YWCA’s annual fundraiser, We Believe 2021, is just a day away. While this event would typically have more than 600 people coming together in a ballroom in Uptown Charlotte, this year we’re excited to offer an all-virtual live event, open to the general public.
We’re looking forward to sharing virtual space with you with our empowering sponsor, Bank of America. Along with being the presenting sponsor of our We Believe 2021 event, Bank of America has been a long-standing partner and supporter of our programs and mission.
For years, Bank of America has supported our transitional housing programs, Women In Transition and Families Together, through funding and volunteer support.
Before the pandemic, our transitional housing participants would attend monthly workshops hosted by Bank of America volunteers, with topics ranging from improving your credit score to building your self-esteem, as well as arts and craft workshops and diversity and empowerment discussions. With COVID-19, Bank of America pivoted to a virtual support approach. Instead of having on-site workshops throughout the year and a holiday dinner in December for Bank of America volunteers and our transitional housing participants, bank employees donated warm meals and holiday gift bundles to all 57 Women In Transition participants. Bank of America volunteers will once again begin to offer workshops for our transitional housing participants, but virtually until it is possible to safely congregate in person.
Bank of America doesn’t just support our housing programs. Their funding supports all aspects of YWCA’s mission. In 2018, Bank of America and The Albemarle Foundation announced a $20 million investment in Charlotte-area nonprofits to drive local economic mobility. YWCA was selected as one of the nonprofits benefiting from this substantial commitment. This is because at YWCA, we focus on key factors that positively impact economic mobility like early child care and education, college and career readiness and family stability fostering healthy child development.
Beyond funding and volunteer support, Bank of America also supports YWCA through its Student Leaders® program. This program provides the opportunity for high school juniors and seniors to intern at YWCA Central Carolinas during the summer. For years, YWCA has welcomed the student’s support of our programs and departments and appreciate their contributions to further the impact YWCA makes. While the students supported YWCA virtually in 2020, we still welcomed their engagement and appreciated their contributions to our Youth Programs.
Finally, YWCA Central Carolinas appreciates the contributions and leadership of two Bank of America team members on our board of directors: Soamoya Rankins and Christie Gragnani-Woods.
We are grateful to Bank of America for being a long-standing supporter and partner of YWCA Central Carolinas.
