With the COVID-19 crisis leaving more families vulnerable to economic uncertainty, the call to expand services and reach more people in need has become even more critical. Community Action Marin announced today that it received a $60,000 grant from Bank of America to support the agency’s work in advancing racial and economic equity throughout Marin County.
“Bank of America continues to be a valuable partner in our critical work to eliminate the causes and consequences of poverty in Marin County,” said Chandra Alexandre, CEO of Community Action Marin. “We’ve seen the devastating effects COVID-19 has had, especially on historically marginalized members of our community, and this support will help expand our efforts to reach more individuals who are at risk of homelessness or are experiencing challenges making ends meet.”
“We share Community Action Marin’s mission to help make lives better,” said Jason Foster, North Bay president, Bank of America. “Our philanthropic investment helps them scale critical programs to support hundreds of additional families and individuals with basic daily needs and much more – from paying utility bills and providing rental assistance and emergency funds to avoid eviction, to keeping child care centers open for essential workers and offering financial coaching to help families remain self-sufficient.”
Community Action Marin is the largest non-profit provider of social services to individuals and families of low income in Marin County. The agency leads on efforts for racial and economic equity in California’s most disparate county in the state by race across key indicators of well-being such as income, health, and education. Each year, the agency partners with over 5,000 households to meet needs across five service areas: Safety Net, Economic Opportunity & Workforce Development, Children and Family Services, Mental Health, and Equity Initiatives, including food justice and work to eliminate food insecurity. These efforts are part of a whole family approach to helping individuals and families create pathways to self-sufficiency.
Nowhere in the Bay Area is the enormous and widening chasm of racial and economic inequity more pronounced than in Marin County, which ranks first in race-based economic disparity among California’s 58 counties. Through this partnership with Bank of America, Community Action Marin will be able to provide more families of low income in Marin County with stabilization services (including food programs, cash and rental assistance, and more) to move away from crisis and toward financial stability and well-being through the COVID-19 crisis and beyond. In broadening our reach to address more individuals, we help close gaps in racial and economic equity in our community.
Community Action Marin is proud to have a committed partner in Bank of America.