Local NeighborhoodLIFT grants support affordable housing, economic and workforce development
JACKSONVILLE -- Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE: WFC) today announced a total of $500,000 in donations to five local nonprofits to help revitalize Jacksonville neighborhoods through the Wells Fargo NeighborhoodLIFT® program.
Identified in collaboration with Mayor Lenny Curry, the Wells Fargo NeighborhoodLIFT local initiative grants will provide support for affordable housing and economic and workforce development.
“This program will impact our community by helping create jobs, improve neighborhoods and further sustainable housing efforts,” said Curry. “I truly appreciate Wells Fargo for this significant investment in our city, and look forward to watching the efforts of these nonprofits come to fruition.”
The NeighborhoodLIFT local initiative grants are funded by the Wells Fargo Foundation for the following Jacksonville nonprofits:
- Clara White Mission received a $200,000 grant to support the final stage of development of mixed-use commercial and affordable permanent housing for low-income residents with supportive services. The first step to more stable housing for the homeless and chronically homeless often involves basic support services such as feeding and shelter programs. Clara White Mission will further stabilize neighborhoods by providing shelter and services to homeless individuals and families who are on the streets.
- City Rescue Mission received an $80,000 grant to support an existing initiative aimed at reducing the number of unsheltered homeless people from the streets of Jacksonville. This project involves the retrofitting and re-purposing of an existing building to move the food storage warehouse. It includes adding walk-in refrigeration and freezers at one location and replacing a commercial stove at another facility.
- Builders’ Care received a $50,000 grant to support its mission of providing affordable or no-cost construction services to the elderly and disabled in the Northeast Florida community while promoting sustainable homeownership.
- Operation New Hope received a $170,000 grant to support job skill training, with $45,000 for Jacksonville Port Academy, which was created by Operation New Hope, Florida State College at Jacksonville and JaxPort. Another portion of the $170,000 grant will go toward job skills readiness training for individuals between the ages of 16 and 24, providing them with skills and knowledge to compete for jobs in the freight, logistics, material handling, distribution and warehousing fields. The program also promotes neighborhood stabilization by helping low-income individuals find, and maintain, employment that leads to housing and financial stability.
The Wells Fargo NeighborhoodLIFT program launched in September 2016 for Jacksonville homebuyers with a $5 million commitment by Wells Fargo to boost local homeownership and revitalize neighborhoods. Wells Fargo collaborated with NeighborWorks America and its local network member, Housing Partnership, Inc., to locally administer the NeighborhoodLIFT program and provide home down payment assistance grants up to $7,500 for about 450 Jacksonville homebuyers. Between 2012 and 2016, more than 775 Jacksonville homeowners have been created.
“Wells Fargo is committed to volunteerism, financial education and strengthening our city’s neighborhoods through sustainable housing and economic development, including for low- and moderate-income households,” said Kelly Smith, North Florida region president for Wells Fargo. “Each of today’s grant recipients has shown a commitment to the revitalization of Jacksonville and understands that homeownership and access to financial education are key factors in creating multi-generational wealth and thriving neighborhoods.”
About NeighborhoodLIFT
NeighborhoodLIFT® program is the single largest corporate philanthropic effort of its kind in Wells Fargo’s history. In collaboration with NeighborWorks America, the Wells Fargo LIFT program has helped create more than 17,650 homeowners in 58 communities since 2012. A video about NeighborhoodLIFT programs is posted on Wells Fargo Stories.
About Wells Fargo
Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE: WFC) is a diversified, community-based financial services company with $1.9 trillion in assets. Wells Fargo’s vision is to satisfy our customers’ financial needs and help them succeed financially. Founded in 1852 and headquartered in San Francisco, Wells Fargo provides banking, investments, mortgage, and consumer and commercial finance through 8,200 locations, 13,000 ATMs, the internet (wellsfargo.com) and mobile banking, and has offices in 42 countries and territories to support customers who conduct business in the global economy. With approximately 265,000 team members, Wells Fargo serves one in three households in the United States. Wells Fargo & Company was ranked No. 25 on Fortune’s 2017 rankings of America’s largest corporations. News, insights and perspectives from Wells Fargo are also available at Wells Fargo Stories.