Reaffirming its commitment to the greater Raleigh-Durham area, Bayer CropScience today announced increased support of Passage Home, the Raleigh-based anti-poverty organization whose programs have been recognized nationally, through a $600,000 Bayer USA Foundation grant.

The four-year grant will support the non-profit community development corporation’s overarching goal of alleviating poverty and homelessness and strengthening families and communities in Wake County.  Specifically, it is earmarked for development of a new community garden in the Brown Birch neighborhood of South Raleigh and for increased support of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education for students involved in Passage Home’s after-school and summer school programs at the neighborhood’s Safety Club.

Nancy McFarlane, Mayor of Raleigh, and Dr. Mae C. Jemison, astronaut and Bayer’s longtime national Making Science Make Sense® spokesperson joined James Blome, President and CEO, Bayer CropScience LP, to present the check to Jeanne Tedrow, Executive Director of Passage Home, at the site of the community garden at 1201 Angelus Drive

With this grant, Bayer CropScience is deepening its roots in an area of the country that serves as our headquarters for North America and our global Seeds business,” said Bayer CropScience’s Blome.  “As a company with a rich history in science education and science literacy through our Making Science Make Sense program, we understand the importance of strengthening STEM education for today’s youth, as well as fostering vibrant, viable and sustainable neighborhoods through the creation of community gardens.”

The American Community Gardening Association has found a wide range of positive outcomes to physical and psychological well-being when residents of public housing are involved in gardening, including opportunities to relax, get physical activity, socialize with neighbors, and share across culturally different backgrounds.   Gardens also afford opportunities to learn about horticulture and sustainable environmental practices, such as recycling.

Passage Home’s strategy to create economically-sustainable urban neighborhoods by promoting urban green spaces for residents and improving STEM education for students is a critical and important demonstration that science is a fundamental part of our everyday lives," said Dr. Jemison.

“We are so thankful to Bayer CropScience and the Bayer USA Foundation for their generous support of our work,” said Jeanne Tedrow, Passage Home executive director.  “This grant will enable us to build our youth and their STEM skills and knowledge by bolstering our work with Bayer’s Making Science Make Sense volunteers, in addition to building our neighborhood into a place of fellowship and beauty that all of our residents have a stake in.”

“The Bayer USA Foundation is pleased to provide this grant to Passage Home,” said Sarah Toulouse, Executive Director, Bayer USA Foundation.  “Through its many community-based projects that provide housing and support services, economic and youth development and neighborhood revitalization, Passage Home is an anti-poverty organization that other communities around the country can and should use as a model to build their own neighborhoods.”

“Strong communities require the active participation of all stakeholders,” said Mayor McFarlane.  “That’s why in Raleigh we’re so fortunate to have responsible and engaged corporate citizens as Bayer CropScience and Passage Home who each and every day contribute so much to make this community great.”

A Call to Action to Wake County Stakeholders
Mayor McFarlane and Bayer’s Blome also called on other Wake County businesses, organizations and individuals to support Passage Home’s current participation in the Steward’s Fund Challenge.  Passage Home was recently awarded the opportunity to participate in this challenge, an all-or-nothing grant that enables nonprofit organizations to receive matching funds for donations received during a given year. 

For 2013, Passage Home must raise $120,000 from new, lapsed, or increased donors during the challenge campaign timeframe, March 15 through June 15, in order to receive an additional $120,000 in unrestricted matching funds from the Steward’s Fund.

About Passage Home
Founded in 1991 and headquartered in Raleigh, N.C. Passage Home is a 501(c)(3) community development corporation that fights poverty and homelessness in the Triangle by providing a hand up, not a hand out. Through its network of corporations, congregations, and community organizations, Passage Home focuses on four core programs to help break the cycle of poverty: housing and support services, neighborhood revitalization, economic development and youth development. For more information, visit www.passagehome.org, like Passage Home on Facebook, and follow @PassageHome on Twitter.

About Bayer CropScience
Bayer is a global enterprise with core competencies in the fields of health care, agriculture and high-tech materials. This year the company is celebrating 150 years of Bayer – consistent with its mission “Bayer: Science For A Better Life”. Bayer CropScience, the subgroup of Bayer AG responsible for the agricultural business, has annual sales of EUR 8,383 million (2012) and is one of the world’s leading innovative crop science companies in the areas of seeds, crop protection and non-agricultural pest control. The company offers an outstanding range of products including high value seeds, innovative crop protection solutions based on chemical and biological modes of action as well as an extensive service backup for modern, sustainable agriculture. In the area of non-agricultural applications, Bayer CropScience has a broad portfolio of products and services to control pests from home and garden to forestry applications. The company has a global workforce of 20,800 and is represented in more than 120 countries. This and further news is available at: www.press.bayercropscience.com.

About Bayer Corporation and Making Science Make Sense®
Bayer is a global enterprise with core competencies in the fields of health care, agriculture and high-tech materials. As an inventor company, it sets trends in research-intensive areas. Bayer’s products and services are designed to benefit people and improve the quality of life. At the same time, the Group aims to create value through innovation, growth and high earning power. Bayer is committed to the principles of sustainable development and acts as a socially and ethically responsible corporate citizen. In fiscal 2012, the Group employed 110,500 people and had sales of €39.8 billion. In North America, Bayer had 2012 net sales of €9,576 million ($12,257 million) and employed 15,300 at year-end. For more information, go to www.bayerus.com.

Making Science Make Sense® (MSMS) is Bayer’s company-wide initiative that advances science literacy through hands-on, inquiry-based science education, employee volunteerism and a public education campaign. Currently, 12 Bayer sites around the U.S. operate local MSMS programs, which together represent a national volunteer corps of more than 1,000 employees.

About Bayer USA Foundation
The Bayer USA Foundation is an endowed 501(c)(3) entity with a programmatic focus on education and workforce development, and environment and sustainability. The Foundation supports organizations that enhance quality of life, connect diverse groups, ensure preparedness for tomorrow’s leaders, and improve communities in which Bayer employees live and work. The Bayer USA Foundation is one of three Bayer foundations worldwide, including the Bayer Science & Education Foundation and the Bayer Cares Foundation. To learn more, go to bayerus.com/foundation.

Forward-Looking Statements
This release may contain forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by Bayer Group or subgroup management. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could lead to material differences between the actual future results, financial situation, development or performance of the company and the estimates given here. These factors include those discussed in Bayer’s public reports which are available on the Bayer website at www.bayer.com. The company assumes no liability whatsoever to update these forward-looking statements or to conform them to future events or developments.

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