MORRISTOWN, NEW JERSEY (May 10, 2017) – The Provident Bank Foundation (PBF) is pleased to announce the recipients of its First Cycle 2017 Major Grants, totaling $176,000 for projects and programs across New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

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 organizations and programs funded through this year’s first cycle of Major Grants are nothing short of extraordinary. This year’s recipients are working to improve the quality of life in our communities,” said Jane Kurek, Executive Director, The Provident Bank Foundation. “The Foundation looks forward to seeing how each grant helps to make our communities be happier, healthier and safer – a large part of our mission.”

Several of the recipients of PBF’s First Cycle 2017 Major Grants are as follows:

NEW JERSEY

Fairleigh Dickinson University (FDU) STEM Academy in Bergen County: The $10,000 in funding will support FDU’s STEM Academy, a 12-year program at the Metropolitan campus that will provide college-level courses – engineering (TEOP), math (META), and computer and security (CSEOP) through the Gildart Haase School of Computer Science and Engineering – to 140 student participants from underrepresented groups in STEM and underprivileged communities in Bergen County.

Childhood Leukemia Foundation in Bergen County: Childhood Leukemia Foundation proudly promotes patient education, advocacy, self-esteem and most of all – smiles. All programs are free of charge, and available to any pediatric cancer patient living in the continental United States. Each program has been specifically designed to help meet the emotional and educational needs of these very special children. The $7,500 in funding will be used to purchase 25 iPads for pediatric cancer patients at the Children’s Cancer Institute, Joseph M. Sanzari Children’s Hospital, Hackensack Meridian Health as part of the Keeping Kids Connected Program (KKCP).

YMCA of Montclair in Essex County: YMCA of Montclair is committed to caring for individuals and families, with a focus on youth development healthy living and social responsibility for its more than 12,000 members across two branches – Park Street and Geyer Family. The $7,500 in funding will be used to support their new Improving the Quality of Life for those with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) program and outreach efforts, which consists of a two-session pilot consisting of a 12-week, 24-class wellness course for adults with MS.

Housing and Neighborhood Development Services, Inc. (HANDS) in Essex County: HANDS aspires to help lead in creating that vision by revitalizing neighborhoods and creating spaces for arts, culture, business, recreation and learning. The $10,000 in funding will be used to support the efforts of A Brighter Future for At-Risk Youth in the Heart of Orange, a partnership with YouthBuild Newark and Unity Baptist Church. The members of the partnership will rehab a building in Orange for use as a Job Training Center.

Bayonne Economic Opportunity Foundation (BEOF) in Hudson County: The organization provides a wide range of services to assist low-income, handicapped, and elderly residents of Bayonne, N.J., and Hudson County. The $10,000 in funding will be used to help launch their BEOF Nutrition and Horticulture Education Program, a two-part initiative that includes a food pantry with hands-on food demonstrations and cooking class, as well as, a new commercial greenhouse for hands-on gardening and horticultural experiences for students ages three through 15.

Rising Tide Capital, Inc. (RTC) in Hudson County: Rising Tide Capital is a non-profit organization whose mission is to assist struggling individuals and communities to build strong businesses which transform lives, strengthen families, and build sustainable communities. The $7,500 in funding will allow RTC to sustain and expand their Community Business Academy and Business Accelerations Services which is designed for the educational needs of low-income entrepreneurs – thereby assisting talented men and women to start and grow successful businesses, generating jobs and economic opportunity.

New Jersey Institute for Disabilities, Inc. (NJID) in Middlesex County: NJID has been serving the needs of persons with developmental and related disabilities and their families and is positioned to sustain, create and deliver significant programs and initiatives to enhance and empower persons with disabilities from throughout the State of New Jersey. The Foundation’s $7,500 in funding will be used to support NJID’s Alianza/Wise Owl Club, the exclusive program in the Perth Amboy area serving children with disabilities and their parents. The Alianza/Wise Owl Club provides support and education using technology developed for special needs individuals to ultimately keep students on par with peers in the classroom.

YMCA of Metuchen, Edison, Woodbridge and South Amboy in Middlesex County: YMCA of Metuchen, Edison Woodbridge and South Amboy is dedicated to building strong kids, strong families and strong communities through programs that develop values of caring, honesty, respect and responsibility. The YMCA serves all people, regardless of age, religion, gender or financial means and is committed to helping everyone develop a healthy spirit, mind and body. The $10,000 in funding will allow for the expansion of their Scratch Program to the Metuchen facility. The Scratch Program teaches children ages eight to 16 core computational concepts, providing them with skills necessary to understand iterations and conditionals, as well as mathematical concepts such as coordinates, variables, and random numbers. By offering this program, the YMCA will be able to provide children with the skills necessary to code computer programs which will lead to the ability problem solve, design and communicate ideas.

HABcore, Inc. in Monmouth County: HABcore, Inc. helps homeless families, veterans, and individuals with special needs move through crisis to stability, giving them the opportunity to improve their lives through permanent housing and individualized support. The $7,500 in funding will be used to fund their Independent Living Program Expansion, which provides supportive housing to participants in new programs, including homeless families, and vets and individuals with special needs.

Habitat for Humanity of Monmouth County: Habitat for Humanity in Monmouth County is dedicated to eliminating substandard housing locally and worldwide through constructing, rehabilitating and preserving homes; by advocating for fair and just housing policies; and by providing training and access to resources to help families improve their shelter conditions. The Foundation’s $25,000 in funding will be used to engage more than 50 Long Branch High School students to design and construct a home via Project Lead the Way. The program employs STEM education and construction skills applicable to academic and career goals.

Morris Educational Foundation Incorporated in Morris County: Morris Educational Foundation mission is to generate and distribute financial and other resources to and for the Morris School District for enrichment programs and other projects aimed at enhancing the quality of education and educational opportunities for students in the district. The $22,000 in funding will be used towards a successful support structure expansion of their K-5 Academic Support Centers (ASC) into seven elementary schools in the district, assisting 175 students.

Foundation for Morristown Medical Center in Morris County: Foundation for Morristown Medical Center is a nonprofit, public foundation that inspires community philanthropy to advance exceptional health care for patients at Morristown Medical Center and Goryeb Children’s Hospital. The $10,000 in funding will be used to purchase FibroScan, a new imaging technology to be used in diagnosing liver disease in children. Goryeb Children's Hospital in Morristown will be one of only 13 children's hospitals in the country and the first pediatric center in New Jersey to offer this technology.

Daytop Village, NJ in Morris County: Daytop Village New Jersey provides highly-effective and accessible behavioral health services, restoring hope and improving the quality of life for persons served, their families and our communities. $7,500 in funding provided by the Foundation will be used to support their Music for Recovery program, a practice treatment component for 75 teens receiving treatment and behavioral-health services at Mendham residential location.

Trinitas Health Foundation in Union County: Trinitas Health Foundation provides vital financial support for Trinitas Regional Medical Center so that their doctors, nurses and other caregivers can continue a long-standing tradition of quality, compassionate care. The $24,000 in funding will support the purchase of SimMan ALS, a vital part of Trinitas Emergency Stimulation Training. SimMan ALS builds competencies and prepares students on how to assess and manage seriously-ill or injured patients on a lifelike manikin. More than 530 EMTs, firefighters and paramedics throughout the Bank’s footprint will be trained on this device.

PENNSYLVANIA

Civic Theatre of Allentown in Lehigh County: Civic Theatre of Allentown is a 501c3 non-profit organization dedicated to producing live theatre of high standards of artistic excellence, capitalizing on the physicality, presence and immediacy of theatre as an art form and providing a creative outlet and training ground for local artists dedicated to the theatre as an avocation. The $10,000 in funding will be used to support the Civic’s 19^th Street Theatre Capital Improvement Campaign, “The Next Act,” a restoration initiative for the historic theatre and neighborhood economic development.

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.

“These grants add to the more than $22 million PBF has awarded to not-for-profit organizations and institutions working toward stronger communities, and we couldn’t be prouder of that,” adds Kurek.

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

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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.