Beaches Emergency Assistance Ministry (BEAM) is looking to deepen the impact it makes among the nearly 15% of Jacksonville, Florida, residents who live in poverty.footnote1 The community organization has expanded its mission from short-term intervention — such as food and rent assistance — to addressing the root causes of economic instability, including the challenges of managing financial stress and securing a job that pays a living wage.
By adding workforce development and financial education services to its program offerings, BEAM is aiming to give its clients the tools and resources needed to reach economic stability. With the support of Bank of America, BEAM is hiring a full-time career coach and training staff in financial coaching.
In particular, BEAM has added more formalized career-building support to its Single Parent Program, which offers mothers and children health services, parenting and financial education sessions and assistance with affordable housing, transportation and child care for up to three years. By helping clients reduce debt, improve their credit scores, receive educational and vocational training and earn higher incomes, the program aims to put single moms on a path to economic self-sufficiency, helping them provide for their children and plan for their family’s future. More than 60 women a year participate.
The support for BEAM is an example of how, from entrepreneur funding and expanding homeownership to professional skills training and healthcare access, Bank of America continues to partner with innovative leaders to help communities implement solutions to society’s important challenges.
