Middlesex College Foundation Receives 2026 Empowerment Grant from the Provident Bank Foundation
The grant will help launch the Middlesex College Ticket to Success: Bus Pass Program, a driving force for student transportation support.
(l-r): Kristy Koos, associate program director of Provident Bank Foundation; Jong Sook Nee, board of director of Provident Bank Foundation and founder of Convergent Law; Joananne Coffaro, Middlesex College vice president of External Affairs, Communication, and Advancement; Amanda Lyons, Middlesex College community resource coordinator; Thomas J. Shara, executive vice chairman of Provident Bank Financial and chair of Provident Bank Foundation.
The Middlesex College Foundation is proud to announce that it has been awarded a 2026 Empowerment Grant from The Provident Bank Foundation (PBF). This prestigious grant will support the Ticket to Success: Bus Pass Program, an innovative program to address transportation barriers for students.
The Empowerment Grant program, PBF’s core funding opportunity, is designed to strengthen the capacity and sustainability of high-impact nonprofits serving communities across New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. Grant partners are selected for two years of flexible funding support based on their proven ability to deliver meaningful, measurable change within the Foundation’s priority areas: Education, Human Services, and Workforce Development.
“The rising cost of living includes the cost of transportation, and that is a barrier to education,” said Middlesex College Community Resource Coordinator Amanda Lyons. “Many students can’t afford to get back and forth to campus. They can’t go to college if they can’t get to college, and there are only so many online classes you can complete.”
Programs like this, coordinated through the Middlesex College Community Resource Hub, are evidence of the Foundation’s commitment to addressing diverse student needs as they pursue their educational dreams.
“This generous support from The Provident Bank Foundation will allow us to ensure student persistence towards graduation is not derailed by basic transportation needs,” said Lisa Kelly, executive director of the Middlesex College Foundation. “We are honored to be recognized by a foundation so deeply committed to building stronger, more resilient communities.”
The grant will provide students registered with the Middlesex College Community Resource Hub with one-way New Jersey Transit bus passes, based on their on-campus class schedule. While funding is limited, the Foundation anticipates supporting 30-40 students per semester.
“The Empowerment Grant embodies our commitment to investing in organizations that are creating long-term, transformative change,” said Samantha Plotino, vice president and executive director of The Provident Bank Foundation. “We are proud to support the Middlesex College Foundation in their efforts to help students in pursuit of their education access safe and affordable transportation.”
To learn more about the Middlesex College Foundation, visit middlesexcollege.edu/foundation/
