To support communities amid the ongoing pandemic, Bank of America has awarded a total of $842,000 to 25 nonprofits in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties.
The focus has been to alleviate the unprecedented impacts on basic needs, affordable and accessible housing, and jobs, according to the bank’s news release.
Bank of America also donated 420,000 personal protective equipment masks to the region’s essential agricultural workers. That included 400,000 masks to Santa Barbara and Ventura County farm workers as part of a collaboration with California’s Department of Emergency Services to distribute one million masks throughout the state.
The bank’s philanthropic efforts include work with United Way of Santa Barbara and Ventura counties, Foodbank of Santa Barbara County, Food Share of Ventura County, Cabrillo Economic Development Corp. and Women’s Economic Ventures.
“While all of us have been impacted by the ongoing pandemic, the nonprofit sector continues to experience unprecedented demand for critical services to support vulnerable populations such as seniors and communities of color who are disproportionately impacted. As a major company and employer, Bank of America recognizes the responsibility we have to support our local communities however we can,” said Midge Campbell-Thomas, Ventura and Santa Barbara market president for the Bank of America.
“By directing philanthropic capital locally, we can address the most immediate needs while helping our most vulnerable communities become more resilient and positioned for success moving forward.”
Beyond grants and donations, local bank employees also found ways to give back through virtual volunteerism in 2020. They dedicated more than 20,000 hours to local causes and projects of their choice with the support of the company’s longstanding policy to grant each employee two hours of paid time off per week.
As an essential business, Bank of America also invested in the health and economic stability of its own employees this year by raising its minimum hourly pay to $20 and expanding family benefits.
The expansion included increasing childcare reimbursement to $100 per day, providing meal subsidies and giving supplemental bonus pay to essential workers serving the daily banking needs of clients.
email: gfall@newspress.com
