Windham & Windsor Housing Trust, se ha unido con “Building Equity Collaborative”, para anunciar el lanzamiento del BIPOC Financial Empowerment Program (Programa de Empoderamiento Financiero para BIPOC) esta primavera. El programa ofrece a las personas negras, indígenas y de color (“BIPOC” en inglés) talleres mensuales gratuitos sobre diversos temas financieros, un grupo de afinidad de apoyo y asesoramiento personalizado para ayudarles alcanzar sus objetivos financieros. Participantes deben vivir en areas rurales de Vermont (fuera del condado de Chittenden) para participar en el programa. Los talleres se ofrecerán en inglés el primer sábado del mes y en español el tercer sábado del mes. La serie de talleres se llevará a cabo de abril a octubre, ¡inscríbase ahora ya que las plazas son limitadas! Revise el volante adjunto y visite www.webuildequity.org para obtener más información e inscribirse.
Brattleboro, VT — The Building Equity Collaborative, with design partners The Root Social Justice Center, Cultivamos Alegria, NAACP Rutland Area Chapter, and solidarity in action partner Windham & Windsor Housing Trust, are planning to launch the BIPOC Financial Empowerment Program with funds awarded by the M&T Charitable Foundation, the philanthropic arm of M&T Bank (NYSE:MTB). The $132,000 grant is part of the second round of giving through the Amplify Fund providing more than $8.2 million to 68 lead nonprofit organizations throughout New England, Long Island, and Rockland County, NY. The program seeks organizations and groups from around Southern Vermont to be Outreach Partners.
The BIPOC Financial Empowerment Program is an initiative of the Building Equity Collaborative, a BIPOC-driven consortium made up of community organizations, housing nonprofits, and businesses with a mission of addressing gaps in the delivery of existing financial education and homeownership programs to BIPOC communities. The Financial Empowerment Program is designed to provide Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) with the knowledge, tools and resources to support financial wellbeing. Monthly workshops starting in April offer free trauma-informed and culturally relevant financial education on various topics, as well as a supportive affinity group and one-to-one financial coaching. It is open to any BIPOC Vermonters who live outside of Chittenden County, and is offered in English and Spanish.
“The Root Social Justice Center focuses on centering the needs of our Black, Indigenous and People of Color communities,” says Shela Linton, the organization’s Executive Director. “We know that historically and in the present day that our communities continue to be impacted by racist economic policies and systems, which impact our ability to have social mobility and thrive. If there is opportunity for people of color in the economic market it is faced with navigating white supremacy culture within white or predominately white groups and race is rarely acknowledged. The Root is excited to be part of the Building Equity Collaborative and continuing to support BIPOC in the Vermont area by providing BIPOC affinity spaces for financial empowerment.”
The BIPOC Financial Empowerment Program is actively seeking organizations and groups to be Outreach Partners to broaden the reach of the launch, to be the trusted messengers, and to ensure BIPOC community members are aware of the resource. To learn more about how to be an Outreach Partner or to enroll in the program, visit www.webuildequity.org.
The Financial Empowerment Program is built off of the BIPOC Centered Homebuyer Group that ran in 2023 facilitated by Ana Mejia, Cultivemos Alegria LLC and in partnership with the Root Social Justice Center and Windham & Windsor Housing Trust. By expanding and learning from this past series, Mejia sees an opportunity for real change, “I’m interested in seeing broader scale, community scale, industry scale changes, so that less people are being set back from their goals.” Mejia shares, “Maybe we’re building referral networks, we’re building trust, we’re building partnershipps with financial industry partners, and maybe that leads to changes in their mortgage underwriting criteria. I’m hoping we can move the needle, change the conditions, and shift the biggest obstacles.”
“Through the Amplify Fund, we are committed to continuing our partnership with organizations like the Building Equity Collaborative that work hand-in-hand with community members in the field to provide the critical resources and programming necessary to truly make a difference,” said Dominique Goss, Executive Director of the M&T Charitable Foundation. “At M&T, addressing the institutionalized and systemic issues preventing disadvantaged communities from accessing opportunities and achieving long-term success is key to our mission as a community bank. We are proud to provide the Amplify Fund as a difference-making resource in the communities we serve.”
Phase II of the Amplify Fund focused on providing funding, for up to three years, to nonprofit collaboratives working together toward a common goal for solving a specific social issue, to help advance equity in the following key areas of focus:
Family Stability: Affordable housing, food security, and access to quality and affordable childcare.
Income & Wealth Equity: Employment, small business development, homeownership, and financial empowerment initiatives.
Workforce Development: Education and training opportunities focused on upskilling and career pathways in high-growth sectors leading to economic prosperity.
Health Equity: Access to quality and affordable healthcare, with a priority on youth mental health and women and infant health.
The Amplify Fund is designed to drive sustainable impact that is equitable, accessible, and responsive to local needs. Regional representatives of the bank will continue to meet with local leaders to help inform the strategic direction for the Fund’s third round.
For more information on the Amplify Fund, including the full list of grant recipients in New England and Metro New York, please visit the Amplify Fund website.
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The Building Equity Collaborative is a BIPOC-driven collaborative made up of community organizations, housing nonprofits, and businesses all working together to empower communities of color to achieve their financial goals and claim their worth. Partners of the Collaborative include The Root Social Justice Center, Cultivemos Alegria LLC, NAACP Rutland Area Branch, and Windham & Windsor Housing Trust.
Contact:
Ana Mejia, Cultivemos Alegria LLCana@webuildequity.org
