Lifting Up Westchester Unveils New Job Central Facility Funded by a Grant From KeyBank Foundation
WESTCHESTER, N.Y., October 20, 2023 /3BL/ – Lifting Up Westchester (LUW) staff, clients, supporters, and community partners were on hand to celebrate the opening of LUW’s Job Central, a new facility to provide job readiness and placement services for the unemployed and underemployed in Westchester County. The new facility was made possible through a two-year, $200,000 community impact grant from KeyBank Foundation, originally announced in a press release issued in November 2022. The grant enabled LUW to renovate the physical space at 148 Hamilton Avenue in White Plains, hire staff, establish employment partnerships, and work with the Department of Social Services and other social welfare organizations to build a pipeline to targeted populations. The center strives to assist an estimated 175 unemployed and significantly under-employed individuals over the grant’s two-year funding period.
A ribbon-cutting and brief speaking program led by Anahaita Kotval, Chief Executive Officer of Lifting Up Westchester was held Wednesday, October 18th for media and the community introducing the center and thanking KeyBank for their partnership.
“The opening of Job Central is an exciting milestone for us,” said Kotval. “It allows us to expand our employment services to a broader segment of the Westchester community at a time when employers are struggling to find candidates. Job Central will help community members who want to work overcome challenges to finding – and maintaining – employment. We thank KeyBank for supporting our mission and helping us lift individuals out of poverty.”
Additional speakers from LUW were Chief Operating Officer, Willa Brody, Director of Strategic Programs, Debbie Hertz, and Job Central Manager Paulette Madianitti. KeyBank Market President John Manginelli also gave comments.
“KeyBank is thrilled to see Job Central open its doors to the Westchester community and proud to be a partner in bringing it to fruition,” he said. “Earning a living wage is essential to an individual’s and family’s financial health and self-sufficiency, and we are committed to supporting organizations who are breaking down employment barriers that hinder many of our unemployed and underemployed neighbors.”
Lifting Up Westchester’s Job Central aims to assist extremely low-income and Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed (ALICE) individuals who face a variety of unique challenges to employment stability and wage advancement. Job Central will take a comprehensive approach to providing job readiness and skills training, individual job coaching, job placement services and other resources to help achieve living wage jobs and employment advancement. Its program will complement existing employment programs in Westchester County, while addressing the high barriers people with extremely low-income face every day, such as access to computers and proper interview clothes, thus creating a centralized hub for services traditionally acquired through multiple agencies.
For more information on the services provided by Lifting Up Westchester’s Job Central, visit their website at www.liftingupwestchester.or/job-central.
About Lifting Up Westchester (LUW)
Lifting Up Westchester is united by one bold and unwavering belief: that, with the right community support, people of all ages have the potential to build their lives and thrive. When everyone has a solid foundation, it allows them to build more secure and independent futures for themselves and contribute to the wellbeing of the community. Since 1979, LUW has provided lifelines to help people in crisis that create lasting stability and self-sufficiency by:
- Providing emergency shelter, food, and support to keep people safe.
- Facilitating employment readiness and job opportunities to increase and sustain income.
- Finding safe and affordable homes of all types and providing the support to maintain the stability of that housing.
- Coordinating and navigating community resources and overcoming barriers to obtaining unique support.
- Offering education and mentoring support to youth so they have a chance to succeed.
About KeyBank Foundation:
KeyBank Foundation serves to fulfill KeyBank’s purpose to help clients and communities thrive, and its mission is to support organizations and programs that prepare people for thriving futures. The Foundation’s mission is advanced through three funding priorities – neighbors, education, and workforce – and through community service. To provide meaningful philanthropy that transforms lives, KeyBank Foundation listens carefully to understand the unique characteristics and needs of its communities and then backs solutions with targeted philanthropic investments. KeyBank Foundation is a nonprofit charitable foundation, funded by KeyCorp.
About KeyCorp/ KeyBank
KeyCorp's roots trace back nearly 200 years to Albany, New York. Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, Key is one of the nation's largest bank-based financial services companies, with assets of approximately $187.8 billion at September 30, 2023. Key provides deposit, lending, cash management, and investment services to individuals and businesses in 15 states under the name KeyBank National Association through a network of approximately 1,000 branches and approximately 1,300 ATMs. Key also provides a broad range of sophisticated corporate and investment banking products, such as merger and acquisition advice, public and private debt and equity, syndications and derivatives to middle market companies in selected industries throughout the United States under the KeyBanc Capital Markets trade name. For more information, visit https://www.key.com/. KeyBank is Member FDIC.
