Plans to transform the former Second Ward Elementary School in Bradford into the new home of YWCA Bradford took a big step forward on Tuesday with a $40,000 donation from CNB Bank.
Bank officials presented the check to organization executive director Vanessa Castano outside the Chambers Street bank on Tuesday afternoon. The sizable donation will go toward the YWCA’s $3.3 million capital campaign.
“This is a substantial gift, and I think that CNB’s generosity speaks to the importance of the services we provide and the confidence that the community has in the YWCA,” Castano said. “The excitement for all that we will accomplish is catching. This gift is proof of that, and is another big stepping stone to our success.”
The new location will consist of an administrative center and an adjacent domestic violence and homeless shelter. The current location on West Corydon Street has been deteriorating and cannot be effectively renovated to meet code requirements, Castano said previously. What’s more, the building’s second floor, which houses the homeless shelter, is not Americans with Disabilities Act compliant.
The YWCA officials have been reaching out to businesses and are continuing to do –– all in the name of securing support for the massive project. And when Castano said she received the news of the bank donation, she found herself “jumping for joy.”
“We pride ourselves in being a community bank,” said Vickie Baker, assistant vice president and Bradford market manager at CNB Bank.
The YWCA Bradford purchased the former Second Ward Elementary School on Congress Street in Bradford in 2016 from the Downtown Bradford Revitalization Corp. with support from the Neighborhood Partnership Project with funding partners Zippo Manufacturing Co., Northwest Bank and American Refining Group.
The project is entering the design phase, Castano said.
”For me, it’s the exciting time,” she said. That’s when the architect is brought in and she is able to visualize the new location.
She is expecting construction to get underway at the facility in 2018.
“CNB has always been a big supporter of the community wherever and however possible,” said Joseph H. Yaros, vice president/commercial banking at the local CNB Bank.
Baker added that the donation is one of the biggest in recent history for the bank.
The agency provides many community services, including a food pantry and a mental health and intellectual disabilities program. YWCA Bradford is dedicated to eliminating racism, empowering women and promoting peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all.
“The YWCA has helped and supported our community for more than 100 years,” Castano said previously. “We hope the community will now support us so we can continue to provide vital services to our friends and neighbors.”
For more information about the YWCA Bradford, visit the website www.ywcabradford.org.
