Plainfield, NJ (March 20, 2018) – TD Bank, America’s Most Convenient Bank®, and the Arbor Day Foundation today announced that the NJ Tree Foundation will receive a $20,000 grant from TD Green Streets to support innovative urban greening and tree-planting projects in low- to moderate-income areas of the Plainfield, NJ community.
The NJ Tree Foundation and City of Plainfield plan to use the grant to plant at least 35 trees at one or more schools in Plainfield, as well as host an educational workshop to teach residents about the importance of urban forestry and how to care for young trees.
Plainfield was one of 10 U.S. cities selected for grants this year of up to $20,000 from TD Green Streets. “TD Bank is committed to enhancing urban tree canopies and green space as part of our vision to support the transition to a low-carbon economy and nurture sustainability in the communities we serve,” said Joseph Doolan, TD Bank’s Head of Environmental Affairs. “Through our longstanding partnership with the Arbor Day Foundation, we are supporting innovative community programs in cities including Plainfield that do more than beautify underserved urban neighborhoods – trees improve air quality, capture carbon emissions, and enhance the quality of life.”
“The NJ Tree Foundation is very excited to work with the City of Plainfield and TD Bank to reforest Plainfield schools. Trees are an important part of an urban landscape,” explained NJ Tree Foundation Program Director Elena López. “The trees planted with these funds will brighten school grounds, providing shade and enjoyment for students, teachers, and the Plainfield community.”
Dr. Angela M. Bento, Principal at the Plainfield Academy for the Arts and Advanced Sciences, is very enthusiastic about partnering with the City of Plainfield and NJ Tree FOundation to plant trees at the school. Principal Bento said, “Thank you for giving us the privilege and honor of beautifying our campus. As Tasneem Hameed stated: ‘Learn character from trees, values from roots and change from leaves.’”
TD Bank provides the funding for the grants, which are awarded annually for tree planting, maintenance costs and educational activities, and the Arbor Day Foundation administers the program. TD Green Streets is a component of TD Forests, a North American initiative aimed at growing urban forests, protecting critical forest habitats and encouraging responsible use of forest products.
To be eligible for a grant, qualified municipalities must be current Arbor Day Foundation Tree City USA®-designated communities within TD Bank’s U.S. footprint, with the submitted project occurring in a low- to-moderate income area of the local community. Tree City USA is the nation’s premier urban and community forestry program, providing a foundation for effective, well-organized community tree care. In addition to Plainfield, other grant recipients this year are:
- Myrtle Beach, SC
- Clinton, SC
- Providence, RI
- Philadelphia, PA
- New York, NY
- Clifton, NJ
- Boston, MA
- Oakland Park, FL
- Delray Beach, FL
For more information, visit arborday.org/programs/tdgreenstreets/
About the Arbor Day Foundation: The Arbor Day Foundation is a million-member nonprofit conservation and education organization with a mission to inspire people to plant, nurture, and celebrate trees. More information on the Foundation and its programs can be found at arborday.org.
About TD Bank, America’s Most Convenient Bank®: TD Bank, America’s Most Convenient Bank, is one of the 10 largest banks in the U.S., providing more than 9 million customers with a full range of retail, small business and commercial banking products and services at more than 1,200 convenient locations throughout the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Metro D.C., the Carolinas and Florida. In addition, TD Bank and its subsidiaries offer customized private banking and wealth management services through TD Wealth®, and vehicle financing and dealer commercial services through TD Auto Finance. TD Bank is headquartered in Cherry Hill, N.J. To learn more, visit www.tdbank.com. Find TD Bank on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TDBank and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/TDBank_US.
TD Bank, America’s Most Convenient Bank, is a member of TD Bank Group and a subsidiary of The Toronto-Dominion Bank of Toronto, Canada, a top 10 financial services company in North America. The Toronto-Dominion Bank trades on the New York and Toronto stock exchanges under the ticker symbol “TD”. To learn more, visit www.td.com.
About the NJ Tree Foundation: The NJ Tree Foundation has planted more than 250,000 trees throughout New Jersey with help from hundreds of thousands of volunteers. The nonprofit NJ Tree Foundation is dedicated to reforesting New Jersey’s urban areas, where the need is greatest. To get involved or learn more visit njtreefoundation.org.
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