Connecting our community with basic needs
By: Gene Schaefer, Miami market president, Bank of America
Imagine the difficulty of having to choose between putting food on your table or paying for healthcare. For many in Miami-Dade County, they are faced with these types of decisions every day. While we have made a lot of progress in providing resources, many individuals and families remain food insecure and struggle to access basic necessities. In fact, one in six Americans are at risk of going hungry and, according to the 2014 Annual Social and Economic Supplement by the US Census Bureau, over 45 million people and about 20 percent of children under 18 live in poverty. Many are hardworking Americans who are struggling with lower wages and rising costs of living.
Fortunately, there are nonprofits in our community that are helping to make a difference by connecting individuals and families with basic human services such as such as emergency shelter and access to food and benefits. We are proud to partner with these organizations to ensure they are able to reach these individuals at their immediate point of need and provide them with the programs and services that will set them on the path to economic stability.
Recently, the Bank of America Charitable Foundation announced Catalyst Miami as a recipient of the 2015 Basic Human Services grant. Catalyst Miami will use the funds to deliver vital social services to the community.
Catalyst Miami was founded in 1996 to develop and support individual leadership and strong organizations that work together to improve health, education, and economic opportunity in our community. Through their programs and services, they help families become prosperous and civically engaged.
There’s great value in investing in these grants throughout Miami-Dade County, mainly because they help individuals and families regain and maintain financial stability that is critically important to the overall success of our community.
Along with this financial support, we thank the thousands of Bank of America employees in our community that give their time, passion and expertise through volunteerism to improve the quality of life in our neighborhoods.
