WSFS CARES Foundation Supports Community Organizations with $200K in Second Quarter Grants

The WSFS CARES Foundation, the charitable giving arm of WSFS Bank, announced it has provided grants to two organizations as part of its continuing series of philanthropic activities by WSFS and the Foundation. The grants, approved in the second quarter by the WSFS CARES Foundation board, will support the following organizations:

Be Ready Community Development Corp. ($200,000 Grant to be paid over two years)

Be Ready Community Development Corporation (Be Ready CDC) is a resident-driven community development organization founded in 2003 with the goal to revitalize the Hilltop neighborhood in Wilmington’s West Side. A prior WSFS grant supported phase one of Be Ready CDC’s Solomon’s Court Project to create six affordable units for low-income households, which is now complete. The latest grant will continue supporting the project through the second and final phase, creating 12 additional units for a total of 18 affordable rental units and 5,600 square feet of ground floor commercial space for small businesses. The funding from WSFS helps to complete part of an $11 million project to improve the housing on the West Side of Wilmington.

“My first thought when I saw that we received the WSFS grant was, wow, thank you Lord,” said Pastor Margaret Moon-Taylor, Executive Director of Be Ready CDC. “The funding from WSFS means that the vision for our community, first laid out by Mother Essie D. Lee and Pastor Lottie Lee Davis, is going to become a reality. We can now provide new, affordable housing for families and people with disabilities right here in our neighborhood.”

TeenSHARP ($300,000 Grant to be paid over three years)

TeenSHARP is a national nonprofit based in Wilmington, Del. that prepares Black, Latino, and low-income students to attend and thrive at America’s top colleges with little or no debt. The WSFS CARES Foundation has supported TeenSHARP throughout the years, helping the organization grow from just 10 students to about 400 today, and around 500 total high school graduates. The WSFS grant will support the A-List program, which provides high school students assistance as they move to and through college, helping them navigate their professional careers to build leadership and decision-making skills, financial stability, and independence.

“The WSFS CARES Foundation continues to show up as a strong supporter of TeenSHARP for more than four years of our 15+ year run of opening the doors to opportunity and dynamic leadership for Black, Latino, and low-income students across the Delaware Valley,” said Tamara Fentress, Chief of Staff at TeenSHARP. “WSFS’ initial grant was a springboard to resource deeper application and sustainability of our programming delivery to students in a virtual setting, as well as our staffing. Now, with their continued support, we’re excited about what’s ahead to grow our A-List (alumni) program, DGCA (Delaware Goes to College Academy), and our premier Striver program experiences.”

“The WSFS CARES Foundation is committed to aiding our local nonprofit partners in every step of their journey to improve the communities we serve. Our continued support of these two organizations emphasizes our shared commitments to improving the daily lives of local residents through education and leadership development, affordable housing accessibility, and more,” said Patrick J. Ward, Executive Vice President, Pennsylvania Market President at WSFS Bank and Chairman of the WSFS CARES Foundation. “We’re proud to provide these multi-year grants to these great organizations to offer stability, enable them to flourish and make a positive impact.”

In addition to the grants, WSFS recently celebrated its second annual We Stand for Service Day, where nearly 1,500 WSFS Associates volunteered more than 5,000 hours at more than 130 community organizations across the region.