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Mercy Housing and Shelter Corporation Receives
Neighborhood Excellence Initiative ™
Award from Bank of America
The Hartford Stage was the perfect setting for the festivities hosted by Bank of America on November 8, 2006 to announce and present their Third Annual Neighborhood Excellence Initiative™ (NEI) Awards. Mercy Housing and Shelter Corporation was among those receiving grants in various categories. Mercy Housing and Shelter Corporation was among those receiving grants in various categories.
Two $200,000 Neighborhood Builders™ awards, which are grants over the course of two years, go to two local nonprofit organizations working to promote vibrant neighborhoods. These grants are “unrestricted funs” and can be used by the organization to cover operating expenses and build program capacity.
Susan Rottner presented one of the two Neighborhood Builders™ awards to Sister Patricia McKeon, Executive Director of MHSC. Sister Pat, upon accepting the award addressed the gathering and thanked representatives of Bank of America. She said, “I am extremely grateful to Bank of America for allowing MHSC the opportunity to expand their Capacity.”
Mercy Housing and Shelter will be using the NEI grant to add key central administration positions and grow capacity. Louann D’Angelo, Director of Development and a MHSC employee and guest at the event, observed that the award would “enable Mercy to increase the number of grants written each year, allowing the agency to meet the financial need of the organization.”
Recipients of the NEI awards include individuals and organizations dedicated to improving the Hartford community. According to Susan A. Rottner, Connecticut President, Bank of America, “Bank of America recognizes that each of these groups is essential to sustaining vital neighborhoods and through this program, we strive to support each of these critical stakeholders and enables even greater community revitalization in Hartford.” She added that, “In Hartford, the recipients have shown extraordinary leadership in addressing critical issues that affect Connecticut.”
The other recipient of a Neighborhood Builders™ award was Co-Opportunity, Inc. which provides housing, work force development and community economic development services to low income residents of Hartford. Bank of America also presented five Local Heroes™ awards to individuals who contributed significantly to neighborhoods vitality and Student Leaders™ awards to five exemplary high school students for their involvement in improving their neighborhoods.
The Bank of America Charitable Foundation approaches giving through a national strategy called “neighborhood excellence” under which it works with local leaders to identify and meet the most pressing needs of communities. For more information about Bank of American Corporate Philanthropy, please visit www.bankofamerica.com/foundation
Citizen Bank names Mercy Housing and Shelter Corporation
as 2007’s first Champion in Action
Hartford, Conn. – Citizen Bank of Connecticut and WTNH, New Channel 8 of New Haven today announced that Mercy Housing and Shelter Corporation, a non-profit organization that responds to the needs of those in the Hartford area who are homeless or at risk or becoming homeless, has been named its first Champion in Action for 2007.
The award was announced by Citizens Bank President Rich Barry and Jon Hitchcock of New Channel 8 as part of an on-air segment during the noon newscast on WTNH earlier today. The award includes a $25,000 from the Citizens Bank Foundation.
“Every day, the Mercy Housing and Shelter Corporation provides the greater Hartford community with the most basic and yet most essential in life – food and shelter. And in doing this work so well for so many, Citizens Bank is pleased to recognize it as our first Champion in Action for 2007,” said Rich Barry, during a brief ceremony at the Mercy Housing Shelter facility on Main Street in Hartford.
Champions in Actions is a partnership between Citizen Bank and WTNH launched in 2002 to provide financial support and public awareness to the non-profit organizations that work everyday to champion change in our communities.
Each quarter, a non-profit organization who offers a range of social service topics in Connecticut is recognized as a Champion in Action. The category for the first quarter of 2007 is elder support.
Mercy Housing and Shelter will receive $25,000 from Citizen Bank Foundation:
- Media coverage from News Channel 8, including public service announcements;
- Volunteer support from both Citizens Bank and News Channel 8;
- Public relations support; and Promotional support through visibility at Citizen Bank branches and citizenbank.com