Grants bring aid to the food and technology inequities in Los Angeles and surrounding communities during the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Weingart Foundation granted $100,000 to Brotherhood Crusade, Community Coalition and InnerCity Struggle to bring aid to the food and technology inequities in Los Angeles and surrounding communities during the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Brotherhood Crusade, Community Coalition and InnerCity Struggle recently joined forces to raise $400,000 to support 5,000 at risk South and the Eastside of Los Angeles students with technology and emergency needs.
“Because of their deep roots in communities, Brotherhood Crusade, Community Coalition and InnerCity Struggle proactively came together to ensure the voices of youth of color are not lost in COVID-19 relief efforts and their right to education is not violated,” said Fred Ali, President and CEO of the Weingart Foundation. “We wholeheartedly support this critical effort to address educational inequities exacerbated by the global COVID-19 crisis.”
The Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) announced school closures through the end of the 2020 school year. While the organizations support the implementation of a public health response to flatten the curve and protect the most vulnerable, students and families are communicating grave concerns about the inequities in access to academic instruction and support, as it relates to the current COVID–19 response.
Parents and families in under-served communities are primarily concerned with three major issues: (1) the continuation of education through access to technology; (2) food insecurity (less meals for children); and (3) housing displacement.
Charisse Bremond Weaver, Brotherhood Crusade President and CEO said, “We are truly grateful to the Weingart Foundation for this level of partnership in supporting the vision of The Brotherhood Crusade, Community Coalition and InnerCity Struggle to jointly answer the call to the disparate and inequitable material conditions during this COVID-19 pandemic, that make those we serve particularly vulnerable, such as food insecurity, wealth inequality and the digital divide. Our goal is to raise $400,000. With this donation, we only have $300,000 to go to make an impact in the lives of 5000 citizens in South and the East of Los Angeles.”
While affluent and many middle–class families are able to use technological hardware and high–speed internet to provide their children with online classes and other learning and enrichment resources, too many do not have those opportunities. For the majority of the families with which we work, it is not feasible. In fact, the COVID–19 crisis threatens to further deepen existing educational inequities.
“Efforts to close the digital divide have an immediate and greater urgency, now given the school closures which highly impact students of color and their families. InnerCity Struggle is excited to partner with Brotherhood Crusade and Community Coalition to support young people in South Los Angeles and the Eastside of Los Angeles by helping to expand access to technology. We are joining forces to address a critical need in our communities,” said Maria Brenes, Executive Director for InnerCity Struggle.
Aurea Montes-Rodriguez, Executive Vice President Community Coalition said, “The current global crisis has exposed deep existing inequities in our educational system with devastating impacts to our highest need students. Community Coalition is honored to join forces with Brotherhood Crusade and InnnerCity Struggle to fight the digital divide and address the learning needs of our students. We are grateful that moving forward, students will be able to connect with their teachers, counselors, peers and social justice organizations. When we come together we win!”