$530K Awarded To Nonprofits Across OC Thanks To Bank Of America Grant

ORANGE COUNTY, CA — Twenty local nonprofits received a chunk of a $530,000 grant this month, with the funds going toward driving economic opportunities for families in need across Orange County.

The funds were awarded by Bank of America as a part of a long-term investment to organizations that support basic needs, workforce development and education in vulnerable communities.

In Orange County, the local grants include support for job re-skilling, food insecurity, affordable housing and shelter, youth education, employment and healthcare, according to a Bank of America news release.

The grants come at a much-needed time for nonprofits across the county, as a recent Report on the Conditions of Children in Orange County reveals that one in seven Orange County children live in poverty.

Local nonprofit Families Forward is one of 20 recipients for the grant. Volunteers behind the nonprofit help families in need achieve and maintain self-sufficiency through housing, food, counseling, education and other support services.

According to the news release, the nonprofit is a county leader in helping families at-risk of experiencing homelessness find stable housing.

“By providing vulnerable families with the tools and resources needed to find stable housing and regain financial self-sufficiency, they can break generational cycles of poverty and create an environment of positive child development,” Families Forward CEO Madelynn Hirneise said. “That’s our mission, and we appreciate Bank of America’s support in helping to advance our work.”

Another local recipient of the grant, Girls Inc. of Orange County, offers year-round programs and activities for girls aged 5 through 18. The programs focus on financial literacy, STEM, sound body image, healthy relationships and college/career readiness.

The bank's grant supports the "Girls Meet the Workforce" program, which offers high school girls workforce readiness and life skills training.

Other local nonprofits receiving the grant include:

• Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Orange Coast
• Community Action Partnership of Orange County
• Chrysalis Center
• Families Forward
• Friendship Shelter
• Girls Inc. of Orange County
• Goodwill Industries of Orange County
• High School, Inc.
• Hope Builders
• Human Options
• J.F. Shea Therapeutic Riding Center
• KidWorks Community Development Corporation
• Meals on Wheels of Orange County
• Mercy Housing Living Centers
• Orange County Rescue Mission
• Orange County United Way
• Project Hope Alliance
• Reimagine Network
• The Wooden Floor for Youth Movement
• Working Wardrobes for a New Start

“Orange County is an incredibly resilient community, and our nonprofit sector is an important part of ensuring we’re readying to meet the challenges and opportunities of our ever-changing economic and social landscape,” Bank of America Orange County President Allen Staff said. “This recent philanthropic investment in OC nonprofits is just one way Bank of America deploys capital locally to help remove barriers to economic success and build a more sustainable community.”