistent role as a Continuum of Care (CoC) Program prime recipient under CFDA 14.267. Recent CoC grants include a $474,508 award effective November 1, 2025 through October 31, 2026; a $286,105 award obligated September 1, 2025 through August 31, 2026; a $242,296 award obligated September 1, 2025 through August 31, 2026; and a $423,847 award from November 1, 2024 through October 31, 2025. These awards support permanent housing (including permanent supportive housing for persons with disabilities), rapid rehousing, transitional housing, supportive services only, Homeless Management Information Systems (HMIS), and homelessness prevention across Lawrence County and surrounding Pennsylvania regions. The Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service placed 54 awards, primarily sub-awards flowing through the Pennsylvania Department of Education for Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) reimbursements; Lawrence County Social Services serves as a CACFP sponsor providing meals to children and adults in approved care facilities.

The VA's Veterans Health Administration accounts for 12 awards under the Supportive Services for Veteran Families Program (CFDA 64.033). Lawrence County Social Services received a $1.81 million SSVF award effective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026, and a $1,811,187 award with the same period (awarded September 17, 2024). Earlier SSVF awards include $1,811,187 (August 21, 2023), $801,843 (September 1, 2021 through September 30, 2023), $966,353 (October 1, 2021), and $171,325 (April 6, 2022). Under SSVF, the organization delivers mandatory outreach, case management, VA benefits assistance, and public benefits coordination to very low-income veteran families experiencing homelessness or housing instability; optional services include legal assistance, financial management, and temporary financial assistance for rental support, utility payments, security deposits, childcare, and transportation.

The Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families accounts for 20 awards (12 plus 8 listed separately). Head Start and Early Head Start program awards include a $5 million-plus Head Start award (June 1, 2024, with ultimate completion August 31, 2029) and an Early Head Start and Child Care Partnerships award (September 1, 2024, through August 31, 2029). A Farm to School Grant Program award from the USDA Child Nutrition Division (July 20, 2021, through December 31, 2023) funded school food partnerships.

Activity has grown materially — from 15 awards in 2022 to 26 in 2024 and 35 in 2025 — indicating deepening federal engagement across multiple grant programs. Seven awards reach ultimate completion inside the next twenty-four months, exposing the vendor to recompete activity on CoC and SSVF renewals. In the sub-recipient role, Lawrence County Social Services delivers coordinated entry services for homelessness interventions under HUD funding (prime grantee: Union Mission of Latrobe, Inc.), CACFP commodity support through Pennsylvania Department of Education, Weatherization Assistance and crisis intervention services under Pennsylvania Department of Human Services, Work Ready Program job training for TANF recipients, Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) administration for Community & Economic Development Pennsylvania, Personal Responsibility Education Program delivery under Pennsylvania Department of Health, and HOME-ARP housing assistance programs. The organization functions as a regional community action agency and nonprofit social services deliverer rather than a federal contractor competing for IT or professional services work.