Support comes as part of Bank of America’s Neighborhood Builders® program, which helps nonprofits grow more sustainably in order to build a thriving community
BRIDGEPORT, CT -- Career Resources, Inc. has been named a 2017 Neighborhood Builder® by Bank of America. The nonprofit is being recognized for its holistic, integrated approach to helping area residents gain and retain employment. The Neighborhood Builders (#NeighborhoodBuilders) grant will provide Career Resources, Inc. with a unique combination of leadership development, $200,000 in flexible funding, involvement in a network of peer organizations across the U.S. and the opportunity to access capital in order to expand their impact in the Southern Connecticut community. The funding from Bank of America will provide general operational support and enable the organization to expand its hours and services offered.
“Nonprofits like Career Resources, Inc. are instrumental to addressing critical community needs and strengthening the economic health of our local area,” said Bill Tommins, Southern Connecticut Market President of Bank of America. “This organization’s integrated services help jobseekers address the challenges they face while looking for new employment, reaching beyond job training to truly further individuals’ and families’ financial well-being. The Neighborhood Builders program is just one example of how Bank of America deploys capital in communities and builds cross-sector partnerships in order to advance economic and social progress.”
For the past 22 years, Career Resources, Inc. has been a leader in the workforce development field in Connecticut, working with both jobseekers and the business community to improve economic conditions for all. Working with youths and adults throughout the state, Career Resources, Inc. takes a comprehensive approach by expanding beyond job skills training to identify personal and societal barriers to employment, giving workers the tools and services they need to break down those barriers and achieve economic security.
In addition to its traditional employment training and career readiness education and coaching services, Career Resources offers other specialized services to address client needs, including a food pantry, a professional clothing closet, a fatherhood support program, services for those with disabilities, adult basic education and English as a second language program, along with computer literacy and financial literacy training.
Earlier this month, Career Resources opened a new Puerto Rico Relief Center, a joint effort with the City of Bridgeport and several community agency partners to help families from Puerto Rico transitioning into the Bridgeport community. The center is co-located with Career Resources’ American Job Center at 2 Lafayette Blvd. and provides job search, training and placement assistance, as well as language services and assistance filing for state and federal entitlement programs.
“Career Resources, Inc. is honored to be recognized by Bank of America with the Neighborhood Builder award,” said Scott Wilderman, President & CEO, Career Resources, Inc. “With this support, we will be able to continue to serve our Southern Connecticut community outside of traditional business hours, in order to assist potential clients who cannot currently access services. We are committed to engaging and mobilizing employers, community organizations, leaders and job seekers to reduce poverty, joblessness, and economic instability in the communities in which we work.”
Since 2004, the Bank of America Charitable Foundation has invested $220 million in more than 1,000 nonprofit organizations and provided leadership resources to nearly 2,000 nonprofit leaders through Neighborhood Builders and the Neighborhood Builders Leadership Program®. Through these programs, more than $6.4 million has been invested in Connecticut alone over the past 11 years, helping nonprofits create greater impact in communities and providing them the tools and resources to develop stronger strategic plans, build cross-sector partnerships, and enhance funding opportunities.
About Bank of America Environmental, Social and Governance
At Bank of America, we’re guided by a common purpose to help make financial lives better, through the power of every connection. We’re delivering on this through responsible growth with a focus on our environmental, social and governance (ESG) leadership. ESG is embedded across our eight lines of business and reflects how we help fuel the global economy, build trust and credibility, and represent a company that people want to work for, invest in and do business with. It’s demonstrated in the inclusive and supportive workplace we create for our employees, the responsible products and services we offer our clients, and the impact we make around the world in helping local economies thrive. An important part of this work is forming strong partnerships with nonprofits and advocacy groups, such as community, consumer and environmental organizations, to bring together our collective networks and expertise to achieve greater impact.
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Contact:
Tara Burke
Bank of America
203-292-6590
tara.a.burke@bankofamerica.com
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