U.S. Conference of Mayors, Wells Fargo Announce 2015 CommunityWINS Grants
Top honors go to mayors and nonprofits for innovative neighborhood stabilization programs
SAN FRANCISCO, June 22, 2015 /3BL Media/ – The U.S. Conference of Mayors (USCM) and Wells Fargo & Company today announced Mayors Stephanie Rawlings-Blake of Baltimore, Mark Stodola of Little Rock, Ark., and Christopher Cabaldon of West Sacramento, Calif., have been recognized on behalf of nonprofits in their cities with top honors in the Conference’s 2015 CommunityWINS℠ grant program funded by the Wells Fargo Foundation.
Presented at the Conference’s 83rd annual meeting in San Francisco, the awards recognized nonprofits and cities for exemplary leadership in promoting neighborhood stabilization, economic development, and job creation efforts. Judges selected recipients of the Wells Fargo-funded grants from 162 applicants from small, medium and large cities.
Tom Cochran, CEO and executive director of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, said, “Our 2015 CommunityWINS grant program gives the Conference an opportunity to showcase positive change happening now in our cities that makes a positive difference in people’s lives. We are grateful to Wells Fargo and the Wells Fargo Foundation for their support of the CommunityWINS grant program, which also highlights the talent and commitment of mayors and city governments.”
Top honors included:
- Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake was honored and $300,000 was awarded to Civic Works, Inc. for its work with Growing Green Tracks Team, which has addressed blight along Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor to improve the city’s image as seen by millions of train passengers.
- Little Rock, Ark., Mayor Mark Stodola was honored and $150,000 was awarded to Arkansas Lighthouse for the Blind for its Employment for Individuals Who Are Blind – Inclement Weather Outer Layer (IWOL) project, which offers employment for individuals who are blind or visually impaired, and provides funding for training and machinery accommodations for the nonprofit’s clients.
- West Sacramento, Calif., Mayor Christopher Cabaldon was honored and $150,000 was awarded to West Sacramento Foundation for its FutureReady program, which connects students studying engineering, science and technology to internship and job training opportunities.
Additional Outstanding Achievement awards were presented to: Newark, N.J., Mayor Ras Baraka with $75,000 awarded to Newark Community Economic Development Corporation; Green Bay, Wisc., Mayor Jim Schmitt with $50,000 awarded to NeighborWorks Green Bay; and Lima, Ohio, Mayor David Berger with $50,000 awarded to Lima-Allen County Neighborhoods in Partnership.
The grants were presented by Martin Sundquist, executive director, Wells Fargo Housing Foundation. Wells Fargo’s support makes the CommunityWINS℠ grant program possible.
”Wells Fargo is delighted to collaborate with the U.S. Conference of Mayors to make these grants available for nonprofits and enable them to make vital improvements in their cities,” said Sundquist. “Wells Fargo cares about the communities we serve and we’re inspired by the tremendous interest in the inaugural CommunityWINS grant program that will add up to make a big difference in helping revitalize neighborhoods.”
About USCM
The U.S. Conference of Mayors is the official nonpartisan organization of cities with populations of 30,000 or more. There are nearly 1,400 such cities in the country today, and each city is represented in the Conference by its chief elected official, the mayor. Like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/usmayors, or follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/usmayors.
About Wells Fargo (Twitter @WellsFargo)
Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE: WFC) is a nationwide, diversified, community-based financial services company with $1.7 trillion in assets. Founded in 1852 and headquartered in San Francisco, Wells Fargo provides banking, insurance, investments, mortgage, and consumer and commercial finance through more than 8,700 locations, 12,500 ATMs, and the internet (wellsfargo.com) and mobile banking, and has offices in 36 countries to support customers who conduct business in the global economy. With approximately 266,000 team members, Wells Fargo serves one in three households in the United States. Wells Fargo & Company was ranked No. 30 on Fortune’s 2015 rankings of America’s largest corporations. Wells Fargo’s vision is to satisfy all our customers’ financial needs and help them succeed financially. Wells Fargo perspectives are also available at Wells Fargo Blogs and Wells Fargo Stories.
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