–Honoree Bruce Ratner Draws Support for Met Council’s Affordable Housing Work–
August 18, 2008 (New York, NY) –Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty (Met Council) netted more than one million dollars this past week, during its annual Builder’s Luncheon honoring Bruce Ratner, Chairman and CEO of Forest City Ratner Companies.
The nearly 500 guests spanned the real estate, political and communal spectrum. Jerry Stiller warmed the audience with his humor, while City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, Congressman Anthony Weiner, Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz, Congresswoman Yvette Clark, and State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli praised Mr. Ratner for his work in developing New York City. Numerous other elected and appointed officials were present as the keynote speaker, Speaker of the Assembly Sheldon Silver, presented Mr. Ratner with a beautifully decorated charity box.
Speaker Silver commented in his address, “Bruce is responsible for much of the development and growth that’s gone on in Brooklyn and in Manhattan. He is a major force in New York City for the good.” Speaker Silver also praised Met Council for its commitment to helping all New Yorkers lift themselves out of poverty through innovative programs and services.
As part of the event, a special grant of $200,000 was made in honor of Speaker Silver by Henry Orenstein, a long-time supporter of Met Council, to benefit Met Council’s crisis intervention services.
Drawing on its exceptional reputation as one of the largest and most trusted developers of supportive housing in New York City, Met Council’s Builder’s Luncheon rallies the top real estate leaders each year to raise money for its supportive housing projects throughout New York City. This year’s event was the most successful so far, with one million dollars raised.
The money will support Met Council’s extensive supportive housing projects, which shelter the low-income elderly, formerly homeless and mentally ill throughout New York City. Current projects in development include the Seaview Nurses’ Residence in Staten Island, with 104 units, and Council Towers V in the Bronx with 70-units, both for low-income seniors.
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About Met Council’s Housing Program
Met Council is both a leader and innovator in developing and operating supportive housing sites in New York City, providing more than 1,200 units of housing to underserved and sensitive populations like the formerly homeless, low-income elderly and mentally ill. With its outstanding network of social services agencies and Jewish Community Councils, Met Council additionally provides comprehensive social services to its housing residents, strengthening its reputation as a trusted and compassionate leader in supportive housing development.
About Met Council
The Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty (Met Council) is one of the largest social services agencies in New York City, helping more than 100,000 New Yorkers gain short-term and long-term solutions to poverty each year. Met Council’s roster of services includes crisis intervention, counseling, kosher food distribution, career services, housing, home care, family violence prevention, access to health insurance and home safety and repair services. Met Council’s goal is to help people become financially secure and independent wherever possible, and to improve the quality of life for everyone in need.
