| NEWARK, N.J. The Prudential Foundation and Prudential Financial recently provided $466,250 in Prudential CARES Volunteer Grants to 603 non-profit organizations worldwide. The Prudential CARES Volunteer Grants program recognizes individual and team volunteers based on a minimum of 40 hours of volunteer service per individual. Grants range from $250 to $5,000 for each award winner's charitable organization. The following Hampden County residents were presented with $1,000 awards to pass along to their chosen charity. Joseph Liquori of Springfield is a sales agent for Prudential Insurance and received a 2008 Prudential CARES Volunteer Grants Award for $1,000 to benefit the Western Massachusetts Alliance for Mentally Ill Citizens. Liquori has served the Alliance for 25 years, dedicating more than 100 volunteer hours in 2007. Throughout the year, he organized and led educational meetings featuring speakers that brought knowledge on the latest medications and treatments for mental illness. He also serves as an advocate for positive legislation affecting the mentally ill on a state level. The mission of the organization is, through educational support and advocacy, to improve the lives of people with mental illness. Kevin McKiernan of Agawam, a compliance director for Prudential Financial, received a 2008 Prudential CARES Volunteer Grants Award for $1,000 benefiting Loaves and Fishes Ministries. In 2007, McKiernan served his fifth year with the Ministries, volunteering 40 hours of his time to further its mission to provide human services to the poor in Hartford, Conn. McKiernan helped recruit fellow Prudential employees to participate in various simple, yet helpful, volunteer activities. An example of such an activity was making sandwiches at their office throughout a designated workday that are then delivered to a local food pantry. Approximately 100 Prudential employees participate in programs such as sandwich-making throughout the year. Founded in 1977, the Prudential Foundation is the nonprofit grant-making organization funded by Prudential Financial Inc. It is part of Prudential's Community Resources Department, a strategic combination of four units: the Foundation, which provides support to innovative direct-service programs that address the needs of our communities in the areas of education and economic development; the Social Investment Program, which makes socially-responsible investments in the primary areas of economic development and education; Local Initiatives, which strengthens Prudential by building strategic relationships through staff initiatives and volunteer empowerment; and Business Diversity Outreach, which facilitates diverse market development and outreach efforts for Prudential businesses. |
