MORRISTOWN, NEW JERSEY (JULY 9, 2018): Earlier this year, The Provident Bank Foundation announced twelve $15,000 grants to be awarded to organizations nominated by employees of Provident Bank and Beacon Trust. In celebration of the Foundation’s 15^th anniversary, the “Commit to Care” Grants are intended to fund organizations doing the most innovative and effective work in the communities served by Provident Bank.

The Foundation’s Board of Directors announced the winners of the grants, twelve organizations exemplifying PBF’s mission of enhancing the quality of life in New Jersey and Pennsylvania communities. “Throughout this process, we’ve learned so much about our employees’ commitment to their communities and to the nonprofit organizations they know and love,” says Jane Kurek, Executive Director of The Provident Bank Foundation. “We appreciate their nominations, allowing us to support so many meaningful initiatives to mark this significant anniversary for the Foundation.”

The Provident Bank Foundation is honored to present the following organizations with the 15^th Anniversary “Commit to Care” Grants:

New Jersey:

• Allaire Community Farm: Allaire Community Farm is an animal rescue with a mission of inclusion, where passionate people make an impact on their community by creating an encouraging environment that fosters healing and hope. The grant will fund the organization’s efforts to make the farm fully accessible to people of all abilities by creating an indoor/outdoor sanctuary. The expansion and revitalization will allow the farm to expand its outreach efforts through therapeutic horseback and carriage riding, special needs days, and mental health awareness programs.
• The Arc of Union County: The mission of The Arc of Union County is to empower and support individuals of all ages with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families. The grant will fund the organization’s Customer Service and Hospitality training course and support on-going job development, job coaching and employment counseling for 32 people with disabilities.
• Cancer Support Community Central New Jersey: This organization is committed to having no one face cancer alone, ensuring that people impacted by cancer are empowered by knowledge, strengthened by action, and sustained by community. The grant will fund Support4Families, a comprehensive program designed to support and care for children experiencing a cancer diagnosis in their families or social circles.
• Court Appointed Special Advocates of New Jersey: CASA of New Jersey provides a voice for abused and neglected children by empowering a statewide network of programs designed to ensure the children’s well-being and placement in safe and nurturing permanent homes. The funds will support CASA in their project, Improving Child Outcomes Through E-Learning, to provide learning and development for volunteers.
• CPC Behavioral Healthcare: This organization delivers evidence-based services in mental health, substance abuse, special education and physical health. The project funded by the grant aims to eliminate a significant obstacle to accessing treatment by providing a transportation alternative for men and women residing in the rural and suburban areas of Monmouth County. The program is projected to benefit 360 clients over a 12-month period.
• Kidz Can Corporation: The mission of Kidz Can is to provide youth with professional mental health counseling, social service assistance, and enrichment programs to help them reach their full potential. The funds will go towards Highway to Hope—a program that will provide mental health counseling to youth whose insurance benefits are exhausted or do not have insurance benefits.
• Lions District 16-J Charitable Foundation: The grant will fund the purchase of five Plusoptix vision screeners to help this foundation fight undetected vision issues among children. They will do this by providing free vision screenings so children can reach their full potential, facilitating corrective measures while the child is young.
• North Jersey Friendship House: This organization focuses on building the skills of individuals with varying abilities and developmental needs by providing, within a safe haven, comprehensive clinical treatment, vocational training and work opportunities. The grant will help fund an expansion of the Group Counseling role, providing wellness programs to help members make progress towards goals and recovery.
• Safe+Sound Somerset: Safe+Sound Somerset’s mission is to empower survivors of domestic abuse and engage the community to break the cycle of violence. This grant will help launch the pilot of SPEAK: Antidote to Violence, which will address many forms of abuse and violence with pre-teens and teens in Bound Brook, NJ. The goals of the program are to raise awareness and combat high rates of domestic violence in the community.
• Tomorrows Children’s Fund: TCF provides a wide range of support services to patients with pediatric cancer and life-threatening blood disorders, and their families. The funding will support TCF’s Food Pantry and Emergency Supermarket Gift Card programs, ensuring families have the means to provide nutritious meals during their child’s treatments.

Pennsylvania:

• Community Action Committee of the Lehigh Valley: The grant will help fund the organization’s Sixth Street Shelter, which provides an essential service to the community as a place for homeless families to find temporary shelter and help in preparing for the challenges of a difficult job and rental market. This initiative forwards the mission of the Community Action Committee of the Lehigh Valley—to improve the quality of life in the Lehigh Valley by building a community in which all people have access to economic opportunity, the ability to pursue that opportunity, and a voice in the decisions that affect their lives.
• Episcopal Ministries of The Diocese of Bethlehem Inc. (New Bethany Ministries): This organization is committed to creating opportunities for a secure future for the homeless, hungry, poor and mentally ill. The grant will be used to purchase necessary equipment to expand the operational capacity of their choice-based food pantry, which will make nutritious food, such as meat and produce, accessible for an estimated 7,300 individuals throughout Lehigh Valley—a 22% increase in reach. 

On July 24, The Provident Bank Foundation will host a 15^th Anniversary Celebration reception to honor the “Commit to Care” Grant recipients, as well as their Provident Bank and Beacon Trust employee sponsors. “We are thrilled to have the opportunity to meet and celebrate each and every recipient as they move forward in their commitment to providing meaningful value to their communities,” adds Kurek.

For more information and guidelines on other 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 $23 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.