Aramark Honors Nancy Biberman, Founder of Women’s Housing and Economic Development Corporation of New York City, for Affordable Housing and Neighborhood Preservation Work
Washington, DC (PRWEB) October 19, 2016 -- Aramark and the Alliance for Strong Families and Communities honored Nancy Biberman, president and founder of Women’s Housing and Economic Development Corporation (WHEDco) in New York City, today with the 2016 Peter B. Goldberg Aramark Building Community Executive Leadership Award in recognition of her dedication to establishing affordable housing and vibrant communities. The award includes a $40,000 Aramark grant to WHEDco.
The award was announced by Aramark, a global leader in food, facilities management, and uniforms, and the Alliance for Strong Families and Communities during the Alliance National Conference in Los Angeles earlier today.
“Aramark is honored to support this award because it puts the spotlight on leaders who are effective, collaborative, and evoke inspiration while highlighting the critical work and impact of community centers,” says Bev Dribin, Aramark vice president of public affairs. “Nancy’s fierce determination to establish desperately-needed affordable living spaces and social services in the South Bronx has resulted in more stable and successful families.”
The Peter B. Goldberg Aramark Building Community Executive Leadership Award, now in its sixth year, recognizes and showcases community center executives who demonstrate outstanding leadership that improves neighborhoods and strengthens families and communities. The award was named in memory of Peter Goldberg, who served as president and CEO of the Alliance for Children and Families and CEO of United Neighborhood Centers of America until August 2011.
Nancy Biberman believes that for real opportunities to take root, neighborhoods need beautiful, affordable homes, places to work, schools, shops, parks, and social services. This nationally recognized expert in the creation of affordable housing, believes community pride is a transformative force in families’ lives.
Overall, WHEDco has leveraged investments of more than $225 million to develop three energy-efficient affordable housing complexes, home to more than 550 families in the South Bronx.
Biberman led WHEDco’s efforts to develop the dilapidated Morrisania Hospital, long a symbol of the disinvestment and abandonment in the Bronx. WHEDco reopened the building as Urban Horizons, an award-winning affordable housing complex that includes a health clinic, business development services, and a Head Start Center with seats for more than 100 children. Additionally, Biberman is spearheading WHEDco’s development of Bronx Commons, a mixed-use, 305-unit, 100 percent affordable housing complex and cultural center, set to break ground in the South Bronx in the coming months. This ambitious new project is a way to both preserve Bronx culture and history and provide housing for low-income residents of the area in a time of rapid change.
“The Alliance is proud to honor Nancy Biberman, a leader who recognizes that aspirations and strengths can be the foundation for meaningful, lasting change,” says Susan Dreyfus, president and CEO of the Alliance. “And the Alliance is grateful to have a partner like Aramark that recognizes that strong neighborhoods need effective and innovative community leaders.”
Nearly 30 Alliance member network organizations submitted applications for the 2016 award. An external panel of judges with expertise and leadership in neighborhood-based strategies, plus representatives from corporations and foundations, selected the winner.
The Peter B. Goldberg award is part of Aramark Building Community, the company’s philanthropic and volunteer program dedicated to enriching and nourishing lives by improving family health and wellness and helping people succeed in the workforce, in partnership with local community centers.
Previous Aramark Building Community Executive Leadership Award Honorees
2011, Angela Blanchard, president and CEO of Neighborhood Centers Inc. in Houston, Texas
2012, Randal Rucker, CEO of Family Service of Greater Boston in Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts
2013, Marsha Edwards, president and CEO of The Martha O’Bryan Center in Nashville
2014, Anselmo Villarreal, president and CEO of La Casa De Esperanza in Waukesha, Wisconsin
2015, Cynthia Figueroa, president and CEO of Congreso de Latinos Unidos in Philadelphia
About Women’s Housing and Economic Development Corporation (WHEDco)
The Women’s Housing and Economic Development Corp. (WHEDco) is a community development organization founded on the radically simple idea that all people deserve healthy, vibrant communities. Working in the South Bronx, WHEDco builds award-winning, sustainable, affordable homes that serve as anchors for strong communities that residents can be proud of. WHEDco’s mission is to provide the Bronx with access to all the resources that create thriving neighborhoods – from high-quality early education and after-school programs, to healthy food, cultural programming, and economic opportunity. For more information, go to whedco.org. (http://www.whedco.org/)
About the Alliance for Strong Families and Communities
The Alliance for Strong Families and Communities is a national organization dedicated to achieving a vision of a healthy society and strong communities for all children, adults, and families. The Alliance works for transformational change by representing and supporting its network of hundreds of nonprofit human serving organizations across North America as they translate knowledge into best practices that improve their communities. Working with and through its member network on leadership and advocacy, the Alliance strives to achieve high impact by reducing the number of people living in poverty; increasing the number of people with opportunities to live healthy lives; and increasing the number of people with access to educational and employment success. Go to alliance1.org for more information (http://alliance1.org/).
About Aramark
Aramark (NYSE: ARMK) delivers experiences that enrich and nourish people’s lives through innovative services in food, facilities management, and uniforms. United by a passion to serve, our 270,000 employees make a meaningful difference each day for millions of people in 21 countries around the world. Aramark is recognized as one of the World’s Most Admired Companies by FORTUNE, rated number one among Diversified Outsourcing Companies, as well as among the World’s Most Ethical Companies by the Ethisphere Institute. Learn more at Aramark.com (http://www.aramark.com/) or connect with us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/Aramark/) and Twitter (https://twitter.com/aramark.)
Through Aramark Building Community, Aramark has invested nearly $9 million since 2008, in volunteer expertise, financial and in-kind resources to strengthen the capacity of community centers in over 50 cities, impacting over 4 million people. Learn more at Aramark.com (http://www.aramark.com/) or connect with us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/Aramark/) and Twitter (https://twitter.com/aramark.)
Nancy Kunkler, Alliance for Strong Families and Communities, http://www.alliance1.org, +1 414-359-6564, [email protected]
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