Foundation Grant Helps Beautify Newark Neighborhood

The Investors Foundation, which provides grant funding to nonprofit organizations in the communities served by Investors Bank, has awarded $2,000 to the Union Chapel Community Development Corporation (UCCDC).

In affiliation with the Union Chapel AME Church on Wainwright Street, the UCCDC, founded in 1998, operates a variety of social services to benefit the area’s children, seniors, and families.  Programs offered include an after-school program, a service to help families communicate more effectively, and a gift-in-kind program in partnership with Bed Bath & Beyond that makes essential household items available to people in need.  The agency also operates an innovative senior program that includes technology training, art classes, and services to help seniors remain at home and retain their independence.

The grant will support the upkeep of a community garden that has been established at the corner of Fabian and Schley streets in Newark’s South Ward.

“The garden is near the entrance and exit to Interstate 78, and this community beautification project has helped reduce the amount of littering in the area and gives arriving visitors to Newark a more favorable impression of the area,” said Ruby Baskerville, the agency’s executive director.  She explained that the garden is maintained by a dedicated group of neighborhood volunteers, who recently planted perennials to ensure that the garden will thrive in the years to come.

“We’re extremely grateful for the support of the Investors Foundation,” said Rev. Anthony Mitchell, chairman of the UCCDC’s board.  “Their assistance, and that of all our generous donors, is essential to the continued pursuit of our mission in this community.”