ATLANTA, August 9, 2022 – Shelters to Shutters today announced it received a $25,000 grant from Bank of America to transition individuals and families facing homelessness in Atlanta to economic self-sufficiency through full time employment, housing and career training opportunities. Shelters to Shutters partners directly with the multifamily real estate industry to provide a sustainable, long term solution for economic independence while providing motivated, trained talent for high demand entry level positions within the industry such as maintenance techs, leasing agents and groundskeepers. The grant is aligned with Bank of America’s efforts for workforce development that will support Shelters to Shutters’ Atlanta program to provide career training and skills based learning for all participants as well as opportunities for full time employment with full benefits, discounted housing, and mentorship support.
In Atlanta in 2022, roughly 2,000 individuals experience homelessness on any given night. Of these, over 80% are considered situationally homeless. These are individuals who have been in the workforce before but due to a series of unfortunate events or circumstances, such as job loss, medical emergency, domestic violence, or natural disaster have found themselves without stable housing or income to sustain it. Shelters to Shutters provides a hand up to these individuals to get them back on a path to economic self-sufficiency. The program offers both housing and income through a network of apartment management partners, simultaneously ending situational homelessness while building financial stability for individuals and their families.
Employment is a key driver of economic mobility in Atlanta. Bank of America is focused on building pathways to employment by supporting a range of workforce development and educational opportunities that will help vulnerable individuals and families stabilize and advance.
“We’re thrilled Bank of America recognizes the importance of the career training, employment and housing opportunities we offer in partnership with the apartment industry as a catalyst to economic stability. This grant will enable us to serve more individuals and families motivated to change their trajectory through stable housing and a career to sustain it,” said April Cline, Shelters to Shutters Atlanta Executive Director.
These grants are part of Bank of America’s commitment to responsible growth as it works to improve the financial lives of individuals, families, and entire communities. Philanthropic and volunteer investments continue to play a key role in this effort to build thriving communities.
“The impact of Shelters to Shutters’ work to meet specific needs grows each year,” said Al McRae, president, Bank of America Atlanta. “We are committed to supporting our most vulnerable populations and look forward to seeing how this investment helps them make even greater strides to tackle homelessness and housing insecurity in Atlanta.”
“Having a partner like Bank of America is a huge catalyst for our local program in Atlanta which is already making an incredible difference in the lives of individuals and families underserved in the community. I look forward to sharing the success stories and direct impact the funds will make as April and her team put them to work for those in our program,” added David Williams, President & CEO of Shelters to Shutters.
About Shelters to Shutters
Shelters to Shutters is a national 501(c)(3) organization that transitions individuals and families from homelessness to economic self-sufficiency by providing employment, housing and career training opportunities in partnership with the real estate industry. Across the country, Shelters to Shutters pairs leading property management companies with individuals experiencing homelessness who are ready to work. The result is an innovative program that provides full-time employment and housing opportunities for individuals facing homelessness and a pipeline of high quality, motivated employees for the multifamily housing industry. Shelters to Shutters currently operates in eight major markets: Atlanta, Charlotte, Charleston, Houston, Nashville, the National Capital Region, Orlando and Phoenix. More information can be found at www.shelterstoshutters.org or by following the organization on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.
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