Moorpark College, SLO Food Bank accept $50K gift from BofA
Bank of America has announced $100,000 in grant awards as it celebrates the fifth anniversary of its Neighborhood Champions program on the Central Coast.
In the Ventura/Santa Barbara market, Moorpark College Foundation will receive $50,000 to support the college’s Access, Achieve, Advance, or AAA financial support program for students attending its technology certificate programs.
In the San Luis Obispo market, the countywide food bank will receive $50,000 to address a need that has grown dramatically in recent years.
The Neighborhood Champions program is a multi-year grant program, with grants spread over two years.
The award also includes leadership training and access to a national peer network for recipients.
“Providing high-impact nonprofits like Moorpark College with flexible funding and leadership training helps them address critical needs and create meaningful lasting change,” said Midge Campbell-Thomas, president, Bank of America Ventura/Santa Barbara.
The Central Coast is emerging as a hub for tech-related jobs, creating nearly 13,000 jobs in recent years, according to a recent study by REACH.
The grant will provide financial support for students for certificate programs in areas such as cybersecurity that enable them to be job-ready, Moorpark President Dr. Julius Sokenu said.
He added that the program will be a “good foundation” for students who decide to continue on to get a recently approved four-year degree program now under development.
“We’re really grateful to Bank of American to realize the importance of this program and AAA in developing programs for people to go into industry. They will be ready to take on the workload on day one,” Sokenu said, adding that the broader goal is to “fortify the economy and the wellbeing of our community.”
Mary Noor, market executive for Santa Barbara/Ventura, said that Bank of Ameria offers the Neighborhood Champions program in 40 communities nationwide.
“The Central Coast is unique in that we offer it to two local nonprofits annually,” she added.
Noor said that since 2019 that means “awarding half a million dollars and helping 20 nonprofit leaders take their leadership skills to the next level.” Over five years, she said, the program has expanded from funding basic needs to economic development and workforce training.
At the SLO Food Bank, partnerships are key.
The nonprofit works with 70 community organizations to serve an average of 39,000 residents a month on a countywide basis.
Demand has increased dramatically since the end of the pandemic, SLO Food Bank said.
Greg Bland, market president for Bank of America in San Luis Obispo said: “We’ve worked with the SLO Food Bank for many years, so we are familiar with the great — and critical — work that they do to serve thousands of families each year.”
He added that “with inflation raising the prices on food and challenging people’s paychecks, more and more people rely on the food bank.”
The grant will support the purchase of materials and equipment to store, pack and distribute food, particularly to children and seniors, two of the most at-risk groups.
The grant will also provide bilingual outreach to Spanish speakers.
“The next few years are pivotal as we work to overcome rising costs of food and living while responding to the community’s significant and increased need for nutritious food,” said Molly Kern, CEO, SLO Food Bank.
Among the innovations at the SLO Food Bank is a farmer’s market for children and seniors.
Past Ventura/Santa Barbara Neighborhood Champions include Big Brothers Big Sisters of Ventura County, Foodbank of Santa Barbara, Habitat for Humanity of Ventura County, Many Mansions, and Women’s Economic Ventures.
Past San Luis Obispo Neighborhood Champions include 5Cities Homeless Coalition, Economic Vitality Corporation (EVC), El Camino Homeless Organization (ECHO), People’s Self-Help Housing and SLO Partners.
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