Bank of America and HomeAid America

 Vigorously Working to Help Homeless

Hunger and Homeless Awareness Week November 16 – 24, 2013

November 22. 2013 – In honor of Hunger and Homeless Awareness Week November 16 - 24, Bank of America volunteers have been giving their time and talent to service providers throughout the country through HomeAid America, a national non-profit provider of housing for homeless families and individuals for nearly 25 years.  The volunteers have focused on three special activities - assembling and distributing thousands of HomeAid CareKits for the homeless, upgrading shelters through HomeAid’s “Painting a Better Tomorrow” program, and implementing financial education programs with clients living in HomeAid built shelters.

“HomeAid has been blessed to have the active participation of Bank of America in our volunteer activities for years now,” said Peter Simons, CEO of HomeAid America.  “They are one of our leading volunteer partners and have shown what one company committed to making a difference in their community can do. It is truly inspirational and has touched the lives of thousands.”

HomeAid has developed HomeAid CareKits with hygiene items such as shampoo, soap, and toothbrushes plus an important community resource card as a way to engage volunteers in distributing what can be a life saver for someone experiencing homelessness.  These kits provide volunteers with something to give, along with encouragement, in the hopes of engaging and helping someone in a crisis.  HomeAid operates this program primarily through its network of homelessness service providers. In addition to multiyear support from the Bank of America Charitable Foundation, bank employees have participated with chapters of HomeAid America in this program in Orange County CA, Sacramento, Houston, and Washington DC.

The Painting a Better Tomorrow program allows volunteers and members of the building industry to use their skill set to directly contribute to the maintenance of local homeless shelters.  Employees through the Bank of America Community Volunteers Program stepped up to paint, clean and perform minor repairs to shelter facilities in conjunction with HomeAid’s Houston, Seattle, and Sacramento chapters.

“HomeAid provides meaningful support to individuals and families at their point of need and helps them move forward,” said Kerry Sullivan, president of the Bank of America Charitable Foundation. “We’re proud to partner with HomeAid to help raise awareness about critical needs issues and to connect individuals to tools and resources for better money habits which ultimately lead to a brighter economic future.”

Bank of America volunteers have taught financial education classes that include such topics as budgeting, introduction to credit, bank services, keeping track of your money, savings, consumer rights and more – all part of the company’s commitment to helping people build better money habits. These volunteer driven financial education classes are opportunities to strengthen the connection between individuals’ and households’ financial knowledge and their behavior.  Most recently Bank of America teams in Northern Virginia and Detroit conducted successful financial education classes.

Hundreds of Bank of America employee volunteers have engaged in projects and programs throughout the year that have benefited more than 40 HomeAid Service Providers throughout the country. 

About HomeAid America

HomeAid is a leading national non-profit provider of housing for homeless families and individuals. Through the generosity of builders, their trades and their suppliers, HomeAid has completed over 325 housing projects nationwide at a value of more than $200 million, of which nearly fifty percent has been donated by the building industry.  Nearly 170,000 people have been sheltered by these housing projects over the past 24 years.  HomeAid currently has over 26 additional projects in development across the country through HomeAid’s network of 15 chapters in 10 states. For more information about HomeAid, call 1‑888‑3HOMEAID or visit www.homeaid.org.