June 10, 2021
For Immediate Release
BANK OF AMERICA SUPPORTS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SHELTER SERVICES
Boise, ID –Bank of America has awarded a grant to the Women’s and Children’s Alliance (WCA) to support programming for residents at the WCA’s secure domestic violence shelter campus. The $10,000 grant will be used to help fund wraparound services for the women and children staying at the shelter, including case management, counseling, financial empowerment programming, life skills classes and more. This grant is part of Bank of America’s commitment to advance economic mobility in the community through nonprofit partnerships.
“For over a century, WCA has been a community leader in providing safe spaces for women and children experiencing domestic abuse,” said Kurt Walsdorf, President, Bank of America Idaho. “With increased demand brought on by the global health crisis, we see it as our innate duty to support the critical work they do in offering comprehensive and secure emergency and transitional shelter for some of our most at-risk community members.”
During this global health crisis, we have modified the way we deliver some services, moving to telephonic and video conferencing solutions to help protect the health and safety of our staff and clients. However, we have continued to provide critical WCA services. We know that many individuals within our community already at risk of domestic abuse may experience even more vulnerable and dangerous circumstances.
In 2020, the WCA experienced an 84% increase in the number of calls to our 24-hour domestic violence hotline and a 375% increase in the average number of emergency intakes into shelter.
“Bank of America’s support for the WCA’s domestic violence shelter program is essential for its sustainability and ensures that crucial, trauma-informed, services are readily available for individuals seeking safety,” said Bev La Chance, WCA Grants Director.
About the WCA
The Women’s & Children’s Alliance provides safety, healing and freedom from domestic abuse and sexual assault. The WCA operates secure shelters and provides professional counseling, legal advocacy, crisis services and case management to survivors of domestic and sexual abuse. For more information, visit www.wcaboise.org.
Bank of America Environmental, Social, and Governance Approach
At Bank of America, we’re guided by a common purpose to help make financial lives better, through the power of every connection. We’re delivering on this through responsible growth with a focus on our environmental, social and governance (ESG) leadership. ESG is embedded across our eight lines of business and reflects how we help fuel the global economy, build trust and credibility, and represent a company that people want to work for, invest in and do business with. It’s demonstrated in the inclusive and supportive workplace we create for our employees, the responsible products and services we offer our clients, and the impact we make around the world in helping local economies thrive. An important part of this work is forming strong partnerships with nonprofits and advocacy groups, such as community, consumer and environmental organizations, to bring together our collective networks and expertise to achieve greater impact. Learn more at about.bankofamerica.com, and connect with us on Twitter (@BofA_News).
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