Operation Lifesaver, Inc. Announces Renewed Grant Funding from Posner Foundation of Pittsburgh
WASHINGTON, DC, January 28, 2020 – Operation Lifesaver, Inc. (OLI) received renewed grant funding for its rail safety education efforts in 2020 from the Posner Foundation of Pittsburgh, OLI Executive Director Rachel Maleh announced. OLI obtained its first private funding from the Posner Foundation of Pittsburgh in 2018 for projects undertaken in 2019.
“We are very grateful to Posner Foundation of Pittsburgh trustee Henry Posner III for this grant, which will continue to support and leverage the rail safety projects and initiatives it helped to fund in 2019. The 2020 grant will allow us to expand our work at the national level and support our state programs across the country,” said Maleh.
“In a society increasingly consumed by digital distractions, and in a culture that seemingly encourages a diminished sense of personal accountability, Operation Lifesaver performs a unique and important role in raising the public’s consciousness about safety around railroad lines,” said Henry Posner III. “At the same time, OLI’s emerging leadership role in the field of suicide prevention reflects its focus on human factors. We are privileged to be in a position to support OLI and its grassroots corps of volunteers and do so in the spirit of encouraging others to join us.”
OLI is the only nonprofit and nationally recognized leader of rail safety education. The organization is dedicated to saving lives by empowering the public to make safer choices near tracks and trains.
Maleh noted that the 2020 funds will support three projects to further OLI’s lifesaving mission:
- Expanding the distribution of an OLI PSA campaign aimed at reducing near-miss incidents involving people walking on or near railroad tracks with earbuds;
- Supplemental funding for Operation Lifesaver state programs to further support rail safety initiatives; and
- Creating a new discretionary fund to assist state programs with purchasing educational and promotional materials for their outreach efforts.
The 2019 Posner Foundation of Pittsburgh grant funding supported four projects: the creation of OLI’s first media-related resources offering effective messaging tips for reporting on rail-related suicide incidents; distribution of a PSA about the Emergency Notification System signs posted at all railroad crossings; supplemental funding for state programs to further support Operation Lifesaver rail safety initiatives; and additional support for the organization’s national rail safety volunteer efforts.
“For the second year in a row, this generous gift and growing partnership will help Operation Lifesaver, Inc. and its state programs across the U.S. work towards a goal of zero incidents at railroad crossings and along tracks. We are committed to saving lives and reducing preventable crossing and trespass incidents,” concluded Maleh.
About Operation Lifesaver
Operation Lifesaver is a nonprofit public safety education and awareness organization dedicated to reducing collisions, fatalities and injuries at highway-rail crossings and preventing trespassing on or near railroad tracks. A national network of trained volunteers gives free presentations on rail safety and a public awareness campaign, See Tracks? Think Train! provides tips and statistics to encourage safe behavior near the tracks. OLI leads an international observance of Rail Safety Week each September. Learn more about Rail Safety Week; follow OLI on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Pinterest and YouTube.
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