Mercy Learning Center awarded ‘Neighborhood Builder’

Wednesday, 08 February 2012 12:21

William R. Tommins, Fairfield County president of Bank of America, presents a $200,000 grant to Jane E. Ferreira, president of Mercy Learning Center as part of the bank’s Neighborhood Excellence Initiative. The center was named a Neighborhood Builder in recognition of its contributions to the community.

Mercy Learning Center is the recipient of a 2011 Bank of America Neighborhood Excellence Initiative award. Mercy Learning Center and Wakeman Memorial Association were the two Fairfield County nonprofits recognized as Neighborhood Builders.

Mercy Learning Center staff and board members celebrated their collaborative community efforts at an awards ceremony and reception at The Palace Theater in Stamford on Nov. 7.

“We are honored to have been selected for this special award,” said Jane Ferreira, the center’s president and chief executive officer. “Illiteracy is a problem in our community. This award will allow us to expand our basic educational classes of reading, writing and computation to even more women in the greater Bridgeport community.”

Each Neighborhood Builder received a $200,000 unrestricted grant and leadership training. Additionally, five local heroes and five student leaders from Fairfield County were announced as winners.

Bank of America contributed more than $450,000 in 2011 to Fairfield County nonprofits and individuals through this initiative, which recognizes and rewards community-based organizations, local heroes and student leaders in 44 U.S. cities and London who are working to improve their communities. Since the Neighborhood Excellence Initiative’s inception in 2004, Bank of America has contributed more than $2.25 million through the program in Fairfield County.