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Youth Empowerment Center News Bank of America Neighborhood Excellence Initiative
San Diego Award Recipients Named in Inaugural Presentation
SAN DIEGO, Nov. 10 /PRNewswire/ -- Bank of America market president Robert Tjosvold today named the first Neighborhood Excellence Initiative award winners for San Diego. Recipients were chosen based on their commitment to build and strengthen their communities. The Bank of America Neighborhood Excellence Initiative is a two-year, $15 million program that recognizes, nurtures and reward organizations, local heroes and student leaders - in 30 of the bank's major communities across the country.
"The Bank of America Neighborhood Excellence Initiative is about celebrating local leaders," said Bob Tjosvold. "It is our goal to help build organizational and community capacity by recognizing, supporting and developing the individuals and organizations that make a difference in our neighborhoods. Our award recipients, through their dedication, commitment and perseverance have created positive change within our neighborhoods and throughout the San Diego community."
The Bank of America Neighborhood Excellence Initiative was developed to promote neighborhood excellence by identifying and addressing local priorities for each market. This focus will help Bank of America meet the most pressing priorities of each community by providing operating support and capacity building for nonprofit organizations, recognition for local leaders, and opportunities for young people to serve their neighborhoods.
The Neighborhood Excellence Initiative is composed of three programs:
- Neighborhood Builders provides $200,000 in grant funding and leadership training over the course of two years to two neighborhood nonprofit organizations working to promote vibrant neighborhoods in 30 markets across the country. The combination of operating support and leadership training helps strengthen the capacity and infrastructure of the selected organizations and promotes the professional development of their leaders. Neighborhood Builder award winners for San Diego are The MAAC Project and Accion San Diego. The MAAC Project is a successful 39-year-old multi-faceted social service agency.
They plan to use their funding to expand their Housing and Community Development Department, strengthen their funds development program and upgrade their information technology system. Accion San Diego is a micro-lender that provides loans, counseling and oversight to small entrepreneurs who may lack experience and credit history to qualify for conventional business loans. They plan to use their funding to expand outreach efforts and leverage partnerships in the community.
- Local Heroes recognizes and honors five community heroes per year in each of the 30 selected communities whose achievements and leadership on local issues contributes significantly to neighborhood vitality. Recipients will be able to direct a $5,000 contribution to an eligible nonprofit of their choice. Local Heroes award winners for San Diego are Mary Jo Buettner, founder of the Chula Vista Coordinating Council; Mark Carpenter, founder of "Youth Making New Choices"; Todd Gutschow, Chairman, Board of Governors for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater San Diego; Brenda Hutchinson, community organizer in Escondido; and Jose Lopez, community activist in the Fox Canyon neighborhood of City Heights.
- Student Leaders recognizes five high school students in their junior or senior years in each of the 30 designated Bank of America communities that are identified as exemplary young people with an interest in improving their neighborhoods. To further their personal and educational growth, each student will participate in an eight-week paid summer internship with the local chapter of Boys and Girls Club of Greater San Diego, as well as a mentorship program arranged by Bank of America. Student Leader award winners for San Diego are Hena Din, University City High School; Sarah Krayer, San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts; Bernice Ramirez, The Preuss School; Haley Schmid, La Costa Canyon; and Claribel Villa, The Preuss School.
A local selection committee comprised of key members of the San Diego community assisted in the selection of winning organizations and individuals.
Committee members included:
- Ronne Froman, President and CEO, American Red Cross of San Diego and Imperial County
- Joe Horiye, Program Director, San Diego Local Indicatives Support Corporation
- Jessie Knight, President and CEO, San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce
- Alberto Mier Y Teran, General Manager, KBNT-17 Univision San Diego
- Michael Murphy, President and CEO, Sharp HealthCare
Bank of America Charitable Investments
With a $1.5 billion philanthropic goal over the next 10 years, Bank of America Charitable Investments is one of the largest corporate charitable organizations in the country. The mission of Bank of America Charitable Investments group is to deploy a targeted array of philanthropic resources that help neighborhoods grow and prosper, thereby creating thriving environments where the bank's customers, associates and shareholders live, work and invest. For more information about Bank of America Charitable Investments, please visit the Foundation's website at http://www.bankofamerica.com/foundation .
Bank of America
Bank of America is one of the world's largest financial institutions, serving individual consumers, small and middle market businesses and large corporations with a full range of banking, investing, asset management and other financial and risk-management products and services. The company provides unmatched convenience in the United States, serving 33 million consumer relationships with more than 5,800 retail banking offices, more than 16,500 ATMs and award-winning online banking with more than eleven million active users. Bank of America is the No. 1 overall Small Business Administration (SBA) lender in the United States and the No. 1 SBA lender to minority-owned small businesses. The company serves clients in 150 countries and has relationships with 98 percent of the U.S. Fortune 500 companies and 85 percent of the Global Fortune 500. Bank of America Corporation stock (ticker: BAC) is listed on the New York Stock Exchange.
SOURCE Bank of America
Web Site: http://www.bankofamerica.com
http://www.bankofamerica.com/foundation
Youth build skills with YouthBuild
Training program saved by backing of city leaders
By Bonnie Eslinger
Staff Writer
July 14, 2005 - Nearly 50 youths from San Francisco's most disadvantaged neighborhoods showed up at a press conference for their vocational education program Thursday, even though they expected many to be sent home.
Double the amount of kids anticipated showed up Monday to sign up for YouthBuild, a nine-month national program that provides training in the trades as well as academic assistance. Program leaders told them the $400,000 in federal funding was only enough for 26 students, so every member was on trial this week to test their commitment.
Each morning since, every one of the predominantly African-American 18- to 24-year-olds showed up right on time, at 7 a.m.
"This is the only reason why I won't be snatching somebody's purse," Brittany Moultrie said. The 17-year-old dropped out of Balboa High School after being incarcerated for armed robbery, she said.
"I'm trying to get my GED [General Equivalency Diploma] and hoping to learn a trade," said Lamont Woods, 20, a former student at Burton High School. "I have an uncle in construction and he's living pretty well now."
YouthBuild, a program of Glide Memorial Church, needed $1 million to accommodate all interested youths, announced the spiritual community's celebrated leader, Rev. Cecil Williams.
City leaders attending Thursday's event, including District Attorney Kamala Harris, Supervisor Sophie Maxwell and Fire Chief Joanne Hayes-White, pledged to raise the $600,000 difference.
"I'm going to get 11 votes on that board [of supervisors] to make sure you get anything you need," said Maxwell, a former electrician.
When Williams announced that no one would be cut, the students leapt to their feet and cheered.
Spared from being turned away, the youths will now spend half of their time receiving training in carpentry, drywall, ironwork and cement masonry and the other half taking classes, as well as learning real-world skills like conflict resolution, anger management and financial responsibility. The program is based on Treasure Island.
Students will then do construction work on public housing as well as other city projects. The tradespeople in training will receive $50 a week when studying and $7 an hour for construction work. Local unions have pledged to help students get jobs after they've finished the program.
"We're off the streets," said Janisha Burroughs, a 20-year-old single mother who used to attend Galileo High School. "We're hoping you'll believe in all 48 of us."
E-mail: beslinger@examiner.com
Youth Empowerment
Lorraine Bowman, President
4249 Manzanita Drive
San Diego, California 92105
info@empowering-youth.org
