Also Honors Jill Eisenhard of Red Hook as ‘Local Hero’
By Linda Collins
Brooklyn Daily Eagle
MANHATTAN — South Brooklyn’s Fifth Avenue Committee was honored by the Bank of America Charitable Foundation as a “Neighborhood Builder,” winning $200,000 in unrestricted funding.
Additionally, an individual, Jill Eisenhard of Red Hook, was named a “Local Hero” and won $5,000.
The awards were presented last week at a local ceremony for the foundation’s Neighborhood Excellence Initiative (NEI), which invested $20 million nationwide “to strengthen communities across the country.”
The NEI is helping to sustain nonprofits during this challenging economic time and increase their long-term viability, according to Jeff Barker, NYC market president at Bank of America.
“Bank of America is supporting the New York City community through the Neighborhood Excellence Initiative and other lending, investing and community development programs that address critical social issues and align with our corporate social responsibility efforts,” said Barker. “In our current economy, communities need our support more than ever, and this program is designed to give that support through the effective combination of partnership, leadership development and flexible funding.”
Fifth Avenue Committee of
South Brooklyn
The Fifth Avenue Committee was honored for its ongoing (and oft-reported in the Eagle) efforts in developing and managing affordable housing and community facilities. The nonprofit was also noted for creating economic opportunities, organizing residents and workers, providing student-centered adult education, and combating displacement caused by gentrification.
Jill Eisenhard of the
Red Hook Initiative
Eisenhard, executive director of the Red Hook Initiative (RHI), was one of five individuals citywide honored as “2009 New York City Local Heroes” — those community leaders who “contribute significantly to the health of their neighborhood.”
She will donate her $5,000 grant to the RHI, a nonprofit community organization that focuses mainly on youths in the Red Hook Houses.and will soon move into its new home at 767 Hicks St.
These two award winners from Brooklyn will participate in Bank of America’s Neighborhood Excellence Leadership Program, along with other nonprofit leaders from 45 communities across the country and London. Totalling more than 800, these leaders will build a network of community leaders across the country to share learning and insight in areas including strategic communications, financial management, succession planning, and long-term development.
Student Leaders
The bank’s NEI program also honors “Student Leaders” who are exemplary high school juniors and seniors with a passion for improving their communities. Earlier this year, 230 students from across the country, including five from New York City (none were from Brooklyn this year), participated in paid, eight-week summer internships with local nonprofits and in a weeklong student leadership summit in Washington, D.C., to learn about national service and civic engagement, financial education and how nonprofits, businesses and government partner to create positive change.
Questions? Comments?
Sound off to the Editor
————————
© Brooklyn Daily Eagle 2009
All materials posted on BrooklynEagle.com are protected by United States copyright law.
Just a reminder, though -- It’s not considered polite to paste the entire story on your blog. Most blogs post a summary or the first paragraph,( 40 words) then post a link to the rest of the story. That helps increase click-throughs for everyone, and minimizes copyright issues. So please keep posting, but not the entire article. arturc at att.net
