Community organizations are often the backbone of local neighborhoods. Many times, they are the catalysts that provide the critical services necessary to improve a community's quality of life. Such is the case in the South Bronx, considered among the most polluted and underprivileged congressional districts in the United States.
A microcosm of the world, the South Bronx continues to grapple with social and environmental issues that threaten the region's overall quality of life. In 2007, CITGO Petroleum Corporation began the South Bronx Social Programs and Environmental Initiative to promote a brighter future for the South Bronx. In just three years, CITGO has supported a total of 36 non-profit organizations focused on a range of critical issues, including education, environmental learning, health and nutrition, financial literacy, arts and culture, all with the common goal of improving the living conditions and outlook for the region's residents.
Today, the Simón Bolívar Foundation (SBF) offers grant opportunities to South Bronx non-profit organizations that are critical in the process of the region's social development and environmental restoration.