chamber-grant-winners

The Princeton Regional Chamber of Commerce Community Development Fund awarded $30,000 in grants to three local nonprofits at today’s Princeton Regional Chamber of Commerce luncheon.

The 2016 grant recipients are Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Mercer County, Dress for Success, and UIH Family Partners.

The Big Brothers Big Sisters workplace mentoring program received funding to match employees of a work site with students who need mentors. The goal of the program is to form a partnership between Trenton Central High School West and St. Francis Medical Center to create and manage a successful mentoring program that enriches the lives of at risk students by assisting them in achieving their potential. The program’s creators hope students will learn about the healthcare industry while developing bonds with their mentor that will help the students make positive life choices.

The Dress for Success women’s empowerment programs include the Latina empowerment initiative, the financial literacy program, and the customer excellence program. The programs stress financial education and economic independence.

UIH Family Partners, in partnership with the Trenton Housing Authority and the College of New Jersey Bonner Scholars Program, is expanding its “Bridges to Success” certification program to help men in Mercer County find long-term careers. The grant will provide funding for educational opportunities leading to certifications in three areas; ServSafe Food Handler, OSHA job Safety Certification and forklift Certification.

“The partnership of the Princeton Regional Chamber of Commerce Foundation, the Princeton Regional Chamber of Commerce, and the Princeton Area Community Foundation is a powerful force for support for non-profits of the area. Everyone at the Princeton Regional Chamber of Commerce Foundation is delighted and gratified that this enduring fund we have established and supplemented has distributed $125,000 to worthy causes in the past few years,” said Patrick Ryan, Chairman of the Princeton Regional Chamber of Commerce Foundation.

The Princeton Regional Chamber of Commerce Foundation and the Princeton Regional Chamber of Commerce established the Princeton Regional Chamber of Commerce Community Development Fund in partnership with the Princeton Area Community Foundation in 2013 with a goal of providing support to nonprofits throughout Central New Jersey. Grants are given annually to the most promising programs that address one or more of the Fund’s focus areas: education, leadership, economic opportunity and development, and self-sufficiency.

“With these grants, the Chamber and the Chamber Foundation continue to invest in our region by providing financial support for the vital work of these outstanding community-based organizations,” said Rick Coyne, chairman of the Princeton Regional Chamber of Commerce.