Philanthropy

Philanthropy

The Building Foundation was created by construction industry leaders in part to marshal the diverse talents and energies of local firms and trade unions toward projects that give back to the community. 

 

Hurricane Sandy Recovery Fund

Established in November 2012 in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy, the Hurricane Sandy Recovery Fund raised more than $260,000, which was used to assist affected families, support selected recovery programs, and sponsor research on ways to improve infrastructure planning an design.

The Fund first focused on immediate recovery efforts by distributing individual grants of up ro $2,500 to employees of Building Congress member organizations within the design, construction, and real estate industry in the New York area who sustained measurable damages directly related to the impacts of Hurricane Sandy.  The Fund also contributed to the ACE Mentor Program of Greater New York to provide scholarships for students whose families were affected by the storm; the Mayor's Fund to Advance New York City, which funded minor-to-moderate non-structural repairs to one- and two-family homes damaged by the storm; and community-focused organizations, such as the Breezy Point Disaster Relief Fund, Rebuilding Together NYC, and the Red Hook Initiative, to help rebuild and repair public facilities and personal property damaged by the storm. 

 

World Trade Center Memorial Fund

In response to the tragic attack on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, and the outpouring of offers of support from representatives of the design, construction and real estate industry, the Building Foundation established a World Trade Center Memorial Fund. The Fund raised more than $400,000 from member employees, firms, and other industry colleagues. Most of the donated funds were distributed to surviving family members of building industry workers and uniformed personnel who perished on September 11.

In addition, at the New York Building Congress Remembrance and Recognition Dinner in October of 2001, the Fund awarded checks for $25,000 to the United Firefighters Association's 911 Fund, the Port Authority Police Department WTC Disaster Fund and the Building Trades Families Relief Fund. Also at the event, a $25,000 check was donated to a fund for the families of fallen New York City Police Officers from Building Foundation Governor Jack Rudin, Co-Chairman of Rudin Management Company, Inc., in memory of his late brother Lewis. A portion of the Fund's remaining contributions were used for work site memorials given to each of the Building Congress member firms that lost employees in the attack.


Peters Place - A drop-in center for the frail & elderly homeless

Peter's Place, located in the underloft of St. Vincent de Paul Church in the Chelsea section of Manhattan, resembles a senior citizens' center. The staff is friendly. The furniture is comfortable and services to its elderly clients help soften the harshness of life on the streets.

While long on success when it comes to programs, however, Peter's Place needs work -- a lot of it. The building in which the center is housed is more than 150 years old and the Center's plumbing and heating systems no longer meet the needs of the 125 people the Center services daily. Major structural improvements are needed too, and they must be of good quality to meet the safety, health, and handicapped accessibility regulations.

It will take $300,000 to make Peter's Place into a more functional, cost-effective facility. The New York Building Congress and the Partnership for the Homeless have joined together to ask for donations of cash and in-kind goods and services to accomplish full renovation. More than $60,000 has been raised through the generosity of individuals, corporations, and foundations. Nearly half, however, has been spent already on emergency plumbing and electrical repairs. There is much more to do.

 

Sanctuary for Families

Sanctuary for Families is New York’s leading service provider and advocate for survivors of domestic violence, sex trafficking and related forms of gender violence. The Building Foundation provided support for Sanctuary for Families' Economic Empowerment Program, a highly successful career readiness and hard skills training program that has served more than 500 domestic violence survivors to date, with an impressive 88% program completion rate.

 

 

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