STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. \u2014Catholic Charities of Staten Island has received $2.5 million in federal funding to modernize its Port Richmond community center as part of the Fiscal Year 2026 appropriations legislation. <\/p>\n
U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand championed the initiative, with Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer playing a significant role in negotiating the funding bill.<\/p>\n
The century-old facility at 120 Anderson Ave., commonly known as the \u201cCYO Center,\u201d originally served as a Masonic Temple before becoming a community hub in the mid-20th century. The building has been a cornerstone of the North Shore neighborhood, serving Staten Island residents for generations.<\/p>\n
\u201cCatholic Charities of Staten Island\u2019s 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,\u201d said Gillibrand in a statement to the media. Gillibrand is a ranking member of the Senate Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Subcommittee and the Senate Special Committee on Aging.<\/p>\n
The funds will address infrastructure challenges stemming from the building\u2019s age. Catholic Charities of Staten Island has operated the center as its sole tenant since 2016, following a strategic merger. The grant will finance capital improvements the nonprofit could not otherwise afford, including safety and security enhancements, accessibility upgrades, and modernization of critical infrastructure.<\/p>\n
Claire Atalla, chief executive officer of Catholic Charities of Staten Island, emphasized the funding\u2019s impact on the community. <\/p>\n
\u201cThis funding is a transformative investment in the health and safety of our community,\u201d Atalla said. \u201cWe 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Anderson Avenue center provides services primarily to low-to-moderate-income residents. Programming includes senior services through an NYC Department for the Aging Older Adult Center, which offers community connections, nutrition, health management, social services, and recreational activities. The facility also houses multiple food security programs, including a food pantry, a food hub that supports other community pantries, a delivery program for homebound residents, and headquarters for a mobile food pantry that serves rotating sites across Staten Island. Crisis support services, including case assistance, eviction prevention, and utility stabilization, are also available.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis building is so much more than just bricks and mortar; it is a foundation of mission fulfillment,\u201d Atalla said. \u201cWith 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
Gillibrand added that she would continue advocating for federal resources to increase access to healthy foods and support New Yorkers of all ages.<\/p>\n
Catholic Charities of Staten Island is part of the Archdiocese of New York\u2019s Catholic Charities Alliance. The organization provides social services to vulnerable populations across the borough, including toddler daycare, universal pre-K, programs for people with intellectual developmental disabilities, family crisis assistance, and senior support services.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. \u2014Catholic Charities of Staten Island has received $2.5 million in federal funding to modernize its…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":133591,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[39],"tags":[9,24,63,134,136,135],"class_list":{"0":"post-133590","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-staten-island","8":"tag-new-york","9":"tag-new-york-city","10":"tag-nyc","11":"tag-staten-island","12":"tag-staten-island-headlines","13":"tag-staten-island-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/133590","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=133590"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/133590\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/133591"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=133590"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=133590"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=133590"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}