METS ALUMNI ASSOCIATION PRESENTED BY CITI
TEAMS UP WITH HABITAT-NYC
TO BENEFIT NYCHA’S KING TOWERS COMMUNITY CENTER
AND YOUTH CHORUS OFFICE AT TAFT HOUSES IN HARLEM
Mets Greats Ron Darling, Mookie Wilson and Tim Teufel to Join Citi and
Habitat Volunteers in Brush with Kindness Event
FLUSHING, N.Y., May 23, 2012 – Citi and the New York Mets Alumni Association Presented by Citi announced that they will team up once again with Habitat for Humanity – New York City (Habitat-NYC) tomorrow in a Brush with Kindness neighborhood revitalization event at the King Towers Community Center and the Youth Chorus Office at Taft Houses in Harlem, both part of the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA). The project is part of the Mets and Citi’s “Teammates in the Community” initiative, reflecting their ongoing commitment to being active participants in the community.
Mets great Ron Darling, who is an analyst for SNY and a Board member of Habitat for Humanity-NYC, will be joined by fellow alumni Mookie Wilson and current Mets third base coach Tim Teufel, as well as 25 Citi volunteers to help Habitat-NYC improve the grounds in and around the two NYCHA locations.
Named after civil rights pioneer Martin Luther King, Jr., the King Towers has ten buildings, 13- and 14-stories tall with 1,378 apartments. The NYCHA Youth Chorus, located in Taft Houses, has performed before notables and dignitaries in New York City, and beyond, since 1997.
Brush with Kindness serves as a companion to Habitat-NYC’s core building services, enabling them to serve more families and increase opportunities for volunteers and sponsors. It ensures that families and communities live and play in safe and well-maintained homes and areas such as the King Towers Community Center and NYCHA Youth Chorus Office. The program is designed to revitalize the appearance of the neighborhood, encourage connections within the community, and most importantly, help preserve affordable housing stock.
“As an enabler of progress, Citi is proud to serve New Yorkers and local communities in which we’ve now had a presence for 200 years,” said Bill Borden, Managing Director, Citi Transaction Services. “By partnering with organizations like the Mets, Habitat for Humanity-NYC and NYCHA, we are able to collectively make a tremendous impact. I’d like to thank the Mets alumni and all the volunteers for coming out and making a difference.”
“We are excited that Mets legends Ron, Mookie and Tim are taking the time to participate in such a vital community initiative,” said Dave Howard, Executive Vice President, Business Operations, Mets. “We are grateful to our partners at Citi and Habitat-NYC, as well as NYCHA, to lend a hand on this important project that will have a lasting impact on so many lives.”
“At Habitat for Humanity-NYC, we are proud to celebrate with Citi, the Mets, and with my fellow teammates Mookie and Tim,” said Habitat-NYC Board Member, Mets pitching great and SNY analyst Ron Darling. “It’s a winning partnership with a long-standing commitment to the community. As a team we will work together to revitalize the rooms and areas where young people and residents of this neighborhood gather every day.”
“The New York City Housing Authority is proud to celebrate the power of communities coming together and transforming their neighborhoods to ensure that the foundation for strong families and strong futures will endure,” said NYCHA Chairman John B. Rhea. “We especially welcome the involvement of the New York Mets, Citi and Habitat-NYC and their commitment to improving and brightening our King Towers Community Center and the NYCHA Youth Chorus Office at Taft Houses.”
Tomorrow night, before the Mets take on the San Diego Padres at 7:10 p.m. at Citi Field, Citi and Mets executives will present Habitat-NYC volunteer Anthony Collins with the “Teammates in the Community” award during a special on-field pre-game ceremony. He will be honored for his exemplary commitment and dedication to serving and helping others for more than 10 years as a volunteer with Habitat-NYC. The award recognizes individuals who have demonstrated extraordinary ways to give back to the community.
Led by Citi Community Development (CCD), Citi’s relationship with Habitat-NYC includes much more than funding. The New York State CCD team provides leadership and guidance to develop opportunities for expanding Habitat-NYC’s impact, and Citi employees are enthusiastic volunteers at Habitat-NYC build. Citi is a long-time supporter and partner of Habitat for Humanity.
Since 2000, Citi and Habitat employees have built and helped create approximately 386 safe, affordable and energy-efficient homes across the United States for families in need.
This Brush with Kindness event is one of more than 1,000 events globally that Citi is hosting as part of its annual Global Community Day. Every year, tens of thousands of Citi colleagues from around the world take part in Global Community Day, volunteering their time, talents and passion to worthy causes. In 2012, Global Community Day is taking place as part of Citi’s 200 year anniversary. These volunteer events provide an opportunity to demonstrate the company’s core principle of Common Purpose in action in all, and illustrate its efforts to promote progress in its communities.
Citi
Citi, the leading global bank, has approximately 200 million customer accounts and does business in more than 160 countries and jurisdictions. Citi provides consumers, corporations, governments and institutions with a broad range of financial products and services, including consumer banking and credit, corporate and investment banking, securities brokerage, transaction services, and wealth management. Additional information may be found at www.citigroup.com | Twitter: @Citi | YouTube: www.youtube.com/citi | Blog: http://new.citi.com | Facebook: www.facebook.com/citi | LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/citi
Habitat for Humanity-New York City
Habitat for Humanity – New York City transforms lives and our city by building quality homes for families in need and by uniting all New Yorkers around the cause of affordable housing. With the help of thousands of volunteers every year, Habitat-NYC has built more than 220 affordable homes in the five boroughs of New York City. Learn more at www.habitatnyc.org.
The New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) is committed to increasing opportunities for low- and moderate-income New Yorkers by providing safe, affordable housing and facilitating access to social and community services. More than 400,000 New Yorkers reside in NYCHA’s 334 public housing developments around the five boroughs, and another 235,000 receive subsidized rental assistance in private homes through the NYCHA-administered Section 8 Leased Housing Program.
