PITTSBURGH, Jan. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The Comcast
Foundation announced today that it awarded $309,000 in grants to 21 nonprofit organizations
in Comcast's Keystone Region in 2016. The grants helped grow the
impact of programs aimed at the Comcast Foundation's three areas of
focus – expanding digital literacy, promoting service, and building
tomorrow's leaders. Comcast's Keystone Region includes portions of
northeastern, central and western Pennsylvania, the Maryland panhandle, eastern Ohio and northern West Virginia.
One of the leadership development programs the Foundation
supports is Hope Station, a youth
leadership program in Carlisle,
PA. "Our five-year partnership with Comcast has helped
Hope Station to lift up the entire
neighborhood by tackling our most difficult problems," said
James Washington Jr., Executive
Director. "This is done through education, technology, job
development and most importantly, teaching our children to become
leaders by learning to respect themselves and others."
Another youth leadership program supported by the Foundation is
the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater
Pittsburgh's Beyond School Walls program, an ongoing
partnership between Comcast and Sto-Rox
Middle School. "Comcast's employees understand the
needs of the children we serve and have consistently supported
their Littles year after year," said Jan
Glick, Executive Director. "Each time we consider adding
another Beyond School Walls program we asked the company to
visit the Comcast program as an example of perfection."
The 30 big / little matches among at-risk children and adult
mentors has helped the students improve academic success, feel more
socially accepted and demonstrate healthier attitudes against "risk
behaviors," including controlled substance use, bullying, and
breaking rules in school.
In addition, The Arc of York
County received a grant to support assistive and adaptive
technology. "The Arc of York
County is thrilled to be able to offer our Technology
Education Course to York Countians with disabilities thanks to the
generous funding from the Comcast Foundations," said Josh Leik, Director of Operations. "Over
the next year, dozens of individuals will have an introduction to
computers or will build upon existing skills to better enable them
to fully participate in their community."
In Pittsburgh, Best of the
Batch Foundation supports students by providing technology and
school-readiness programs in local communities. "Best of the
Batch Foundation is pleased to continue our partnership with the
Comcast Foundation as we bring state of the art technology to our
students," said Founder and President, Charlie Batch. "Thanks to the new equipment,
like 3-D printers and 3-D pens that we will be able to purchase for
our Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math Club, we will
create new learning outlets and open doors to careers and
opportunities."
Additional organizations receiving Comcast Foundation grants in
Comcast's Keystone Region include:
- Sarah Heinz House Boys &
Girls Club, Pittsburgh
- Boys & Girls Club of Western PA
- Boys & Girls Club of Harrisburg
- Spanish American Civic Association, Lancaster
- Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh
- Centro Hispano Daniel Torres,
Reading
- Mountaineer Boys & Girls Club, Morgantown
- Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Capital Region, Harrisburg
- Easter Seals of Western &
Central PA, Pittsburgh
- Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh / Digital Connectors
- Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Laurel Region, Greensburg
- YWCA, Wheeling
- Strong Women Strong Girls, Pittsburgh
- Boys & Girls Clubs of Chambersburg and Shippensburg
- Crispus Attucks, Lancaster
Including the support in Comcast's Keystone Region, the Comcast
Foundation donated $19 million in
2016 to nonprofit organizations in the communities it serves
nationwide. In addition to the grants from the Comcast Foundation,
Comcast also responds to community needs through local sponsorships
and in-kind support, such as airing public service announcements,
employee volunteerism, and providing technology equipment and
services to organizations across the country.
"Comcast is proud to award these grants to our partner
organizations to connect and strengthen the communities we serve,"
said Christine Whitaker, senior vice
president of Comcast's Keystone Region. "Thanks to the tireless and
extremely important work of these nonprofit organizations, our
region is a better place to call home."
About the Comcast Foundation
The Comcast Foundation
was founded by Comcast Corporation in June
1999 to provide charitable support to qualified non-profit
organizations. The Foundation primarily invests in programs
intended to have a positive, sustainable impact on their
communities. The Foundation has three community investment
priorities—expanding digital literacy, promoting community service,
and building tomorrow's leaders. Since its inception, the Comcast
Foundation has donated $195 million
to organizations in the communities nationwide that Comcast serves.
More information about the Foundation and its programs is available
at www.comcast.com/community.
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SOURCE Comcast Cable