Drinking Maxwell House coffee may actually have a major impact on the lives of children and young adults in Mott Haven.
The coffee brand is teaming up with Rebuilding Together, a leading non-profit working to revitalize communities, and actress Julie Bowen from the hit sitcom Modern Family, for a charity campaign called “Drops of Good: The Maxwell House Community Project.”
As part of the national contest, 10 settlement houses are in the running for five $50,000 grants, including Millbrook Community Center at 201 St. Ann’s Avenue in the Mill Brook Houses.
From now until Friday, June 17, supporters can visit MaxwellHouse.com to read more about Millbrook and vote for it to receive a grant that will be used for new lighting, flooring, and painting.
“Of the 10 finalists, the five organizations that receive the highest total number of votes will receive a $50,000 donation,” said Leslie Mantrone, who runs the community center for East Side House Settlement. “If we receive the grant, we want to make our basement space more usable by installing a wheelchair lift.”
Currently, the center occupies the ground level and basement of one of the buildings in the housing complex, and Mantrone needs the lift to comply with the Americans With Disabilities Act so that the center could be in the running for grants from the federal government.
She would like to expand the center’s adult education, job training and GED programing in four classrooms located in the basement.
“We are fine on our first floor, where the space is used for programming geared towards younger kids,” Mantrone said, “We are going to need to utilize our basement space if we want to expand our services and have a job training program for adults.”
If the center wins, Maxwell House’s owner Kraft Foods will bring in volunteers and contractors to make the repairs. Even if Millbrook does not finish in the top five, it still gets a $5,000 donation.
As part of the Community House competition, the Millbrook is up against other community centers in Atlanta, Georgia; Chicago, Illinois; Denver, Colorado; Indianapolis, Indiana; Los Angeles, California; Miami, Florida; Minneapolis, Minnesota; Nashville, Tennessee; and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
“It certainly is a worthy project and their hearts are in it,” said Matthew Lang, executive director of Rebuilding Together NYC, after meeting with the Millbrook Staff. “We are encouraging our friends and supporters to go to the website and vote daily through June 17th. Family, friends, and past volunteers should vote for us.”
