New Rochelle Developer Gives Away $185,000 In Grant Funds

NEW ROCHELLE, NY — Real estate developer, RXR, announced Wednesday the winners of its youth-focused community grant awards, which is $185,000 total.

Some recipients include the Boys & Girls Club of New Rochelle’s healthcare and sports career program ($50,000); Bracey Apartments’ environmental education program ($50,000); and the Songcatchers’ early childhood music program ($25,000).

The remaining awardees are the United Community Center of Westchester’s New Rochelle high school film, photography and audio production program ($25,000); New Rochelle Municipal Housing Authority’s youth empowerment program ($25,000); and Lifting Up Westchester’s summer camp meals for low-income families ($10,000).

“Like so many communities, New Rochelle’s youth and their families were immensely impacted by the loss of critical programs and services during the pandemic,” Joe Graziose, Jr., senior vice president of residential development at RXR said in a statement. “RXR’s commitment is deeply rooted within the community, and these local organizations have demonstrated their dedication to the youth of this City.

We are proud to help support their community-driven work to ensure children and young adults thrive in the new normal.”

The Boys & Girls Club of New Rochelle, which partnered with the New Rochelle Chamber of Commerce and Montefiore New Rochelle Hospital was grateful to receive the $50,000 grant from RXR.

“RXR will help us expose our youth, particularly those in need, to career opportunities and paths they likely don't know exist, educating them about various entry points into exciting sectors, such as healthcare and sports, through live simulations, collaborative sessions, and speaker series,” Becky Mazzanobile, CEO of Boys & Girls Club of New Rochelle, said in a statement.

Dr. Diana William, the co-founder for Environmental Leaders of Color, is happy about the funds for its Student Summer Energy & Environmental Program for Teens at Bracey Apartments.

"RXR's generosity not only ensures the city's underserved youth will have the opportunity to prepare for climate change and pursue careers in clean energy and environmental sciences,” William said in a statement. “It also serves as a model of corporate leadership that we hope will inspire others in the corporate community to follow suit and do more to tackle the serious social challenges that confront American society.”

Angela Belsole, interim director of Songcatchers, said the funds will help the organization with its mission.
“This generous grant will give more of our after-school and early childhood music students access to much-needed scholarships and good instruments to play on,” Belsole said in a statement. “Our goal is to provide excellent musical instruction that will bring joy and a sense of achievement, self-esteem and confidence into the lives of all children in New Rochelle, while giving them a safe place to learn and make new friends.”

United Community Center of Westchester Executive Director Jackeline Agudeolo said the funds will help teens in the afterschool program Seeing Beyond the Horizon Youth Program to learn professional photography and video production.

“RXR helps the young people of New Rochelle to have a better future by empowering them,” Agudelo said in a statement. “It is a gesture of hope for a community that is growing!”

Angela Davis-Farrish, executive director of the New Rochelle Municipal Housing Authority and Anahaita Kotval, CEO at Lifting Up Westchester, were also thankful for the funds from RXR, which is the developer for Renaissance Downtowns, that was selected by representatives of New Rochelle in 2014 to transform the city into a vibrant and active cultural district.

Applications for remaining funds will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis and grants will be issued until the $500,000 in funding is exhausted.

To review the full criteria and apply for remaining funds, visit RXRCommunityFund.com.