VCU news

Mike Porter
University News Services
Phone: (804) 828-7037
E-mail: mrporter@vcu.edu
www.news.vcu.edu

Tesha W. Davis
Marketing and Public Relations Specialist
City of Richmond
Phone : (804) 646-2133
E-mail : tesha.davis@richmondgov.com
www.richmondgov.com

Kimberly Russell
Communications Officer
The Community Foundation
Phone: (804) 330-7400 Ext. 117
E-mail: krussell@tcfrichmond.org
www.tcfrichmond.org

The Jessie Ball duPont Fund has awarded a $100,000 grant to Virginia Commonwealth University’s Division of Community Engagement on behalf of a coalition of Richmond groups working to prevent and reduce poverty in adults and children.

“What this grant does is allow us to help people get on the path to financial security and avoid financial crisis,” said Catherine W. Howard, Ph.D., vice provost, Division of Community Engagement. “We also want to teach young people about the importance of saving and offer them strategies for saving money.”
 
The one-year planning grant will allow VCU to work with the City of Richmond, the Local Initiative Support Corporation, the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia, The Community Foundation Serving Richmond and Central Virginia, First Market Bank, The Dominion Foundation and the William Byrd Community House in determining the best way to build financial assets for people, families and communities.

“We are optimistic that the planning grant and pilot programs will lead to a systemic approach to ending the cycle of poverty that can be adopted throughout our region. It is encouraging to see a commitment across the sectors of local government, education, the faith community, business and philanthropy to work toward promising solutions,” said Darcy Oman, president & CEO of The Community Foundation.

The grant will develop financial literacy curricula which can be added to existing programs such as Area Congregations Together in Service (ACTS), in which the faith community assists families in financial crisis, Richmond’s Summer Youth Employment Program for low-income teens and the Richmond area’s After-School Programs.

“The duPont grant allows us to strengthen the City’s Youth Workforce and Development Division’s Summer Youth Employment Program by providing a savings bond incentive for completing financial literacy training,” said Saphira Baker, chief deputy administrative officer for Human Services. “Through our employment programs and this planning grant, we not only want to provide citizens of Richmond with access to resources that cultivate employability, but we also want to facilitate economic vitality and independence for youth citywide.”

The Division of Community Engagement brings together VCU and the surrounding community to enhance the quality of life for all who work, live and study in the Richmond metropolitan area.

The Jessie Ball duPont Fund is a national philanthropic foundation that offers financial awards to promote community problem solving and accountability, asset-building and the independent sector.