Bank of America announced it has awarded more than $200,000 in grants to eight San Fernando Valley-based nonprofits to help drive economic opportunity for individuals and families.
San Fernando Valley-based nonprofits receiving grants are: Meet Each Need with Dignity (MEND), Engage, Food Forward, Hope of the Valley Rescue Mission, California State University- Northridge Foundation, LA Family Housing, the Boys and Girls Club of Burbank and Valley Food Bank.
The CSUN Foundation, one of the grant recipients, will use the funds to support its career readiness program that includes professional and workforce development webinars, workshops, resume reviews, mentoring activities and tax assistance to equip recent and future alumni with skills to respond in a rapidly changing workforce and economy.
“This partnership is crucial to support our collective vision to increase the career-readiness of our current and future Matadors and the community support services provided by CSUN students through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Clinic,” said Shellie Hadvina, associate vice president, Development and Alumni Relations for CSUN.
Hope of the Valley used their grant award to purchase a van.
“We were able to purchase a much-needed van that is used every day by our outreach and engagement teams to transport [homeless people] to encampments in the valley where they care for people in need,” said Ken Craft, founder and CEO, Hope of the Valley Rescue Mission.
“The van is also used to transport unsheltered people living in encampments to our various homeless and housing facilities.”
Meet Each Need with Dignity, (MEND) will use their grant to provide healthy meals to families.
“MEND is incredibly grateful for many decades of partnership with Bank of America, which enables [us] to serve a highly vulnerable population in Los Angeles – struggling families, low-income seniors and those who are homeless – especially during a time when their food budgets are squeezed by high prices, and school food-access for low-income students is limited during the summer months,” said Chanya Blumenkrantz, MEND Chief Development Officer.