Release: 10 U.S. Cities to Offer Direct Financial Assistance
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 21, 2020
CONTACT: Yusef Robb, Accelerator for America, 323-384-1789
Accelerator for America to Establish Financial Assistance Programs in 10 U.S. Communities; Announcement Made During John Legend’s Father’s Day Special
Grant from the Open Society Foundations Will Fund Effort to Battle Economic Effects of Covid-19
Mastercard to Provide Resources and Technology to Aid Accelerator with Implementation
LOS ANGELES – Building on the successful Angeleno Card financial relief program for Los Angeles residents, the non-profit Accelerator for America announced today it will help 10 additional U.S. communities establish similar programs. Supported by a $750,000 grant from the Open Society Foundations, Accelerator for America will provide technical assistance and $50,000 in funding for each community to stand up the infrastructure needed to successfully administer a large-scale financial assistance program. Accelerator for America, with resources and expertise from Mastercard, will work alongside grantees until their programs are fully operational, providing the necessary expertise and technical support to ensure success.
The 10 communities include: Atlanta, GA; the State of Connecticut; the State of Rhode Island; Chattanooga, TN; Dayton, OH; Birmingham, AL; Oklahoma City, OK; Salt Lake City, UT; Louisville, KY; and Austin, TX. To donate funds to help residents of these cities, visit Acceleratorforamerica.org, powered by the Mastercard Donation Platform, or Text Legend to 27126.
The Angeleno Card program was established in March by Accelerator for America in partnership with the Office of Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, the Mayor’s Fund for Los Angeles, and Mastercard City Possible to provide direct financial assistance via no-fee debit cards to Los Angeles residents whose livelihoods were hardest-hit by the pandemic, including low-wage hourly workers who had jobs in homes and restaurants, seasonal workers, day laborers, street vendors, and self-employed individuals. The program also serves residents regardless of immigration status — immigrant communities have been some of the hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic, yet they have been too often excluded from federal assistance.
Since its inception, the Angeleno Card program has distributed approximately $25 million in assistance to help roughly 70,000 Los Angeles residents. The program facilitates local fundraising and delivers the donations directly to families most in need, via a prepaid card, ensuring the rapid deployment of aid and secure access for the unbanked. The Angeleno Card program was highlighted during John Legend’s Father’s Day (June 21, 2020) special that was broadcast nationally on ABC, which also announced that the Accelerator was expanding the program into 10 additional communities nationwide. Watch Legend discuss the Angeleno Card here. For details about the Angeleno Card model, see here.
Open Society's funding is part of its $130 million global initiative to combat the effects of COVID-19 in vulnerable communities around the world.
“We are helping America’s cities fill critical gaps left by the federal response to the economic devastation caused by the pandemic,” said Mayor Eric Garcetti, who co-founded Accelerator for America. “Immigrants and domestic workers are essential to our economy and our communities, and we will not get through this pandemic by leaving people behind. I thank the Open Society Foundations for their support of Accelerator for America’s work to help cities directly assist their residents in need.”
“Immigrants and undocumented workers have been on the front lines keeping countless communities moving while shelter in place orders disrupted our daily lives,” said Patrick Gaspard, President, the Open Society Foundations. “The sacrifice of those we often overlook as service employees can no longer be ignored. It is a privilege to work with Accelerator for America to provide needed support and resources to communities across the country. Becoming a force multiplier, Accelerator for America is helping close a support gap for workers that would otherwise push many families to the brink. Their work and vision in this process is needed and will leave a lasting impact on so many.”
“Accelerator for America exists to create and share solutions that address economic insecurity with America’s cities, and we are proud to help as they step up in an unprecedented way to respond to the COVID-19 crisis,” said Rick Jacobs, co-founder and CEO of Accelerator for America. “We are extremely grateful to the Open Society Foundations, whose willingness to partner with us will improve lives across America.”
“We are thrilled to expand the reach of our financial assistance program to get more people the help they need,” said Miguel Gamiño, Executive Vice President of Enterprise Partnerships and Head of Global Cities at Mastercard. “This builds on Mastercard’s work to mobilize our talent, insights, and technology to create solutions that serve communities that are often overlooked by traditional systems, including the unbanked and people of color.”
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About Accelerator for America
Founded in 2017 by Rick Jacobs with Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, Accelerator for America finds and develops solutions to economic insecurity and shares them with cities to create national change from the ground up. We support initiatives that connect people with existing jobs, create new opportunities and foster infrastructure development. www.Acceleratorforamerica.org.
About the Open Society Foundations
The Open Society Foundations, founded by philanthropist George Soros, are the world’s largest private funder of independent groups working for justice, democratic governance, and human rights. George Soros opened his first international foundation in Hungary in 1984. Today, the Open Society Foundations support a vast array of projects in more than 120 countries, providing thousands of grants every year through a network of national and regional foundations and offices.