Abayomi Community Development Corporation, Racquet Up Detroit announced as 2022 Neighborhood Builders Awardees

DETROIT Today, Bank of America celebrates its annual “Day of Giving,” connecting more than 100 employees with the bank’s community partners to volunteer with organizations helping to advance economic mobility and racial equality in Detroit. In addition to the volunteer visits, the day includes a small business roundtable, a luncheon with bank teammates and partners, and a special “GIVE” celebration event.

In 2022, the Bank of America Charitable Foundation Detroit Market awarded more than $3.6 million in community giving grants to 64 Metro Detroit area nonprofits. Overall, Bank of America Corporation contributed more than $6.6 million in Michigan through grants, investments, sponsorships, and engagements. These partnerships focus on ensuring individuals and families in Michigan have access to tools and resources improving economic mobility, and to essential services such as emergency shelter, affordable housing, access to food, and financial education.

“Any time we can volunteer and work with our community partners to create consistent pathways to employment, job training and job creation, entrepreneurship and stable neighborhoods, we will do it,” said Matt Elliott, President, Bank of America Michigan. “As Metro Detroit families continue to work toward a better future, Bank of America will continue to work by their side whenever we can to deliver the support they need through our trusted partners.”

Organizations receiving grants this year include:

Abayomi CDC

ACCESS

Accounting Aid Society

Alternatives for Girls

American Red Cross of SE Michigan

Arab American National Museum

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metropolitan Detroit

Brilliant Detroit

Build Institute

Catholic Charities of Southeastern Michigan

Chaldean American Ladies of Charity

Chaldean Community Foundation

Coalition on Temporary Shelter (COTS)

College for Creative Studies (Design Core)

Connect Detroit

Detroit Economic Growth Corporation

Detroit Educational Television

Detroit Impact Inc.

Detroit LISC

Detroit PAL

Detroit Regional Chamber Foundation Inc.

Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries

Develop Detroit

Flint Institute of Arts

Focus Hope

Food Gatherers

Forgotten Harvest

Gleaners Community Food Bank of Southeast Michigan

Global Detroit

Goodwill Industries of Greater Detroit

Great Lakes Women’s Business Council

Greening of Detroit

Habitat for Humanity Detroit

Habitat for Humanity International

Haven

Invest Detroit Foundation

Jefferson East Inc.

Jewish Family Services of Washtenaw County

Jewish Vocational Service and Community Workshop

Junior Achievement of Southeastern Michigan

Michigan Community Resources

Michigan Humane Society

Michigan Minority Supplier Development Council (MMSDC)

Michigan Science Center

Midnight Golf Program

Motown Museum

New ERA Community Group Inc.

NPower Inc.

Pope Francis Center

Racquet Up Detroit

The Salvation Army Eastern Michigan Division

SAY Detroit

SER-Metro Detroit Jobs for Progress

South Oakland Shelter

Southwest Economic Solutions

Teach for America Inc.

The Edison Institute (The Henry Ford)

The Greening of Detroit

The Michigan Women’s Foundation

The Wright Museum of African American History

United Way for Southeastern Michigan

Wayne State Medical

Wayne State University Research & Technology Park

YMCA of Metropolitan Detroit

Bank of America’s Day of Giving includes a small business roundtable with local partners to discuss the current business environment and identify opportunities to provide support. It will end with GIVE, an event celebrating the bank’s local partners, this year’s Student Leaders®, and its 2022 Neighborhood Builders awardees.

Abayomi Community Development Corporation (Abayomi CDC) and Racquet Up Detroit are Detroit’s 2022 Neighborhood Builders. Each organization will receive $200,000 in flexible funding, as well as comprehensive leadership training for their leadership teams that will cover topics ranging from increasing financial sustainability, human capital management, and strategic storytelling. They also will join a network of peer organizations across the U.S. and get the opportunity to access capital to expand their impact.

Established in 1998, Abayomi CDC was founded on principles of faith, family and personal achievement. As a human services organization, Abayomi strives to provide access to housing, education, arts, wellness, and economic resources to all members of the community.

A bank partner since 2008, Abayomi CDC will use the Neighborhood Builders grant for facility renovations and to launch their new community wellness program, 'Be Well'. The program will allow Abayomi CDC to catalyze, motivate, and sustain individual and communal efforts towards improving physical, mental, and emotional health.

"Abayomi is honored to be an awardee of the Neighborhood Builders Initiative through Bank of America. We look forward to continuing our efforts to uplift Detroiters and build strong families for the future,” said Hannah Morris, Deputy Director, Abayomi CDC.

Racquet Up Detroit serves Detroit students from fifth grade through college, offering academic support and world-class coaching in squash.

The bank has worked with Racquet Up Detroit since 2016. The organization’s leaders plan to use their Neighborhood Builders grant to expand enrollment in their afterschool youth development program, launch new programming beyond the afterschool hours in partnership with neighborhood schools, and to support their Career Pathways program.

"The Bank of America Neighborhood Builders award is a game-changer for Racquet Up Detroit, as it will enable us to make good on the promise of our new facility by activating the spaces for community impact,” said Derek Aguirre, executive director, Racquet Up Detroit. “Specifically, we will grow enrollment and serve more kids and families, while also adding broader community programs to increase access to the sport of squash, educational support, and other resources. And, perhaps most importantly, we will be able to make valuable investments in the leadership of the organization thanks to the development and training opportunities provided. We are thrilled to have Bank of America behind us in these important ways."

In the last decade, Bank of America awarded $39 million in support to fund partner initiatives, and its employee volunteers have spent thousands of hours on the ground helping to strengthen these important organizations.

Bank of America At Bank of America, we’re guided by a common purpose to help make financial lives better, through the power of every connection. We’re delivering on this through responsible growth with a focus on our Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) leadership. ESG is embedded across our eight lines of business and reflects how we help fuel the global economy, build trust and credibility, and represent a company that people want to work for, invest in and do business with. It’s demonstrated in the inclusive and supportive workplace we create for our employees, the responsible products and services we offer our clients, and the impact we make around the world in helping local economies thrive. An important part of this work is forming strong partnerships with nonprofits and advocacy groups, such as community, consumer and environmental organizations, to bring together our collective networks and expertise to achieve greater impact. Learn more at www.bankofamerica.com, and connect with us on Twitter at @BofA News.

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