$1.5 Million Gift from the Steven & Alexandra Cohen Foundation Goes Toward New Building

Neighbor to Neighbor announced this week that it received a $1.5 million gift from the Steven & Alexandra Cohen Foundation.

The gift kicks off Neighbor to Neighbor’s capital campaign, which is raising money to support the construction of a new building for the organization’s food and clothing operations.

The Foundation’s gift, a $1 million single pledge and a $500,000 matching grant donation, is the largest-ever received by Neighbor to Neighbor.

The building will be called the Steven and Alexandra Cohen Center for Neighbor to Neighbor.

“The Steven & Alexandra Cohen Foundation’s generous gift provides us with the opportunity to build a better, more sustainable space to help feed and clothe disadvantaged people in our community,” says Neighbor to Neighbor Board President Allen Jackson. “Their gift exemplifies the grass roots idea of neighbors helping neighbors by providing us with the physical foundation to continue to serve our community in a more effective and accessible manner. We deeply and sincerely thank Steve and Alex Cohen for their donation and their confidence in Neighbor to Neighbor.”

“Steven and I are happy to support Neighbor to Neighbor, an organization that offers services and resources to people right here in our community,” said Alex Cohen, Co-Founder and President of the Steven & Alexandra Cohen Foundation. “Our gift will improve Neighbor to Neighbor’s operations and capabilities, enabling it to provide even greater assistance to Greenwich residents in need. This gift reinforces our commitment to offering support to individuals and groups in the communities where we live and work.”

The Steven and Alexandra Cohen Center for Neighbor to Neighbor will not only provide safer, larger, and more accessible space, but will also ensure the organization will be able to serve residents in need well into the future. The new building will be fully ADA compliant, allowing all clients to take advantage of the client choice method of shopping and will provide a warm and welcoming place for visitors. Donors will find a convenient, clean and cheerful home for their gently used or new donated items. Clients and volunteers will benefit from greater accessibility and improved storage capacity.

“We are deeply grateful to the Cohen Foundation for recognizing the need for a new facility to provide food and clothing with dignity and respect to our neighbors who need our assistance,” said Neighbor to Neighbor Executive Director Nancy Coughlin. “This gift will directly impact the lives of thousands of Greenwich area residents in many positive ways.”

Neighbor to Neighbor is a nonprofit organization dedicated to serving residents in need throughout the Greenwich area. They improve lives by providing food, clothing and basic living essentials in an atmosphere of kindness and respect.

Neighbor to Neighbor is Greenwich’s only food and clothing pantry. The volunteer-driven nonprofit organization provides healthy food at no cost to low-income area residents, including a weekly food program for Greenwich residents, an emergency food program for Stamford and Port Chester residents, and a summer lunch program for Greenwich students eligible to receive free and reduced price meals during the school year. Neighbor to Neighbor provides 325,000 meals annually to over 660 local families, providing access to nutritious foods including fresh produce, whole wheat bread, milk, chicken, and beef. Neighbor to Neighbor’s clothing room, the provides good quality in-season clothing, linens, blankets, towels, books, diapers, and household items to over 2,600 low-income residents of Greenwich, Stamford and Port Chester.

The Steven & Alexandra Cohen Foundation is committed to inspiring philanthropy and community service – with a special interest in children’s health, education, veterans and the arts – by creating awareness, offering guidance and leading by example to show the world what giving can do.