The non-profit Accelerator for America has awarded the City of Chattanooga a $50,000 grant to provide financial assistance to Latinx residents during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Building on the Angeleno Card financial relief program for Los Angeles residents, Accelerator for America will help 10 additional U.S. communities establish similar programs, including Chattanooga.
A $750,000 grant from the Open Society Foundations supports the initiative.
La Paz Chattanooga will administer the funds. “At La Paz, our work focuses on advocating for Latinx families and finding them the resources they need,” says Vivian Lozano, director of social impact. “Through this program, we can continue our efforts to support those in the community the COVID-19 has disproportionately affected.”
During the pandemic, La Paz has provided $90,000 of aid to 175 families with the help of local funders and partners. As an extension of their work, the Accelerator for America program will focus on families and individuals that did not and do not receive federal or state relief.
Anyone interested in supporting or applying for the program can contact La Paz at 423 624-8414 or visit lapazchattanooga.org/covid19.
Accelerator for America established the Angeleno Card program in March in partnership with Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, the Mayor’s Fund for Los Angeles and Mastercard City Possible.
Angeleno Card provides financial assistance via no-fee debit cards to Los Angeles residents the pandemic has impacted, including low-wage hourly workers who had jobs in homes and restaurants, seasonal workers, day laborers, street vendors and self-employed individuals.
The program serves residents regardless of immigration status.
Since its inception, the Angeleno Card program has distributed approximately $25 million in assistance to help roughly 70,000 Los Angeles residents. The program facilitates local fundraising and delivers the donations to families via a prepaid card.
Open Society’s funding is part of its $130 million global initiative to combat the effects of COVID-19 in vulnerable communities around the world.
Source: City of Chattanooga