Bucks County Opportunity Council Inc. (BCOC) has received a $400,000 Community Impact Grant from KeyBank Foundation, the charitable foundation of KeyBank, aimed to increase food resources and improve health equity in Bucks County. The funding will be used to expand BCOC's network of food distribution sites, advocate for more collaboration on community efforts to address food insecurity, implement nutrition educational programs to drive healthier eating habits, and increase BCOC's retail rescue operations.
Erin Lukoss, Executive Director of BCOC said, "KeyBank has been a long-time supporter and partner to BCOC, helping to reduce poverty in our community. Increasing access to food resources and improving health equity are two strategic priorities for BCOC and this generous grant from the KeyBank Foundation will greatly affect our ability to meet the increased need as well as help us grow our programming for greater impact in Bucks County."
Bucks County faces significant challenges related to food insecurity and health disparities. Many residents lack consistent access to nutritious food, which adversely affects their health and well-being. According to the "Map the Meal Gap" report produced by Feeding America, Bucks County's food insecurity rate is approximately 6.6%, equating to more than 42,000 individuals, including an estimated 12,690 children living in food insecure homes. What's more, nearly half of those individuals may not qualify for government assistance programs like SNAP due to income thresholds. BCOC plays a pivotal role in combating food insecurity in the region, serving as Bucks County's lead food agency for families in need and operating a network of over 75 providers focused on meeting the food and nutritional needs of low-income households.
"KeyBank joins BCOC in the belief that all of our residents deserve access to healthy, nutritious and affordable food," said KeyBank's Eastern Pennsylvania Market President and Market Retail Leader, Youseff Tannous. "We are proud to provide BCOC with financial resources to help them address food insecurity and improve health equity for so many of our neighbors in Bucks County."
KeyBank's grant to Bucks County Opportunity Council is part of the bank's $40 billion community investments plan focused on economic access and equity to communities across the country. The scope of the plan includes investments and lending in affordable housing, home lending, small business lending, green initiatives, and transformative philanthropy targeted toward workforce development, education, and safe, vital neighborhoods for underserved communities and populations.
About Bucks County Opportunity Council Inc.
BCOC is the lead anti-poverty, non-profit organization in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, dedicated to ending poverty by connecting people with the resources they need to thrive.
BCOC has five major program areas: Housing, Food, Weatherization, Volunteer Income Tax Preparation (VITA) and the Economic Self-Sufficiency (ES) Program. Housing includes street outreach, rental and move in aid, and utility shut-off prevention. Food services supply food directly to families through a network of 75 food pantries and distribution sites. Weatherization services help families in reducing their energy costs. VITA provides free income tax preparation assistance. The ES Program assists individuals and families to leave poverty permanently through case management, education, and employment.
For 60 years, the Opportunity Council has served low-income families in Bucks County by helping them to stabilize when in crisis, garner resources to achieve a livable wage, gain additional education and training, and work towards economic self-sufficiency.
About KeyBank Foundation
KeyBank Foundation serves to fulfill KeyBank's purpose to help clients and communities thrive, and its mission is to support organizations and programs that prepare people for thriving futures. The Foundation's mission is advanced through three funding priorities - neighbors, education, and workforce - and through community service. To provide meaningful philanthropy that transforms lives, KeyBank Foundation listens carefully to understand the unique characteristics and needs of its communities and then backs solutions with targeted philanthropic investments. KeyBank Foundation is a nonprofit charitable foundation, funded by KeyCorp.
About KeyCorp/KeyBank
KeyCorp's roots trace back nearly 200 years to Albany, New York. Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, Key is one of the nation's largest bank-based financial services companies, with assets of approximately $190 billion at September 30, 2024. Key provides deposit, lending, cash management, and investment services to individuals and businesses in 15 states under the name KeyBank National Association through a network of approximately 1,000 branches and approximately 1,200 ATMs. Key also provides a broad range of sophisticated corporate and investment banking products, such as merger and acquisition advice, public and private debt and equity, syndications and derivatives to middle market companies in selected industries throughout the United States under the KeyBanc Capital Markets trade name. For more information, visit https://www.key.com/. KeyBank is Member FDIC.
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Media contacts:
BCOC: Amy Griffiths, Communications and Development Manager | 215-345-8175 x230 | agriffiths@bcoc.org
Pictured from left: Vince Ciccarelli, KeyBank Consumer Product Manager; Michael Gunden - Chief of Staff for State Representative Tim Brennan; Steve Goykhman, KeyBank Branch Manager, Warrington; Melissa Young, KeyBank Area Retail Leader; Jon Wagner, KeyBank Business Banking Sales Leader; Chiwuike Owunwanne, KeyBank Corporate Responsibility Officer; Joseph Cuozzo, BCOC Development Director: Erin Lukoss, BCOC CEO and Executive Director; Youseff Tannous, KeyBank Market President and Market Retail Leader; Tobi Bruhn, BCOC Board Chair; Commissioner Bob Harvie; Kyle Melander from Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick's office; Jennifer Cruz, KeyBank Branch Manager, Doylestown; Tom Flavin, KeyBank Home Lending Market Leader; Charlie Quattrone, BCOC Board Member; and Deb Downey, BCOC Board Member.
