As one of Bank of America’s signature philanthropic programs, the Neighborhood Builders program provides both funding and leadership training to selected nonprofits in Washington state.
“These grants are going to organizations who are working to address the region’s toughest issues — from workforce mobility, basic needs and affordable housing,” said Kerri Schroeder, president of Bank of America, Seattle Market.
Awardees receive $200,000 in unrestricted grant funding with leadership development training for the organization’s executive director and a rising leader. The two local community groups selected this year are Pioneer Human Services and Jubilee Women’s Center.
Pioneer Human Services supports people involved in the criminal justice system by giving them access to a place to live, behavioral health care and stable employment. This helps reduce the deeper social problems that often stem from a lack of opportunity.
“Unfortunately, many of the individuals we serve have been left behind,” said Karen Lee, CEO, Pioneer Human Services. “They are the furthest from opportunity.”
In King County, approximately 30% of the people Pioneer serves are Black, and more than 50% are people of color.
Pioneer will be developing a new program with the funds from the Neighborhood Builders program called Unlimited Potential. This will provide individualized career services, including career mapping, skills development and networking opportunities.
“We believe that this program will help move people toward self-sufficiency,” Lee said.
The Jubilee Women’s Center supports female-identifying adults experiencing homelessness or economic crisis. The center provides bedrooms in four community houses across King County. Services and resources provided help these women transform their lives, heal from trauma, build confidence and gain access to skills.
“We use this holistic model of care to move somebody from crisis to self-sufficiency,” said Kari Whitacre, executive director, Jubilee Women’s Center.
With the grant funding from Bank of America, Jubilee plans to turn available classes into an online learning platform to support both in-person and virtual on-demand options for participants with varying schedules and learning styles. Funds will also be used to expand the center’s onsite clothing boutique and use it as a workforce development program.
To learn more about Bank of America's neighborhood builder's
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