Fox Chase Bank Grants OHAAT $5,000
By Becky Sedmak, OHAAT’s Executive Director
Last month Fox Chase Bank’s President and CEO Tom Petro presented a $5,000 check to OHAAT’s Board Chair Ken Barber and me. This funding, which comes from Fox Chase Bank’s Charitable Foundation, will allow us to purchase bed frames and mattresses for 61 children and youth in OHAAT’s Beds for Kids program. Over the next few months, eligible recipients will be referred by OHAAT’s partner agencies, and the frames and mattresses will be delivered directly to recipients’ homes along with bedding and bedtime essentials like books and toothbrushes. Most of the children and youth we serve are sleeping on the floor or on sofas, so having beds of their own can significantly improve their sleep quality and consequently, their well-being. As any parent and teacher knows, better sleep leads to better health, behavior and school performance.
I am grateful for every donor and donation given to OHAAT, but I am especially grateful for those donors that give year after year and help us reach long-term goals like sustainable growth. Fox Chase Bank easily falls into the latter category. Over the last nine years, their Charitable Foundation has awarded OHAAT $28,000 in grants! This funding has had a significant impact on our Beds for Kids program and its ability to reach more and more children in need. Since receiving our first grant from Fox Chase Bank, we’ve grown from serving 300 children and youth each year to more than 900. This growth is only possible because of long-term supporters like Fox Chase Bank who are committed to improving the quality of life for families in our community.