$100K Given To Hell's Kitchen, Chelsea Organizations

HELL'S KITCHEN, NY — Over 20 neighborhood groups on the west side of Manhattan were awarded a total of $100,000 yesterday through the West Side Community Fund.

Twenty one groups were given funds through the WSCF, a consortium of leading businesses based on the west side of Manhattan, including Art for Progress, Chelsea Elliott Tenants Association, Metropolitan Community Church of New York, New York City Community Chorus, NYC Salt and many more.

“The WSCF grant program fills a void in the social infrastructure of the community by providing financial backing to groups that are often excluded from other funding sources,” said Michael Phillips, President of Jamestown and President of the WSCF Board. “These groups contribute to the wellness and cultural fabric of the neighborhood and, in many cases, provide resources to difficult to reach members of the community. Providing funding streams to these groups is critical to strengthening the west side communities.”

The grants, administered by the Hudson Guild, aim to help strengthen under-resourced residents in Chelsea, Hudson Yards, and Hell’s Kitchen.

Nearly half of the grantees were first time recipients in this award cycle, the group said in a statement.

“All New Yorkers, regardless of zip code or income level, deserve access to economic opportunity, business ownership, and the tools of innovation,” said Michelle Maluwetig, Director of Organizational Development at Cambio Labs —one of the new grant recipient this cycle who will be initiating a new Startup program at the Fulton Houses in Chelsea with the support of WSCF.

Since 2018, the Fund — as some call it — has offered grants ranging from $2,500 to $10,000 for projects that benefit the west side of Manhattan. For this grant cycle, funders included Amazon, Cooley, Google, Jamestown, KKR, Pfizer, Related, RXR, Tapestry Foundation, and Third Point.