File Photo
Mosholu Montefiore Community Center (MMCC) officials announced Saturday, Feb. 7, that it has been awarded $1,371,000 in federal funding to support what they say are critical repairs at MMCC’s main facility in The Bronx. The funding was secured by U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand as part of the Fiscal Year 2026 federal funding package that was signed into law on Tuesday, Feb. 3. The center runs programs at 3450 DeKalb Avenue, and 3512 DeKalb Avenue in Norwood.
They said the investment will support building repairs and upgrades that will help MMCC continue serving Bronx residents safely and reliably. MMCC officials said its main facility is a vital community resource that houses programs for early childcare services, afterschool and youth services, many support services, including a food pantry and older adult programs.
“I am proud to deliver funding that will support critical repairs at the Mosholu Montefiore Community Center’s main facility in the Bronx,” said Gillibrand, ranking member of the housing and urban development appropriations subcommittee. “This building is an important community resource and drives tremendous impact in the borough, serving all ages through childcare, youth and older adult programs, and other support services.
She added, “With this funding, the Mosholu Montefiore Community Center will now be able to make important upgrades and expand their reach. Securing this much-needed federal funding will improve the lives of Bronx residents and keep New York City flourishing.”
For her part, Rita Santelia, MMCC CEO, said, “This award is a major step forward for our community. Our building is home to services that the community counts on every day. We are very grateful to Sen. Gillibrand for this support that will help us make needed repairs and continue to improve the lives of participants in our community.”
Separately, on Saturday, Gillibrand released the following statement after a federal court blocked the Trump administration from suspending funding for New York City’s Gateway Hudson Tunnel Project.
“Last night’s court ruling confirms what we already knew: President Trump must put the American people over his ego and stop playing games with New Yorkers’ tax dollars and livelihoods,” the statement read. “Hundreds of thousands of Americans are counting on the Gateway Hudson Tunnel – including the project’s talented union workers and their families, as well as the commuter train riders and rail passengers traveling along the busiest corridor in the nation.”
File Photo
Meanwhile, MMCC officials said MMCC serves 50,000 Bronx and Manhattan residents each year by connecting people to meals, benefits support, youth programs, summer camp and safe spaces for learning and community. They said the new funding will strengthen the facility that makes those services possible. They thanked Gillibrand, for “her leadership and for securing congressionally directed funding for Bronx community needs.”
MMCC officials said the center is a vital community resource that helps people across The Bronx, Manhattan, and Westchester build stronger, more stable lives. They said each year, it serves more than 50,000 New Yorkers, from preschoolers and school age children to teens, adults, and older adults.
They said through support, enrichment, education, recreation programs, and even a nationally ranked summer camp, MMCC helps people expand their options and move toward full, productive lives. They said what sets MMCC apart is how personal the work is. They said committed, well-trained staff step forward to guide and nurture individuals and families, often one-on-one, especially when someone has no other place to turn.
MMCC officials said its staff meet people where they are and help them take the next step, whether that is early childhood education, after school and summer programs, job training and workforce development, financial empowerment services, or older adult care. They said the impact reaches beyond each participant, and when families become more self-sufficient, neighborhoods grow stronger.
Photo by Síle Moloney
They concluded, saying, with MMCC’s help, communities continue to become more dynamic, vibrant, and safe.
To read some of our previous stories on MMCC, click here, here and here.
admin
Welcome to the Norwood News, a bi-weekly community newspaper that primarily serves the northwest Bronx communities of Norwood, Bedford Park, Fordham and University Heights. Through our Breaking Bronx blog, we focus on news and information for those neighborhoods, but aim to cover as much Bronx-related news as possible. Founded in 1988 by Mosholu Preservation Corporation, a not-for-profit affiliate of Montefiore Medical Center, the Norwood News began as a monthly and grew to a bi-weekly in 1994. In September 2003 the paper expanded to cover University Heights and now covers all the neighborhoods of Community District 7. The Norwood News exists to foster communication among citizens and organizations and to be a tool for neighborhood development efforts. The Norwood News runs the Bronx Youth Journalism Heard, a journalism training program for Bronx high school students. As you navigate this website, please let us know if you discover any glitches or if you have any suggestions. We’d love to hear from you. You can send e-mails to norwoodnews@norwoodnews.org or call us anytime (718) 324-4998.