STATEN ISLAND — Catholic Charities of Staten Island announced it has secured $2.5 million in federal funding as part of the Fiscal Year 2026 appropriations legislation recently signed into law. U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand championed the initiative to modernize the agency’s flagship community center, with U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer playing a key role in negotiations surrounding the funding bill.
Located at 120 Anderson Avenue in Port Richmond, the building, widely known as the CYO Center, has long served as a cornerstone of the North Shore community. Originally constructed nearly a century ago as a Masonic temple, the facility has functioned as a vital neighborhood hub for Staten Islanders since the mid-20th century.
“Catholic Charities of Staten Island’s Port Richmond community center provides a lifeline to seniors, children, and families from across the borough with services for people of all ages and needs,” Gillibrand said. “To ensure Staten Islanders can continue to use the community center, I’m proud to have delivered $2.5 million in federal funding for accessibility upgrades, enhanced security measures, and comprehensive capital improvements at this vital community hub on the North Shore. I’ll continue fighting for more federal resources to increase access to healthy foods and help New Yorkers of all ages thrive.”
“This funding is a transformative investment in the health and safety of our community,” said Claire Atalla, chief executive officer of Catholic Charities of Staten Island. “We are profoundly grateful to Senator Gillibrand for recognizing the critical role this center plays. These funds will allow us to preserve a venerable local icon while ensuring it remains a safe, modern, and accessible space for the thousands of neighbors who rely on us every day.”
Since assuming responsibility for the building in 2016 following a strategic merger, Catholic Charities of Staten Island has operated the center as its sole tenant. While the building remains a beloved fixture of the North Shore, its age has led to significant infrastructure challenges.
The federal grant will fund essential capital improvements that the nonprofit agency could not otherwise afford. Planned upgrades include the installation of modern fire alarm systems and improved lighting to enhance safety and security, major renovations to improve accessibility, such as an elevator, accessible restrooms, and paved surfaces, and comprehensive modernization of the kitchen and bathrooms. Critical upgrades to heating and air conditioning systems are also planned and could allow for the long-anticipated reopening of the center’s upstairs gymnasium to the community.
The Anderson Avenue center serves as a primary resource for low- to moderate-income residents by providing a wide range of essential services under one roof. It houses an Older Adult Center operated in partnership with the New York City Department for the Aging, offering meals, health management, social services and recreational programming. The site also plays a central role in food security efforts, serving as a food pantry, a food hub supporting other community-based pantries, a food delivery program for homebound residents and the headquarters for a mobile food pantry that rotates among sites across Staten Island. In addition, the center provides crisis support services, including case assistance, eviction prevention and utility stabilization.
“This building is so much more than bricks and mortar; it is a foundation of mission fulfillment,” Atalla said. “With a modernized commercial kitchen and a safe, climate-controlled environment, we can continue to foster a healthier, more engaged Staten Island for the next generation.”