As we get ready to give thanks, we want to share our gratitude for Bank of America. A long-time supporter of EDWINS, in 2016, Bank of America awarded us a Neighborhood Builder Award for the EDWINS Second Chance Life Skills Center.
Neighborhood Builders is the nation’s largest philanthropic investment in nonprofit leadership development, and the award provides $200,000 in flexible funding, leadership development for an executive director and an emerging leader at the organization, and the opportunity to connect to a network of peer organizations and access capital.
Director of Culinary Education, Gerry Grim, attended the Neighborhood Builders Leadership Program in Washington, D.C., and Director of Development, Valerie Maczak-Grim, attended the Neighborhood Builders Leadership Program in Houston.
In October, Bank of America brought all 62 Neighborhood Builders organizations from across the country together in Charlotte for an invaluable conference to learn best practices and innovations for non-profits. We loved getting to talk with colleagues from the Westside Campaign Against Hunger in New York City, the Prison Entrepreneurship Program in Houston, the Boys and Girls Clubs of Central Orange Coast in Santa Ana, California, Bridge Communities in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, and all of the Neighborhood Builders that are carrying out important work.
As part of this event, Bank of America provided a panel called “What It Takes to Invest in Social Justice: Addressing the Connection Between Economic Mobility and Innovative Interventions.”
(L-R): Stephanie Lomibao, Brandon Chrostowski, Marcus Bullock, Tulaine Montgomery, Father Greg Boyle
The panel featured an incredible cast of social justice experts including Stephanie Lomibao, Program Manager for the Bank of America Charitable Foundation, Tulaine Montgomery, Managing Partner at New Profit; Father Greg Boyle, Founder of Homeboy Industries; Marcus Bullock, Founder and CEO of Flikshop; and EDWINS’ own Brandon Chrostowski!
It was an informative and uplifting session to learn about programs and resources that boost economic equality and create connections to empower people.
Bank of America has provided incredible opportunities for EDWINS, and we are thrilled to congratulate this year’s Neighborhood Builder for our region, ESOP, a full service housing and financial counseling agency.
EDWINS was fortunate to attend this year’s celebration, and we were inspired all over again listening to participants of Bank of America’s Student Leaders program talk about their internships.
Bank of America Student Leaders sharing about their experience interning at the Greater Cleveland Food Bank.
Bank of America’s philanthropy is strengthening our neighborhoods and its residents, is but what we love most is that they are not afraid to roll up their sleeves to improve our neighborhoods. Thanks to an invitation from Jennifer Hurd, Senior Vice President, State of Ohio Market Manager Enterprise Business & Community Engagement at Bank of America, students, volunteers and staff from EDWINS joined a team from Bank of America to plant trees along 124th Street in Cleveland.
Tree planting with Bank of America!
A special thank you to Ashley Parker (current student), Linda Mansour and Chuck Herbruck (volunteers), Rebecca Charles (EDWINS Resident Advisor) and her son, Jack, and Valerie Maczak-Grim (EDWINS Director of Development) for taking part in the planting!
All of us at EDWINS are truly thankful for Bank of America’s significant support and their investment in our students and the Buckeye community!