Miami – The Allegany Franciscan Ministries made history recently when it donated $600,000 to the Overtown Children and Youth Coalition. The announcement was made on Wednesday, Aug. 17 at Gibson Park. The donation is the largest grant given in the history of the Allegany Franciscan Ministries community investment plan.

“Allegany Franciscan Ministries Nicholson, has been a contributor to Overtown organizations throughout the years, and so in February 2016 it was a nobrainer to make Overtown one of our Common Good Initiative neighborhoods. We have committed a $1 million per year investment in this wonderful and historic community for seven years,” said Miguel Milanes, vice president of Allegany Ministries.

The Overtown Common Good Initiative Council consists of stakeholders, residents. It was created to help make decisions toward the three priorities the community says need the most investment: access to high quality employment; accessible, affordable high quality youth development opportunities; and community voices that inform policies and decisions.

“This year has been an exciting year for the Overtown Children and Youth Coalition,” said Chair Saliha Nelson. “The collective effort of the members in this coalition has resulted in several exciting announcements. Earlier this year, we received our 501c3 and became one of five Florida Children’s Initiatives. Today, we receive a check from Allegany Franciscan Ministries, and we’ve already been able to leverage those funds to secure another $50,000 to contribute to the work we plan to do for the young people in this neighborhood.”

Co-chair Tina Brown closed the ceremony with a special thank you to Allegany Franciscan Ministries and Miguel Milanes. “We invite you to join the Over- town Children and Youth Coalition. The members of this coalition are not only the anchor youth-based institutions in this neighborhood, but also educators, business owners and residents who care. Let’s continue to pull together and create partnerships that make a difference.”

The mission of the OCYC is to create collective impact to empower Overtown children and youth to reach their full potential. The Coalition meets monthly and welcomes new members. To view the full master plan, visit http://www.slideshare.net/OvertownCYC/overtown-children-and-youth-master-plan.