Release: Accelerator Creates Model to Assist Families During COVID-19 Crisis

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Yusef Robb
Yusef@acceleratorforamerica.org
(323) 384-1789

ACCELERATOR FOR AMERICA CREATES MODEL FOR RAPID CASH ASSISTANCE FOR FAMILIES DURING COVID CRISIS

LOS ANGELES — The Mayor's Fund for Los Angeles last night launched the Angeleno Campaign to raise $10 million to provide cash assistance to LA families most in need of income during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Campaign was created by Accelerator for America as a way to help Angelenos and create a scalable and replicable model for other cities to adopt. As soon as next week, LA families will be able to apply for assistance that will be distributed via designated community centers through no-fee debit cards enabled by Mastercard’s City Possible network. Mastercard is an ongoing strategic partner of the Accelerator.

Up to 20,000 Angelenos are targeted for assistance by the Angeleno Campaign, which was seeded with a major contribution from native Angeleno and NBA superstar Russell Westbrook, who also posted a video about the campaign on his social media channels last night. (TW: @russwest44 FB: @russellwestbrook Insta: @russwest44).

"We identified the population left out by other assistance proposals and developed a protocol to distribute immediate assistance to them at no cost to the recipient and the lowest possible cost to cities," said Accelerator Co-Founder and CEO Rick Jacobs. "Families need help now, and this model can be ready to go in a matter of days, anywhere in the country."

The Angeleno Campaign can accept donations through the LA Mayor’s Fund website, via text, and through social media.

“It is essential that we keep as many families out of crisis as possible during this time. Neighbors helping neighbors can make a huge difference. That's what the Angeleno Campaign is all about,” said Los Angeles Mayor and Accelerator Co-Founder Mayor Eric Garcetti.

The breadwinners of many low-income Los Angeles families are immigrants or independent contractors such as housekeepers, childcare workers, barbers/salon workers who are not eligible for many forms of financial assistance, Mayor Garcetti added.

More at mayorsfundla.org/Angeleno.

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About Accelerator for America
ACCELERATOR FOR AMERICA finds and develops solutions to economic insecurity and shares them with cities to create national change from the ground up. It was co-founded by Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and Rick Jacobs in 2017 around the idea that while Washington is broken and has, in fact, been broken for some time, change is still needed and can be made at the local level. The Accelerator has since developed community wealth-building tools that are being used by more than 60 cities nationwide, and it has helped local communities generate $22 billion in funding for transit and transportation infrastructure through local ballot initiatives, with more than $150 billion targeted in 2020.
 www.acceleratorforamerica.org