Over 200 Care Packages Donated to Long Island Coalition for the Homeless
The Bank of America Charitable Foundation recently contributed a $75,000 grant to United Way of Long Island to administer the Summer Youth Employment Program, which provides low to moderate income high school and college students with paid internships and hands-on career training.
Nearly 40 students (ages 15-21) have been employed in 20 non-profit host agencies across communities in Nassau and Suffolk Counties. During the course of the six-week program, held June 24 through August 23, students work in a variety of capacities, from administrative roles in an office to helping facilitate summer camp programs to assisting at local farmers’ markets.
On July 31, United Way of Long Island brought all of the interns together to meet for the first time as a collective and participate in a full-day Professional Development and Community Service Day at Bank of America’s Melville offices. The students learned, networked and attended workshops conducted by Bank of America senior staff. Workshops focused on resume-building, financial literacy, career guidance and leadership skill development.
The day included a community service project in which interns collaborated to assemble over 200 Care Packages for veterans who are homeless. Each package contained personalized handwritten messages to recipients, all of which were donated to the Long Island Coalition for the Homeless.
Students received certificates of recognition from Suffolk County presented by County Executive Steve Bellone and Rev. Roderick Pearson, Executive Director of the Suffolk County Youth Bureau.
The day concluded with a message from Bank of America Long Island President Bob Isaksen who provided students with words of advice, “Every job you have teaches you something and every place along the way, you learn a skill. Take the lessons from each job in order to build your skill set and learn your passion.”
“Today’s workshops provided young adults with an opportunity that is often reserved for working professionals. United Way of Long Island is pleased to partner with Bank of America to provide these experiences for our young people to explore career pathways while engaging in community service,” stated Theresa A. Regnante, President and CEO of United Way of Long Island.
United Way has served as both the fiscal agent and the employer of record for the Summer Youth Employment Program for the past eight years. Working with United Way are the Nassau and Suffolk County Departments of Human Services, Office of Youth Services, who help to identify both program participants and community agency host sites.
To learn about United Way of Long Island’s youth programs visit www.unitedwayli.org.
Photo 1 Caption: The 2019 Summer Youth Employment Program interns stand with Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone (left), Bob Isaksen, Bank of America Long Island President (right), Rev. Roderick Pearson, Executive Director of the Suffolk County Youth Bureau (far right) and Trish Rivers, United Way of Long Island Community Impact Program Associate (second from right). Interns participated in a Professional Development and Community Service Day at Bank of America office in Melville.
Photo 2 Caption: Summer Youth Employment Program interns assemble care packages that were donated to the Long Island Coalition for the Homeless.
About United Way of Long Island
United Way of Long Island advances the common good, creating opportunities for a better life for all by focusing on the three key building blocks of education, financial stability and health. We recruit people and organizations that bring the passion, expertise and resources needed to get things done. LIVE UNITED® is a call to action for everyone to become part of the change. United Way of Long Island is part of a worldwide network spanning across 41 countries and territories, including more than 1,200 local organizations in the U.S. For more information about United Way of Long Island, please visit UnitedWayLI.org, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
About Bank of America Charitable Foundation
At Bank of America, we’re guided by a common purpose to help make financial lives better, through the power of every connection. We’re delivering on this through responsible growth with a focus on our environmental, social and governance (ESG) leadership. ESG is embedded across our eight lines of business and reflects how we help fuel the global economy, build trust and credibility, and represent a company that people want to work for, invest in and do business with. It’s demonstrated in the inclusive and supportive workplace we create for our employees, the responsible products and services we offer our clients, and the impact we make around the world in helping local economies thrive. An important part of this work is forming strong partnerships with nonprofits and advocacy groups, such as community, consumer and environmental organizations, to bring together our collective networks and expertise to achieve greater impact. Learn more at about.bankofamerica.com, and connect with us on Twitter (@BofA_News).