Eva’s Village Receives Funding from Bank of America to Support Its Community Kitchen
Paterson, New Jersey (PRWEB) January 19, 2015 -- The Bank of America Charitable Foundation recently awarded a $40,000 grant to Eva’s Village to help the nonprofit continue its efforts in serving the homeless and hungry throughout New Jersey.
Eva’s Village – a 2007 Bank of America Neighborhood Builder Award recipient – was started in the basement of an archdiocese cathedral 32 years ago and has come a long way, expanding from a soup kitchen to a culinary school which gives the food insecure the ability to have access to healthy and fresh food.
“Nobody should have to choose between buying food and paying rent – yet many families are forced to make that decision every day,” said Bob Doherty, New Jersey president, Bank of America. “Eva’s Village has been instrumental in helping New Jersey’s homeless and hungry population, giving them access to food, job training programs and an overall support group so they can lead more self-sufficient lives.”
Nearly 1 million New Jersey residents struggle with hunger each day, and a growing number of them need support due to recent cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The Community Kitchen at Eva’s Village serves 300-400 people lunch every day. From 2007-2014, the nonprofit has seen a 26.7% increase in the amount of lunches they served.
“We expanded our kitchen to accommodate the overwhelming numbers of people coming for a hot meal each day,” commented Marie Reger, executive director at Eva’s Village. “We are in need of funding to provide the meals, as well as volunteer teams to serve them, and Bank of America has partnered with us over the years to help us answer those needs.”
Eva’s Village isn’t your regular soup kitchen. Diners are treated with dignity – served at their tables by volunteers, including Bank of America employee volunteers. After their meal, guests often converse with one another outside the dining hall, allowing them to form a support group. Bank of America has also partnered with Eva’s Village to support additional community programming, including their job readiness training and kitchen programs.
About Eva’s Village
Founded by Msgr. Vincent E. Puma in 1982 as a response to the poor and homeless in Paterson, NJ, Eva’s Village is a non-profit comprehensive social service organization with a mission to feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, treat the addicted and provide free medical and dental care to the poor. Through almost three decades of service, Eva’s Village has established a unique record in facing community challenges and changing the lives of the hungry, homeless and addicted. It has grown from a simple soup kitchen to become the most respected anti-poverty program in New Jersey. Eva’s Village now includes fourteen integrated programs housed in numerous buildings spanning several city blocks in Downtown Paterson.
To donate to this NJ Charity, or for more information about Eva’s Village, call (973)-523-6220, go to http://evasvillage.org/donate.shtml or write to: Donna Fico, Director of Marketing & Education, Eva’s Village, 393 Main Street, Paterson, NJ, 07501.
Joanne, Fagan, Eva's Village, http://www.evasvillage.org, +1 (973) 523-6220 Ext: 228, [email protected]
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