Keystone Region Organizations Receive $591,000 From Comcast Foundation

EXTON, Pa., Feb. 6, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Thirty nonprofit organizations in Comcast's Keystone Region have been awarded a total of $591,000 in grants from the Comcast Foundation to support programs focused on community service, digital literacy and empowering tomorrow's leaders. Comcast's Keystone Region includes portions of northeastern, central and western Pennsylvania, the Maryland panhandle, eastern Ohio and northern West Virginia.

"The Joshua Group teaches students to believe they have the power to achieve their academic goals," said Kirk Hallett, Founder and Director of the Joshua Group in Harrisburg. "We tell the over 100 students in our After-School Program that education is the great equalizer and support from the Comcast Foundation is critical to help us provide them with the resources they need to maximize their potential."

Michael Toledo, Executive Director of Centro Hispano added, "Thanks to the generosity and commitment of the Comcast Foundation we were able to sustain and expand our College Enrichment Camp Initiative targeting Latino students who are high school freshman in our Greater Reading community.  At our camp which is a collaborative initiative with Albright College, we are able to introduce these students to the college experience and the importance of digital literacy in higher education.  For many of our students this program is a lifeline for them to pursue higher education.  The support of the Comcast Foundation is having a direct impact on the lives of the students we serve."

Sheila Rawlings, Senior Development Officer for The Neighborhood Academy in Pittsburgh said, "We are in the business of offering new educational opportunities to families that lack options, and Comcast's support has been invaluable in our effort to offer a comprehensive, college-preparatory education to our students. Our school is specifically designed to meet the needs of low-income youth, so not only does our partnership with Comcast reinforce our educational efforts, it supports our overall effort to nurture and care for our students."

The organizations receiving Comcast Foundation grants include:

• Best of the Batch Foundation, Munhall ($10,000)
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of Beaver County ($10,000)
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of Berks County ($10,000)
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of Centre County ($10,000)
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Pittsburgh ($30,000)
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of Jefferson County, OH ($10,000)
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of Lackawanna County ($10,000)
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of Lawrence County ($10,000)
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of York and Adams Counties ($10,000)
• Boys & Girls Club of Harrisburg ($15,000)
• Boys & Girls Club of Western Pennsylvania, Carnegie ($15,000)
• Boys & Girls Club of Western Pennsylvania, McKeesport ($15,000)
• Centro Hispano, Reading ($20,000)
• Easter Seals of Western and Central Pennsylvania ($25,000)
• The Foundation for Enhancing Communities, Harrisburg ($10,000)
• Gettysburg YWCA ($10,000)
• Girl Scouts of Western Pennsylvania ($50,000)
• I-Lead Charter School, Reading ($20,000)
• Imani Christian Academy, Pittsburgh ($10,000)
• Japan American Society of Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh ($25,000)
• The Joshua Group, Harrisburg ($28,000)
• Lancaster Country Day School ($10,000)
• Lancaster YWCA ($15,000)
• Mountaineer Boys & Girls Club, Morgantown ($10,000)
• The Neighborhood Academy, Pittsburgh ($10,000)
• Olivet Boys & Girls Club, Reading ($15,000)
• Poise Foundation, Pittsburgh ($10,000)
• Sarah Heinz Boys & Girls Club, Pittsburgh ($20,000)
• Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh ($138,000)
• York Country Day School ($10,000)

"The Comcast Foundation is proud to award these grants to our partner organizations to improve the lives of our local neighbors," said Charisse R. Lillie, Vice President of Community Investment for Comcast Corporation and President of the Comcast Foundation. "Through this support, we remain committed to closing the digital divide, empowering young people to become leaders and engaging our employees and local citizens in volunteerism."

Since 1999, the Comcast Foundation has donated nearly $140 million. In addition to grants from the Comcast Foundation, Comcast responds to community needs through local sponsorships and in-kind support, donating more than $1.6 million worth of airtime for public service announcements from Keystone region organizations. The company also gives back through employee volunteerism and providing technology equipment and services to organizations across the country.

For these and other community efforts, Comcast in 2013 was named one of the most community-minded companies in America by Bloomberg, the Points of Light Foundation and the National Conference on Citizenship. The Civic 50 is a comprehensive survey of S&P 500 companies that best use their time, talent, and resources to improve the quality of life in the communities where they do business.

To learn more about Comcast's community support, visit the Comcast Corporation website, explore and "like" us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.

About the Comcast Foundation  
The Comcast Foundation was founded by Comcast Corporation in June 1999 to provide charitable support to qualified nonprofit organizations. The Foundation primarily invests in programs intended to have a positive, sustainable impact on their communities. The Foundation has three community investment priorities—promoting community service, expanding digital literacy, and building tomorrow's leaders. Since its inception, the Comcast Foundation has donated nearly $140 million to organizations in the communities nationwide that Comcast serves. More information about the Foundation and its programs is available at www.comcast.com/community. 

SOURCE Comcast Cable