Fidelis Care Awards $10,000 Grant to New York City Police Athletic League (PAL)
Funds to Support Access to Summer Programming for 20,000 New York City Kids
LONG ISLAND CITY, NY, July 1, 2021 – Fidelis Care has awarded the New York City Police Athletic League (PAL) a $10,000 grant to help support recreational, educational, cultural and social activities throughout the year. The funds will help support approximately 20,000 kids across the five boroughs participating in programs such as PAL PLAYSTREETS, PAL Street Games, and PAL Early/Head Start Programs.
“Fidelis Care is proud to partner with PAL and work collaboratively toward supporting the health and wellness of local New York City families,” said Pam Hassen, Chief Member Engagement Officer. “Being part of PAL’s commitment in the community to nurture the strengths and capabilities of local children is a reflection of Fidelis Care’s mission.”
“The Police Athletic League is thrilled to receive this grant from Fidelis Care. PAL is proud to partner with Fidelis Care to share critical information regarding health and wellness with our parents, participants and stakeholders,” said Marcel Braithwaite, Director of Community Engagement, PAL. “We look forward to continuing our collaboration, as we at PAL work with the NYPD and the law enforcement community to support and inspire New York City youth.”
With the support of Fidelis Care, the following PAL programs will receive funding:
PAL Street Games
PAL Street Games began in 2020 when staff realized that there would be no team sports. Along with NYPD volunteers, staff took games such as dodgeball, basketball, and double-dutch to the streets of NYC. PAL Street Games allow kids to stay active and interact with police officers in a positive and fun environment.
PAL PLAYSTREETS
PAL PLAYSTREETS have helped communities take back their streets by providing opportunities for children to engage in organized physical activities, to learn valuable lessons about positive life choices, and to access helpful resources. For seven weeks each summer, PAL closes public areas in New York City neighborhoods suffering from high rates of crime and poverty to create supervised and fun-filled places for children ages 6-16 to play in safety. Each PLAYSTREET has fun athletic and recreational equipment, as well as arts and crafts, to make a positive experience for the kids.
PAL Early/ Head Start Programs
PAL Early /Head Start programs provide a safe, secure, developmentally appropriate environment and emphasize active family engagement and strong collaboration with the local community. PAL's learning environment for Early Head Start (EHS 2 year olds), and Head Start (HS 3-5 year olds) children enables PAL to address each child’s individual strengths and needs, giving them a strong social, emotional, physical, language, literacy and cognitive foundation prior to entering kindergarten. PAL has been providing vital early childhood education to New York City families for more than 50 years.
Fidelis Care will also participate in PAL events throughout the year to answer questions, share information, and make it as easy as possible for parents to learn about quality health insurance for their children.
About Fidelis Care:
Fidelis Care is a mission-driven health plan offering quality, affordable coverage for children and adults of all ages and at all stages of life. With more than 2.3 million members statewide, Fidelis Care believes that all New Yorkers should have access to affordable, quality health insurance. Follow us on Twitter at @fideliscare, Instagram at @fideliscare, and on Facebook at facebook.com/fideliscare. For more information, call Fidelis Care at 1-888-FIDELIS (1-888-343-3547) or visit fideliscare.org.
Police Athletic League
New York City’s Police Athletic League is the first and finest civilian-run PAL in the country. Founded in 1914, PAL has served the city’s young people for over 100 years. PAL provides recreational, educational, cultural and social activities to 20,000 boys and girls annually. It is also the city’s largest, independent, nonprofit youth organization. For more information, please visit www.palnyc.org.
Contact: MediaInquiries@fideliscare.org