ISELIN, N.J., April 03, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Provident Bank, a leading New Jersey-based financial institution, has announced the donation of one of its former branches to New City Kids, a Jersey City-based non-profit organization that offers after-school programming for local youth from traditionally under-resourced urban areas. The 5,472 square foot building, located at 533 Bergen Avenue, Jersey City, will be known as the New City Kids Rubingh Center for Youth Development, and will serve as the organization’s fourth Jersey City location. The facility, named after New City Kids’ founders Revs. Trevor and Linda Rubingh will be used to advance New City Kids’ mission to provide spiritual, leadership, academic and musical development for local youth.

New City Kids’ after school curriculum provides critical academic support for 1-8th graders, while the Teen Life Internship program offers a year-long, paid, part-time internship in leadership development. Other facets of programming include City Sail – a five-week swimming and sailing course – a traditional summer camp, Brighter Day groups providing body safety and mental health support, and Families for Literacy, a collaborative city effort holistically serving low-income families for whom English is a second language in Jersey City.

"Our commitment to this community runs deep," said Chris Martin, Executive Chairman, Provident Bank. “Lending a helping hand in the communities we serve and making a positive impact is fundamental at Provident. It’s extremely gratifying to give back to the community where Provident was founded in 1839.”

In addition to the Bank’s donation of the building, The Provident Bank Foundation has pledged a multi-year commitment of $100,000 to New City Kids. The funds will be disbursed over a 4-year period and will be used for building upgrades, operational support, and programming at the New City Kids Rubingh Center for Youth Development.

"New City Kids embodies the values of The Provident Bank Foundation," said Samantha Plotino, Executive Director. "Helping to transform the lives of youth by supporting programs that enhance their development is consistent with our funding priorities. This organization opens doors for youth and teens, partnering with them as they grow into leaders and change-makers in their communities."

"The generous support from Provident Bank and The Provident Bank Foundation will serve an invaluable purpose for this community," said Shaun Hopkins, Executive Director, New City Kids/Jersey City.

"The youth that come to us already have it in them to be great, but the additional support will allow us to not only expand our impact physically, but to also enhance the support and programs we provide," added Hopkins.

Following the donation of this branch to New City Kids, Provident Bank will continue to operate 5 locations in Jersey City.

About Provident Bank
Provident Bank, a community-oriented financial institution offering “Commitment you can count on” since 1839, is the wholly owned subsidiary of Provident Financial Services, Inc. (NYSE:PFS), which reported assets of $13.8 billion as of December 31, 2022. With $10.6 billion in deposits, Provident Bank provides a comprehensive suite of financial products and services through its network of branches throughout northern and central New Jersey, as well as Bucks, Lehigh and Northampton counties in Pennsylvania and Nassau and Queens Counties in New York. The Bank also provides fiduciary and wealth management services through its wholly owned subsidiary, Beacon Trust Company and insurance services through its wholly owned subsidiary, Provident Protection Plus, Inc. For more information about Provident Bank, visit www.provident.bank or join the conversations on Facebook (ProvidentBank) and Twitter (@ProvidentBank).

About The Provident Bank Foundation
The Provident Bank Foundation, established by Provident Bank, aims continuously to search and support organizations focusing on the enhancement of community enrichment, education and health, youth, and families. The Foundation serves this purpose by supporting not-for-profit 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 not-for-profit organizations and institutions working toward strengthening our better and brighter communities. For more information, visit theprovidentbankfoundation.org or call (862) 260-3990.

About New City Kids
The mission of New City Kids is: “Loving kids for change to create a community of academic, leadership, musical, and spiritual development.”  New City Kids partners with youth from systemically underserved communities in New Jersey and Michigan. For the last 14 years, 100% of high school seniors enrolled in New City Kids have graduated from high school, 94% have gone on to college, and 89% have either finished college or are still pursuing college or graduate degrees.

The program currently operates 7 sites in 4 cities domestically for 600+ youth, with 4 spin-offs internationally. It has a two-part structure, each part complimenting the other. First, New City Kids operates a music and arts focused After School Center for children ages 6-13 five days a week. Unlike many after school centers which settle for “keeping kids off the street,” New City Kids has a very SMART goal-driven culture centered on achievements in four areas of study: (1) social studies (2) math (3) language arts (4) music. Each student works through a year-long learning process ascending through milestones of achievement in each of these four areas.

But what really makes the After School Center unique is the second tier. Instead of staffing the program with paid adults or volunteers, we staff it almost entirely with paid Teen Interns. These internships are designed to open teens’ eyes to their own remarkable abilities and to awaken them to the joy of leadership, the goodness of earning money, the attainability of a college or trade education/apprenticeship, and the transforming power of God’s love for them.

Every day as the teens show up to work, they realize that the program completely depends on them.  They begin to own the idea of teaching and mentoring children. They take pride in the classes they lead for their students. Before they know it, they see themselves as powerful agents of change. In order to keep their job as an intern, they must progress through our carefully constructed curriculum of life skills development, leadership development, academic support, college readiness, and professional exposure visits.

The result is that at the end of their internship, teenagers see beyond themselves, have confidence in themselves, are awakened to the value of delayed gratification and goal setting, and they become hungry for success and investing in their communities. 

Media Contact:
Keith Buscio
Provident Bank
keith.buscio@provident.bank
732.590.9407