$1 from every ticket sold in September will benefit the library’s Hispanic outreach
efforts; tickets to be made available for volunteers and beneficiaries

 

(RED BANK – September 21, 2023) As America celebrates National Hispanic Heritage Month, the Count Basie Center for the Arts and Bank of America (BofA) have announced the next area nonprofit to be recognized during THE GIVING YEAR, the yearlong initiative to recognize and reward organizations for their contributions to the regional community.

The Foundation for the Red Bank Library (www.redbanklibrary.org) will receive $1 from every Count Basie Center ticket sold in September – funding which will be earmarked for the library’s crucial Hispanic community outreach programs.

“The Red Bank Public Library and the Foundation are thrilled to be selected as a recipient of this funding,” said Eleni Glykis, Director, Red Bank Library. “This grant allows us to acquire software and a tutor for Spanish Language GED preparation, giving all residents the opportunity to obtain the high school diploma that is such an important stepping-stone to meaningful employment and higher levels of education.”

Glykis added that acquiring the necessary software to implement a Spanish language GED program has been on the library’s wish list for some time. “We are incredibly grateful to the Count Basie Center for the Arts and Bank of America for bringing this component of the Library’s long term strategic plan to life,” said Glykis.

“The Foundation for the Red Bank Library is working to break down barriers and create educational opportunities for Spanish speaking members of the Red Bank community by establishing a Spanish language GED program,” said Alberto Garofalo, President, Bank of America New Jersey. “We applaud the library for being trailblazers in this initiative and BofA hopes to help this program expand access to all Hispanic-Latino community members for years to come.”

“Libraries remain an important fixture in the fabric of our communities,” said Jeremy Grunin, Chairperson, Count Basie Center for the Arts. “In Red Bank and other Monmouth and Ocean County communities, libraries have evolved into centers of service for populations that may otherwise lack resources, like a multilingual GED program or services and programming for its ESL clients.”

“Our patrons, organization and partners at Bank of America are honored to play a role in the Red Bank Library’s outreach to our borough’s Hispanic population.”

BofA and Basie Center employees and board members started reviewing applications following the announcement of THE GIVING YEAR initiative on Giving Tuesday last November. THE GIVING YEAR will focus on organizations serving causes related to arts and culture, health/wellness, food insecurity, diversity, equity and inclusion, or financial management or other services to underrepresented populations.

Organizations interested in consideration for THE GIVING YEAR may learn more and apply for consideration at www.thebasie.org/thegivingyear. Organizations need only apply once – qualifying applications will be considered on a rolling basis throughout 2023.

ABOUT THE GIVING YEAR INITIATIVE

THE GIVING YEAR will last throughout 2023, with the Count Basie Center for the Arts donating $1 from every ticket sold to one of twelve area nonprofits, with a different organization highlighted each month. Organizations will be eligible to receive up to $15,000 during their month, in addition to complimentary tickets for distribution to their volunteers and / or their beneficiaries.

Upon announcing THE GIVING YEAR last November, Basie Center and Bank of America officers presented the initiative as an opportunity to use the organizations’ platforms to highlight important work and causes throughout their service regions. Mental wellness nonprofit Shore House kicked off THE GIVING YEAR in January, followed by Asbury Park’s Inspire Life, The Society for the Prevention of Teen Suicide in Freehold, The Sandy Hook Foundation, Red Bank’s No Limits Café and LGBTQIA+ resource organization QSpot.

“The Count Basie Center is a unique nonprofit organization,” Basie Center Board Chairperson Jeremy Grunin explained. “In addition to our work in arts education, from classrooms in under-resourced communities to professional development opportunities for teachers, we have world-renowned performing artists on our stages almost every evening. We recognize the platform that affords us, and we feel it’s right to use that platform to highlight other organizations attending to vital causes in our region.”

“Bank of America and the Count Basie Center share many causes and concerns, especially the betterment of our communities,” said Bank of America’s Garofalo. “During ‘The Giving Year,’ we’ll use our long-standing partnership and platforms to highlight and reward the efforts of twelve area nonprofit organizations, whose commitments to our region help those who need it the most.”

“Part of our responsibility as a nonprofit organization is to look inwards and say, ‘What more can we do?’” said Adam Philipson, President and CEO, Count Basie Center for the Arts. “And because we have this status as a place where world-class musicians, actors and performers come to play, we also have this opportunity – and responsibility – to lend our visibility to others. Bank of America and the Basie Center want THE GIVING YEAR to become a pedestal for organizations that deserve to have their hard work and purposes known and recognized.”

October’s beneficiary organization will be announced shortly.