ISELIN, NJ (October 12, 2023) – The Provident Bank Foundation (PBF) is pleased to announce the recipients of its 2023 Signature Grant cycle. The Foundation awarded three $100,000 grants to support nonprofit organizations administering bold and innovative programs focused on long-term, sustainable change within the communities they serve.

The Foundation’s Signature Grant program emphasizes sustainable community enhancement and meaningful impact, providing flexible funding support for programs, projects and initiatives that propose solutions to chronic problems impacting quality of life in the communities served by Provident Bank.

“At the Signature Grant level, we seek partnerships with nonprofit organizations that are addressing systemic issues at their root causes,” said Samantha Plotino, executive director of The Provident Bank Foundation. “I am incredibly excited to partner with this year’s Signature Grant recipients as they break down barriers to economic self-sufficiency by focusing on workforce development, education and housing through an equity lens.”

The recipients of PBF’s 2023 Signature Grants are as follows:

Hudson Community Enterprises: The Center for Employment and Inclusion for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (CEI)

Funding from The Provident Bank Foundation will support Hudson Community Enterprises’ Center for Employment and Inclusion for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (CEI). The deaf and hard of hearing workforce development services at CEI will increase employment opportunities and access for individuals with hearing loss. Support through highly skilled staff, employment opportunities, education and advocacy are all provided, with the goal of empowering, supporting and advocating for the deaf, hard of hearing and deafblind to achieve financial independence through employment.

Hudson County Community College Foundation: Hudson Scholars Program

Hudson County Community College’s Hudson Scholars Program was established to provide proactive advisement, financial assistance, early academic intervention and supportive services to students from educationally and economically disadvantaged backgrounds, with the goal of helping those students earn a degree. With support from The Provident Bank Foundation, HCCC will now have the resources to automatically enroll all incoming students in the Hudson Scholars Program—regardless of financial need—to ensure everyone has access to the resources they might need to complete their college education, achieve their goals and realize their dreams.

Family Promise of Hunterdon County: Residential Support Center and New Housing Care Model

Funding from The Provident Bank Foundation will support Family Promise of Hunterdon County as they convert a former church annex building in Flemington, New Jersey, into a four-bedroom residential support center for families experiencing homelessness. This home will allow families displaced from permanent housing to be sheltered for as long as needed, while working with case managers to find opportunities for education and employment; improve mental health outcomes through supportive programming; and commit to long-term goals to help find solutions to the factors that led them to situations of housing insecurity.

About The Provident Bank Foundation

The Provident Bank Foundation, established by Provident Bank, aims continuously to search for and support organizations focusing on the enhancement of community enrichment, education and health, youth, and families. The Foundation serves this purpose by supporting nonprofit groups, institutions, schools, and other 501(c)(3) organizations that provide services in proud communities served by the Bank. Dedicated since 2003, the Foundation has granted more than $30 million to nonprofit organizations working toward strengthening our better and brighter communities. For more information, visit theprovidentbankfoundation.org or call (862) 260-3990.