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Area organizations with programs to help improve Birmingham, will soon receive funding from the city’s Building Opportunities for Lasting Development (BOLD) Grant Program. This program, led by the city’s Department of Innovation and Economic Opportunity (IEO), provides financial support to organizations and agencies that are taking creative, evidence-based approaches to solving various community issues.
Nearly $500,000 was allocated across four categories:
Job Accessibility
Scale-Up Technical Assistance for Minority-Owned, Women-Owned, & Disadvantaged Businesses
Social Innovation to Address a Pressing Community Problem
Projects were selected by a committee composed of members of the Mayor’s Office, City Council administration, IEO, the Department of Community Development, and the Department of Planning, Engineering & Permits to ensure alignment and transparency between the bodies. This is the third cycle of the BOLD Grant Program, which saw succes
By Erica Wright
The Birmingham Times
Beth Mitchell wanted to work but struggled to find a job. The Birmingham resident was diagnosed with depression and labored to find employment for five years until she eventually found her way to Workshops Empowerment Inc. (WE Inc.).
“They taught me basic work skills because I had been out of the workforce for [so long],” said Mitchell. “They let me tour [the facilities] and decide what type of job setting I would like to start working in.”
WE Inc., a nonprofit organization based in Birmingham’s Avondale community, offers a broad range of vocational rehabilitation services geared toward helping people with disabilities become employed. It also has programs designed to support people reentering society from prison or rehabilitation facilities and those who have been out of work over a long period of time.