Support from the TD Charitable Foundation to help with nutrition and wellness activities
Project Freedom Inc., the 39-year-old nonprofit developer of supportive and affordable housing designed for people with disabilities, was recently awarded a $175,000 Housing for Everyone grant from the TD Charitable Foundation, the charitable giving arm of TD Bank, America’s Most Convenient Bank®.
Project Freedom is one of 37 non-profit organizations selected from more than 450 applicants to receive a Housing for Everyone grant as part of the TD Charitable Foundation’s signature grant initiative that has helped support organizations that are focused on providing affordable housing and affordable housing services since 2005.
In recent years the housing affordability crisis has continued to be a financial burden on families. As individuals and families across the country struggle with inflation and an exponential rise in rental costs, affordable housing providers face increased hardship given the growing demand for affordable rental units and emergency rental assistance.
The grant will support Project Freedom’s organic farm program that brings fresh, New Jersey-grown food to each of its seven Mercer complexes. In addition, the organization also runs wellness programs.
“We are honored to receive this grant from TD Charitable Foundation,” said Tracee Battis, Executive Director of Project Freedom. “TD Bank has been involved with developing many of our affordable housing complexes. Now this grant will further assist our tenants with disabilities.”
“This funding, along with food donations from community support agencies and community-minded stores, helps our tenants fight the high cost of food,” added Norman A. Smith, Co-Founder and Associate Executive Director of Project Freedom. “Through our support partners, we bring a variety of foods, baked goods, and organically grown produce to our tenants many of whom have disabilities.”
Through the 17th annual Housing for Everyone grant competition, the TD Charitable Foundation awarded $7 million across the Bank’s Maine-to-Florida footprint and Michigan to help support affordable housing organizations that focus on preserving affordable rental housing in their work to deliver rental assistance, rehabilitating affordable rental housing properties, and build organizational capacity to address resident sustainability for the long-term.
Since 2005, the TD Charitable Foundation has given more than $49 million dollars to non-profit and charitable organizations through the Housing for Everyone grant competition and helped support more than 550 affordable housing projects and initiatives.
The Housing for Everyone grant competition supports TD’s longstanding commitment to community enrichment through TD’s corporate citizenship platform, The TD Ready Commitment, which actively promotes inclusivity, economic vitality, and environmental well-being enabling people of all backgrounds to succeed in a rapidly changing world.
About Project Freedom Inc.
Project Freedom Inc. (PFI) is a 39-year-old organization dedicated to empowering people with disabilities to live independently through housing and related support services. People with physical disabilities and other advocates started the organization. They saw the need to build a barrier-free apartment complex with support services to meet their collective needs. Project Freedom has built 757 affordable and accessible apartments in five counties.
About the TD Charitable Foundation
The TD Charitable Foundation is the charitable giving arm of TD Bank, America’s Most Convenient Bank®, one of the 10 largest commercial banking organizations in the United States. Since its inception in 2002, the Foundation has distributed over $300 million through donations to local nonprofits from Maine to Florida footprint and Michigan. More information on the TD Charitable Foundation is available at https://www.tdbank.com/corporate-responsibility/the-ready-commitment/funding-opportunities/.