Prudential Financial Inc. embarked on a new program to support residents of its home city in March, launching applications for the Prudential Community Grants Program. Last week, the company announced June 12, the recipients of that $500,000 effort were announced during a ceremony at Prudential Tower in Newark.

Across the city’s five wards, 53 community-based projects were chosen, including:

• Drama with a Twist: With the support of a licensed school social worker and registered drama therapist, Lillian Ribeiro will develop two violence‑prevention programs focused on establishing healthy, peer-to-peer relationships among more than 500 youth at Elliott Street Elementary School.
• Girls Live, Love, Laugh: This organization will provide 300 single-parent households with limited resources the opportunity to shop for school uniforms at Kids Place in Newark and access to meals on the first day of school.
• Weequahic Park Sports Authority: This group will hold monthly CPR and AED training and certification for more than 300 youth, coaches and parents. The project will include the opportunity for those ages 7 to 17 to join the Public Safety Youth Explorers Club and Post as participating members to learn more about becoming a firefighter, EMT or police officer.
• Tree House ENT Cultural Arts: This organization will work with Palm Street Block Association and the Heart of Vailsburg Block Club Coalition to provide education around the benefits of healthy and organic foods and encourage community members to become involved in community gardens.
• Brick City Run Club: This group will create a weekly inclusive and free workout program to encourage residents to engage in regular physical activity in a safe and supportive environment.

The program was created to support neighborhood-based solutions and highlight community vitality by providing grants to residents and organizations living and operating in the city.

So far, Prudential said that $280,000 has been distributed to grantees and partners; the remaining funds from the total $500,000 seeded for the effort, and for replenishment funds, will be applied to future grants, according to the company.

“As a company that has called Newark home for nearly a century and a half, Prudential is proud to continue our support of projects that drive inclusive and equitable growth in our city through this program, which we designed to directly support residents who are creating meaningful impact locally,” said Lata Reddy, senior vice president of inclusive solutions at Prudential Financial and chair of The Prudential Foundation. “We know a strong city is built on strong neighborhoods and understand that those closest to the challenges in our community are best positioned to solve them. We’re looking forward to seeing the direct influence the grantees and their efforts have on the Newark community.”

Prudential also recognized that those best to choose who received funding under the program were those same residents and organizations it sought to serve. The company partnered with the Community Foundation of New Jersey to administer and distribute the grants in addition to identifying and partnering with intermediary organizations in each ward to assist with the program. Intermediary organizations identified in each of the five wards – Lincoln Park Coast Cultural District (Central Ward); Ironbound Community Corp. (East Ward); La Casa de Don Pedro (North Ward); South Ward Promise Neighborhood (South Ward); and Unified Vailsburg Services Organization (West Ward) – received $10,000 in grants to support the program and provide technical assistance.

“I congratulate all our Prudential Community Grants Program recipients and thank our partners at Prudential Financial for creating a program that directly impacts distinct groups and neighborhoods in Newark and enhances our communities,” said Newark Mayor Ras Baraka. “Prudential shares my administration’s understanding that when we put resources into the hands of our local leaders and nonprofit organizations, we unlock their powerful spirit of ingenuity. By continuing to collaborate on harnessing public and private resources, we will strengthen our talents and build an even more vibrant and equitable city.”

The full list of the recipients of the Prudential Community Grants Program is available here.