Brooklyn non-profit receives $200,000 award
The Bank of America Charitable Foundation has named The Hope Program (HOPE) as a 2013 Neighborhood Builders award recipient. The Neighborhood Builders initiative is a strategic investment that couples leadership training with a $200,000 unrestricted grant for high-performing non-profits that have made a significant impact addressing community development, critical needs or workforce development and education.
Headquartered on Smith Street in Downtown Brooklyn, HOPE helps New Yorkers prepare to find, keep and grow their careers. The organization blends vocational, educational and social services with a lifetime commitment to success. HOPE provides training in literacy, math, computer skills, workplace communications, stress management, customer service and other essential skills for job development.
HOPE will be dedicating funds from the grant to the evaluation and potential growth of a pilot program, Retail and Beyond, which will extend the reach of their job preparedness courses into the retail industry. The program will leverage the success of Hope’s first sector-specific program in the food industry, Grocery Works, and industry trends of stability and growth in the retail sector. The grant will also allow HOPE to expand its team of employment specialists who assist program members in finding and retaining employment.