CIT Donates to Lynn Haven, FL-based The Arc of the Bay

Grant supports the organization’s Culinary Institute for individuals with disabilities
Jul 27, 2020 12:30 PM ET

JACKSONVILLE, Fla., July 27, 2020 /3BL Media/– CIT Group Inc. (CIT) today announced that it has made a donation to The Arc of the Bay, a nonprofit organization based in Lynn Haven, FL that provides support and opportunities for adults with disabilities. The donation supports the organization’s Culinary Institute which helps individuals with disabilities obtain employment, a community need identified by a CIT equipment financing customer as part of CIT’s Acts of Caring initiative.

CIT’s donation will provide kitchen essentials including food ingredients, personal cutlery kits and uniforms to help maintain the organization’s Culinary Institute, a vocational focused culinary arts program established in 2019. The program’s high-quality training relies on these supplies in order to provide a hands-on experience for individuals to obtain employment in Panama City’s culinary and hospitality industries. CIT’s donation will also cover the cost of ServeSafe Certification tests for students graduating the Culinary Institute.

The Arc of the Bay has worked with adults with disabilities since 1957, and its programs, training and one-on-one services help individuals to become as self-sufficient and independent as possible. The Arc of the Bay currently supports over 200 individuals in its programming.

“CIT’s donation is a great support, allowing us to deliver our Culinary Institute program to over 50 students in the months ahead,” said Ron Sharpe, Executive Director at The Arc of the Bay. “We work every day to ensure people with disabilities have the opportunity and support to participate in valued adult activities.”

“CIT is proud to support organizations like The Arc of the Bay that are addressing important needs during challenging times,” said Mike Jones, president, Business Capital at CIT. “Through our Acts of Caring initiative and guided by our customers, we are able to advance key programs that truly make a difference in our communities.”

CIT Acts of Caring

As part of CIT’s Acts of Caring program, the company invited customers to nominate a need in their hometown and share how the company could support those efforts on their behalf. Identified by CPC Office Technologies, a customer of CIT’s equipment financing business, The Arc of the Bay is one of ten projects nationwide that was selected to receive a donation from CIT this summer.

The customer program follows a month-long social good project where CIT employees completed more than 3,000 Acts of Caring and dedicated nearly 5,000 hours in support of causes such as COVID-19 relief, addressing food insecurity, improving the environment and advancing social and economic justice.

Learn more about CIT’s Acts of Caring initiative at cit.com/ActsOfCaring.

About The Arc of the Bay

Established in 1957 to provide support and opportunities for adults with disabilities, The Arc of the Bay is a non-profit agency in Lynn Haven, Florida that provides a unique blend of training and services to assist individuals in becoming as self-sufficient and independent as possible. The Arc of the Bay currently supports over 200 individuals in its programs and services dedicated to improving the quality of life of individuals with disabilities in Bay County. For additional information visit bayarc.org. For the latest news and events on The Arc of the Bay, visit Facebook and follow them on Instagram and Twitter (@thearcofthebay).

About CIT

CIT is a leading national bank focused on empowering businesses and personal savers with the financial agility to navigate their goals. CIT Group Inc. (NYSE: CIT) is a financial holding company with over a century of experience and operates a principal bank subsidiary, CIT Bank, N.A. (Member FDIC, Equal Housing Lender). The company's commercial banking segment includes commercial financing, community association banking, middle market banking, equipment and vendor financing, factoring, railcar financing, treasury and payments services, and capital markets and asset management. CIT's consumer banking segment includes a national direct bank and regional branch network. Discover more at cit.com/about.

MEDIA RELATIONS: 
Susan Fitzpatrick
212-461-7806

Susan.Fitzpatrick@cit.com