The Provident Bank Foundation (PBF) is pleased to announce the recipients of its Second Cycle 2017 Major Grants, totaling $52,500 for projects and programs across New Jersey.

A Major Grant funds projects and/or programs that address one or more of PBF’s funding priority areas – Community Enrichment, Education and Health, Youth and Families. Major Grants provide between $5,000 and $25,000 in funding, and support organizations that have identified an immediate need in the community and the individuals they serve.

“The projects and programs selected to receive this year’s second cycle of Major Grants provide everything from academic and curriculum development support, to safety, health and nutritional care – all of which will improve quality of life for individuals throughout New Jersey,” said Jane Kurek, Executive Director, The Provident Bank Foundation. “The recipients are a mix of resources – tools, knowledge, programming – that will grant opportunity for success in our complex economy.”

The recipients of PBF’s Second Cycle 2017 Major Grants are as follows:

Children’s Literacy Initiative (CLI), Hudson County – $15,000 in funding will support CLI’s 2017-2018 Reading Workshop Instruction Project in Kearny, New Jersey School District, which will improve early literacy instruction and student reading achievement in the early grades. The Reading Workshop will teach strategy to 38 Kearny first and second grade teachers, and provide CLI's one-on-one coaching to two of those teachers to strengthen their instruction so they can then serve as "models" for teacher peers. 

Team Walker, Hudson County – $7,500 in funding will support the continuation of the Team Walker After School Program. This program, offered to inner-city children in Jersey City, provides homework guidance as well as after-school work that introduces new concepts, mainly focusing on science and math subjects.

Princeton Healthcare System Foundation Inc., Mercer County – $10,000 in funding will support Princeton HealthCare System's Bristol-Myers Squibb Community Health Center (BMS CHC)’s Diabetes Program. BMS CHC is a key health care provider that offers equal access to quality health care for uninsured and underinsured New Jersey residents, mainly in Mercer and Middlesex counties. The Diabetes Care program helps patients gain and maintain control over their diabetes and to enhance patient self-management and compliance by reducing barriers to care, providing education, and providing comprehensive care management.

Lunch Break, Monmouth County – $10,000 in funding will support “Client Choice Pantry,” one of the most effective and innovative ways of ensuring dignity, reducing waste, and eliminating humiliation for thousands of families who struggle to put food on the table. “Client Choice Pantry” offers a selection of available goods for clients to "shop" for once a month. Clients are permitted to purchase what they want and need based on family size, health and nutritional needs.

Northern Ocean Habitat for Humanity – $10,000 in funding will support Northern Ocean Habitat for Humanity’s A Brush with Kindness Repair Program in northern Ocean County, a home preservation repair program focusing on interior/exterior repairs for low-income homeowners, seniors, disabled and veterans. This repair program includes preservation, weatherization and critical home repairs, and helps individuals reclaim their dignity and enable a homeowner to live in a healthy, safe home.

The Provident Bank Foundation was established in 2003 with the intent of supporting not-for-profit groups, institutions, schools and other 501(c)(3) organizations that provide valuable services to the communities served by Provident Bank. PBF is committed to strengthening and sustaining its relationships with communities in the bank’s marketplace.

“PBF has awarded more than $22 million since 2013 to not-for-profit groups, institutions, schools and other 501(c)(3) organizations that provide valuable services to the community, and we look forward to increasing our commitment in years to come,” adds Kurek.

For more information and guidelines on these funding opportunities, visit www.theprovidentbankfoundation.org or call (862) 260-3990.

About The Provident Bank Foundation

The Provident Bank Foundation was established in 2003 by Provident Bank to enhance the quality of life in the region through support of not-for-profit groups, institutions, schools and other 501(c)(3) organizations that provide services in communities served by the Bank. Since inception, the Foundation has granted more than $22 million to not-for-profit organizations and institutions working toward stronger communities. For more information about The Provident Bank Foundation, visit www.theprovidentbankfoundation.org or call (862) 260-3990.

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