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Upstate Giving, Nov. 2

Staff Report //November 2, 2020//

Upstate Giving, Nov. 2

Staff Report //November 2, 2020//

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Bank of America launches economic mobility program with United Ministries

Bank of America has teamed up with United Ministries as part of its Neighborhood Champion program to provide grant funding and leadership training to enhance economic mobility across the Upstate.

According to a news release, the program supports the role strong nonprofit leaders play in advancing economic mobility, and is an extension of Neighborhood Builders, the largest corporate philanthropic investment in nonprofit leadership in the country.

United Ministries will receive $50,000 in grant support and the opportunity for virtual leadership training offered by experts in the nonprofit sector, according to the release. The grant will be used to help provide access to crisis, education, financial and employment services to Upstate individuals and families confronting poverty, according to the release.

“As we consider many of the challenges that our communities are facing — from the health and humanitarian crisis to the need for progress on racial equality and economic opportunity — the Neighborhood Champions program is a relevant and timely initiative to support the communities we serve,” Stacy Brandon, Upstate South Carolina market president for Bank of America, said in the release. “This program enables partners like United Ministries to plan strategically for growth and long-term sustainability, and we look forward to seeing how this investment helps United Ministries make even greater strides to address skills needed by our neighbors to achieve economic mobility.”

Earlier this year, the bank also awarded United Ministries a $25,000 community response grant, 6,000 masks and 50 cases of hand sanitizer to help the nonprofit extend food provision, short-term lodging and public health equipment to individuals economically impacted by COVID-19.

“United Ministries extends its deep gratitude to Bank of America for their tremendous support and investment in communities’ economic mobility,” Lizzie Bebber, executive director of United Ministries, said in the release. “The Neighborhood Champions program will help advance our crucial work to provide vulnerable individuals and families with the skills and resources needed to reach self-sufficiency.”

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