Bank of America hosted its inaugural Neighborhood Excellence Initiative Awards in Fairfield County in a big way ”“ by giving away $425,000.
The two big winners were New Neighborhoods Inc. of Stamford and McGivney Community Center of Bridgeport, which each received $200,000.
Ross Burkhardt, president and CEO of New Neighborhoods ”“ which is celebrating its 30th year of creating affordable housing in Stamford ”“ said the unrestricted grant will provide funding to workforce programs and expand resident service programs.
Karen McIntosh, executive director of McGivney Community Center, said the grant would be used to enhance the academic programs at the center on the east side of Bridgeport.
The awards are designed to recognize organizations and individuals who contribute significantly to the health and vitality of the Fairfield County community. In addition to the two nonprofits, awards went to five student leaders and five heroes, who were each awarded $5,000.
The awards were founded in 2004 by Dean Andrews, senior vice president and market development manager at Bank of America. There has already been nearly $70 million committed in the program involving 44 banks across the country and one in London. Fairfield joins its sibling, Bank of America of Hartford, as the second Connecticut branch involved.
“We have given a face to the bank,” said Nicholas Vazquez, market development specialist of the Bank of America. “The people in these neighborhoods know that there are people at the banks that they can go to.”
The student recipients received a paid internship with the Boys and Girls Clubs of Stamford and the Cardinal Sheehan Center in Bridgeport with local nonprofits. The students also participated in a leadership program for which they were designated mentors at the Bank of America and with community leaders.
“I learned valuable lessons, being able to visit the corporate side of Bank of America with my mentor, Andrew Johnson, and I got to see the philanthropic side,” said Robert Truglia, student honoree a 12th-grader at Stamford High School. “I think it”™s outstanding what they”™re doing for the community.”
The other student award winners were, Orlando Daniels of Bridgeport, a freshman at Mercy College; Linton Kinlock also of Bridgeport a freshman at Southern Connecticut State University; Â Nadirah Langston a 12th-grader at Central High School in Bridgeport; and Luz Velazquez of Bridgeport, a freshman at Fairfield University.
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Susan Rottner, president of Bank of America, introduced the “Local Heroes,” each awarded $5,000 to donate to a charity of their choice. First among these recipients was the Rev. Albert Dancy, co-chair of Norwalk Urban Youth Initiative, who donated his grant to the Cornerstone Community Development Corp.
He was followed by Alicia McAuliffe-Fogarty a vibrant woman who was diagnosed with Type1 diabetes at age 11, and founded the nonprofit Circle of Life Camp at age 18. She donated her grant to the Circle of Life Center.
The next recipient, Joyce Gumbus, co-founder of 164 Wilson Memorial Food Pantry, had the crowd holding their bellies with her wonderful eccentrics, explaining how six woman ranging from 60 to 90 years-of-age founded the kitchen, and then making all her 20 volunteers stand and wave. Gumbus donated her grant to The Wilson Memorial Food Pantry.
Tentatively following Gumbus”™ performance was Marianne Laska, a tutor and health-care counselor at the Mercy Learning Center in Bridgeport, to which she donated her grant.
The final recipient was Bob Lindquist, a 22-year volunteer for Habitat for Humanity. He has worked on all 119 Habitat houses in Fairfield County. Lindquist directed his grant to Habitat for Humanity of Costal Fairfield County.
Attending the Nov. 13 event at the Palace Theatre in Stamford were family members, staff and friends of all the organizations.
“Bank of America is one of the most generous companies worldwide, it is very unique, there are no other companies that are doing this,” said William R. Tommins, market president of Fairfield County Bank of America. “All these decisions were made by people in this room, none of it came from outside.”
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