12/11/2013
Citizens Bank Foundation provides $5,000 grant to Safe Harbors of the Hudson
Grant supports community building through housing opportunities and access to the arts
Newburgh, N.Y. (December 11, 2013) – The Citizens Bank Foundation announced today that it has donated $5,000 to Safe Harbors of the Hudson to support its mission of transforming lives and building communities through housing and the arts. The grant is part of the Foundation’s “Citizens Helping Citizens Strengthen Communities” initiative.
“We are committed to helping build vibrant communities across New York,” said James P. Gaspo, president of Citizens Bank and RBS Citizens, New York. “Safe Harbors of the Hudson is helping to transform a key location in downtown Newburgh into a culturally vibrant hub that will lead to further economic growth in the city, and we are pleased to help them in that effort.”
The initial project of Safe Harbors of the Hudson when it was founded in 2002 was the establishment of The Cornerstone Residence, a supportive housing facility with a mixed tenancy of single adults in 128 apartments, including the formerly homeless, veterans, those living with a mental health diagnosis, artists and other adults who need affordable housing.
Support services and job training are available to Cornerstone residents, and many of the programs are also open to the general public, including an on-site GED program and computer training classes. Through the Ann Street Gallery located in The Cornerstone Residence, public art on the building’s façade, and the adjacent Ritz Theater, the organization is enriching the quality of life for community residents and helping to drive economic prosperity in the city.
“We are grateful to have Citizens Bank Foundation’s financial support and participation in the mission of our organization,” said Lisa Silverstone, Executive Director of Safe Harbors of the Hudson. “Through supportive housing and access to the arts, we believe that we can strengthen our community and become a catalyst for economic prosperity here in Newburgh.”
Citizens Helping Citizens Strengthen Communities is part of the bank’s broader Citizens Helping Citizens program addressing five key areas: hunger, housing, economic development, financial education and volunteerism. Get more information about Citizens Bank’s community initiatives online at www.citizensbank.com/community.
About Citizens Helping Citizens
Grounded in the belief that a good bank gives back to its community and to the people who live there, Citizens Helping Citizens is a program embracing the community goals of RBS Citizens Financial Group, Inc. – the commercial bank holding company serving consumer and small business customers as Citizens Bank and Charter One and commercial banking customers as RBS Citizens. The Citizens Helping Citizens program comprises five key initiatives supported directly by RBSCFG and also by its nonprofit charitable foundations, the Citizens Charitable Foundation, the Citizens Bank Foundation and the Charter One Foundation: Citizens Helping Citizens Fight Hunger, Citizens Helping Citizens Provide Shelter, Citizens Helping Citizens Strengthen Communities (economic development), Citizens Helping Citizens Teach Money Management (financial education) and Citizens Helping Citizens Give (volunteerism and colleague charitable donations). Across all of these initiatives, Citizens Helping Citizens strives to enhance quality of life and economic vitality in local communities.
