MetLife Foundation is Making a Difference by Sharing Expertise

MetLife Foundation focuses on improving the financial health of low-income people. And that can be done in many different ways, including by making a social impact in local communities. Thanks to MetLife volunteers, numerous nonprofit organizations have gained invaluable help and improved their futures – without spending a dollar.

A safe place to be smart

The Harlem Educational Activities Fund (HEAF) works with New York City public school youth at their two locations in Harlem and Brooklyn. The organization describes itself as “opening doors for New York City’s underserved youth,” with a goal to help school students develop the intellectual curiosity, academic ability and social values needed to succeed in school, career and life.

“We run after-school activities for students,” Deirdre Bennett, Director of Finance and Administration at HEAF, explains. “HEAF serves students in the sweet spot at the middle – those who often get overlooked because they’re not at the top of the class or at the bottom.

“What’s great about HEAF? It’s a safe place to be smart. Students can put their hands up without anyone picking on them.

“We cover lots of different extra-curricular topics, as well as English, science, technology, engineering, art and math (STEAM) classes. We’ve done entrepreneurial projects too, where kids pitch their business ideas and learn how to run a business on a budget. Everything we do is based on boosting their confidence and getting them to a place where they say, ‘I can do it’.”