National Grid Foundation Has Provided More Than $3 Million In Emergency Heating Fund Grants to Support Eight Fuel-Neutral Emergency and Heating Programs Across New York and Massachusetts
“At the Foundation, we know that small amounts of emergency assistance in a time of financial crisis can prevent families from losing their homes, going without heat, experience food insecurity or go without other essential needs.
“We have a long history of serving as a community partner, understand the critical need in our communities, and want our neighbors to know we are here to help. We are so grateful to the amazing organizations who have partnered with us; they help deliver so many much-needed services during these trying economic times.”
Eileen Cohen, Board Chair,
National Grid Foundation
This winter, National Grid Foundation awarded $1.3 million to a Massachusetts partnership of three United Ways: Massachusetts Bay, Central Mass and Cape & Islands, to support local families across the region with emergency heating and financial assistance. United Way of Long Island received a $600,000 grant; Catholic Charities Albany received $550,000, Catholic Charities Staten Island and Catholic Charities Brooklyn/Queens each received $250,000; and Brooklyn.org was awarded $112,500.
The Foundation, critically concerned about energy affordability, anticipates being able to assist more than 7500 families this year through the work of these agencies.
During the month of February, the recipient organizations held local events to celebrate and call attention to the importance and impact this funding will have on the communities served by the Foundation. Since inception of the emergency heating funds, the Foundation has provided more than $10 million in heating aid. ❦
SOWMA’s Tutoring Program FY24 results mirror this positive impact: 100% of SOWMA’s students reported academic growth and 95% of students tested improved their literacy scores. 100% of students stated that the program fostered a positive effect on their attitude towards self, relationship to peers, and relationship to others. At the beginning of the year, 57% of students were reading below grade level, but by the end of the year, with SOWMA’s Tutoring Program, just 13% were. The program serves students in grades PreK-12,
with most in PreK and elementary school. On average, 90% of our tutoring students suffer from trauma which may manifest as ADHD, anxiety and/ or depression. Some are teen moms, as young as 13. Many student families are immigrant/refugees speaking Haitian-Creole, Spanish and Portuguese. Approximately 75% of our students last year were English language learners and at some locations 90% or more were. Students served live in group shelters, domestic violence shelters, hotels being used as overflow shelters and low-income housing.
ASHLEY from Gordon College to Curr College for nursing.
“SOWMA has played an instrumental role in helping me achieve significant milestones in my academic and professional journey. Thanks to their support, I am proud to be the first African American to graduate from the nursing program at Gordon College.”
While National Grid Foundation supports SOWMA’s Bridge Program helping to reach more than 100 homeless middle/high school/college students and put them on a path to success, Social Impact at National Grid arranges volunteer opportunities such as backpack assembly so thousands of students have new backpacks stuffed with gradeappropriate materials to get them started each school year. Social Impact also provides funding for SOWMA’s Tutoring Program. Together, the Foundation and National Grid’s community connectivity, provides broader and deeper community impact in southeastern Massachusetts.❦
By Christine Berardi
Who knew that going to summer camp would lead to an exciting job years later? It happened to Kaya Henderson.
Through its one-of-kind 10-year commitment, Fiver Children’s Foundation provides experiences and relationships that both challenge and nurture young people from underserved, under resourced NYC communities to create a positive future.
Camp Fiver, located in Poolville, NY, has 129-acres of woodlands, wetlands, a 36acre lake, 15 cabins, and 7 other buildings. Approximately 450 youth ages 8-15 go to camp for two weeks and 16-18-year-old students enjoy four weeks of camp. The free overnight camp allows young people to connect with nature, explore new activities and meet new friends.
Kaya, a 2015 Fiver alum, has a different perspective on Fiver Children’s Foundation and Camp Fiver. After her years attending summer camp, she became a seasonal camp counselor in 2017. Joining the full-time team in 2023 and now promoted to Camp Director, Kaya now manages family events, camp employment, and behind-the-scenes operations.
Bringing her own experiences from attending camp to working at Fiver have helped her connect with and become a role model for today’s campers.
In a blog post on Fivers website, Kaya shares, “For the past eight years, I have been a constant face that Fivers see at camp and at the office. When they come here, they know they’re going to see me.” She continues, “Camp Fiver experience and work is so rewarding. I wouldn’t be who I am without Fivers.”
She is not the first camper to become a Fiver employee. Aislee Berenice Nieves, Class of 2014, is the Program Manager. Mabel Munoz, Class of 2015, is a Senior HR and Operations Manager.
“It’s wonderful to always see our alumni do well after their Fivers’ experience. It’s rewarding to see them come back and want to give back to Fivers and the community,” said Christie Ko, Executive Director, Fivers Children’s Foundation.
National Grid Foundation has supported Fivers Children’s Foundation for five years. In 2023, Fivers collaborated with New York City Police Foundation to provide nearly 40 middle school youth in the NYPD Giants Youth Mentoring Program with a weekend-long Camp Fiver experience free of charge. After a successful pilot program, Fivers and the NYC Police Foundation have continued their partnership. ❦
By Christine Berardi
When Jeremiah Schnee of WVI Dolphin Foundation and Michael Johnson of HEAF met at a fundraising event last year, they made a connection that would benefit both their organizations. They also formed a business relationship and friendship built on similar qualities and something Jeremiah calls “the secret sauce.”
National Grid Foundation supports both organizations but was not part of the meet and greet.
WVI Dolphin Foundation inspires fortunate individuals to “give back” when and where they can and use their influence, resources, and power to make a disproportionate impact uplifting young people in underserved and under resourced communities. HEAF (Harlem Educational Activities Fund) is a high-impact organization providing educational and youth development services to motivated NYC middle and high school students from under resourced neighborhoods to become high-achieving college graduates.
The two men formed a collaborative relationship that came easy and naturally, not forced. Jeremiah Schnee, Founder, WVI
Dolphin Foundation, said, “Michael is very much like me. We also look business and our organizations in a similar manner. We are taking this at a crawl, walk and then run pace. We also plan, do, review.”
The secret sauce Jeremiah mentions is authenticity, a genuine desire to collaborate and to be a role model. He continues, “It’s rare when someone says they will get back to you or will provide information and then follow through. Michael is true to his word and follows through,” he continued.
Michael Johnson, President and CEO, HEAF, said, “From the first introduction, we started building a friendship. We can leverage great ideas, suggestions and collaborate on how we operate our organizations and how we can serve more. That is an exciting thing. It’s
wonderful working with Jeremiah.”
Although the collaboration is mostly at the leadership level, Dolphin Foundation and HEAF students participated in a program together. HEAF offered its meeting space for Dolphin’s Leadership Mentorship Program’s Networking for Life and Career Success module last fall. Several HEAF students participated in the workshop. Both Jeremiah and Michael haven’t ruled out offering a joint program or event for students but have said that the participants will mainly stay with their original organizations.
Michael adds, “We hope other organizations can make similar connections. We can’t keep this to ourselves.”
National Grid Foundation has supported Fivers Children’s Foundation for five years. In 2023, Fivers collaborated with New York City Police Foundation to provide nearly 40 middle school youth in the NYPD Giants Youth Mentoring Program with a weekend-long Camp Fiver experience free of charge. After a successful pilot program, Fivers and the NYC Police Foundation have continued their partnership.