Camarda Charitable Foundation announces $54,230 in grants to Putnam County organizations
January 2007

The Camarda Charitable Foundation announced today that it made $54,230 in grants to 11 Putnam County community-service groups during the fourth quarter of 2006. This brings donations to a total of $654,230 for 2006, the foundation's first year of operations, founder Paul Camarda said.

"The Camarda Charitable Foundation contributed more than $650,000 to area groups last year and we hope to continue to support the community in the future," said Paul Camarda, the president of Camarda Realty Investments, which is based in Carmel, N.Y. "We're trying to help support organizations ranging from the Boy Scouts and Putnam Arts Council to emergency services which improve the quality of life in the community. We believe it is our corporate responsibility to contribute to the communities where we make significant financial investments and foresee a long-term relationship."

Organizations receiving grants (and amounts received) during the fourth quarter were:

  • Camp Wilbur Herrlich: $5,000
  • Carmel Volunteer Ambulance Corps: $10,000
  • Carmel Troop 1, Boy Scouts of America: $100
  • Carmel Fire Department: $25,000
  • Carmel High School varsity baseball (Friends of Carmel Baseball & Basketball): $150
  • "Mend a Heart" with Stitches of Love: $100
  • Patterson Baptist Church: $6,780
  • Patterson Recreation Center: $5,000
  • Putnam County Arts Council: $1,000
  • Putnam Family and Community Services: $1,000
  • Putnam/Northern Westchester Women's Resource Center: $100

The Camarda Charitable Foundation had previously made a $500,000 donation to the Putnam Hospital Center's "Campaign for Tomorrow" capital campaign that will help fund the construction of a new 111,000-square foot building to be called the "Camarda Care Center."

The foundation also made a $100,000 donation to support sports activities at Mahopac High School, which had to cut public funding for athletics because of an austerity budget.

The Camarda Charitable Foundation will support organizations that are fully certified IRS 501(c)(3) not-for-profit entities and will provide monies for operating support, start-up support/seed money, organizational capacity building or technical assistance. The Foundation will give preference to grant requests that relate to the following areas of focus:

  • Health care and emergency services
  • Environmental, historical and community planning initiatives
  • Recreation and fitness
  • Education and counseling