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Local Voices

Bank of America Awards $210,000 to Address Critical Needs in Philadelphia

The Bank of America Charitable Foundation today announced $210,000 in grants to 10 nonprofits in Philadelphia addressing critical needs, such as hunger and shelter to longer term solutions that promote financial wellness through access to benefits and resources. This is in addition to the $819,000 in grants to Philadelphia nonprofits announced earlier this year that support housing and workforce development and education programs. 

 

“We’re working to meet the day-to-day needs of those who live and work in our community,” said Tom Woodward, Pennsylvania and Philadelphia market president, Bank of America. “These grants will help nonprofits continue to address Philadelphia’s most pressing needs while helping individuals become more financial stable in the long term.”

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Some of the organizations receiving funding include:

  • The United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey will use the grant to help expand outreach and enhance content for the organization's recently launched 2-1-1 service. Until this year, Philadelphia was one of the only major cities without 2-1-1. The service offers a free, easy-to-remember phone number that connects callers to important health and human services organizations and their programs. 2-1-1’s searchable database of programs is also available online at www.211sepa.org.

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  • Philabundance will use the grant to support the opening of Fare & Square, the nation’s first nonprofit grocery store of its kind in Chester. Before Fare & Square, Chester was a USDA determined food desert and had been without a grocery store since 2001 with 54 percent of the families forced to travel too far for food. Fare & Square, which opened in September, sells nutritious food staples at everyday low prices with a focus on fresh produce, meats, dairy, seafood, and frozen foods and will help stretch customer’s dollars so that they get more for their money.

 

  • Project HOME will use the grant to provide critically needed housing and services to homeless families with special needs through Rowan Homes. Rowan Homes serves approximately 45 families and more than 100 children annually. Rowan families are offered comprehensive services, including case management, adult and youth education, job placement and retention services and access to quality health care.

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    Grants were also awarded to Bethesda Project, Depaul USA, Klein JCC, LIFT-Philadelphia, MANNA, Mazzoni Center and PathWays PA.

     

    This funding is part of the company’s intensified philanthropic focus on three core issues vital to the economic health of communities: housing, jobs and hunger and represents an important component of Bank of America’s lending, investing and giving activities to help advance local economies. 


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