B of A Invests in the Future

At Boys & Girls Clubs, the goal is to prepare kids for the world of academia and to give members opportunities. As part of the community they receive support from a number of organizations, one of them being Bank of America. Patrick Musser, the vice president of Small Business Bankers, along with Pamela Houston, the senior vice president of Banking, and Cathy Paredes, the vice president of Global Marketing and Corporate Affairs, presented the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Redlands and Riverside with a grant for $5,000 to support one of their key programs, the Job Readiness program. P.T. McEwen, the C.E.O. of the Boys & Girls Club in Redlands, along with a group of kids, accepted the check. “We have had a long relationship with Bank of America," said McEwen. "We are looking forward to working with them for the 2014 year. It is partners like Bank of America that help better the community for the children.” Job Readiness is a key program at the club and is focused on the middle school-aged members and teens. Vice President Mark Davis said, “Boys & Girls Club is committed to providing resources to help our members with programs like Job Readiness and College Bound.” The Job Readiness program is offered one to two times a week where members get first-hand experience with tools to help them in the work force and at the university level. The members learn how to build resumes that will highlight their skill sets and make them marketable in an already challenging job market. They also get to take part in mock interviews to get an idea of what applying for a job will be like and understanding what future employers will be asking for. Youth of the Year winner Miguel Fernandez said, “I think this is truly amazing because with a grant of this size we can really expand our program to impact current and future members.” Chyna Philips, one of the Youth of the Year Ambassador, said, “I think that the fact that such a major corporation like Bank of America has noticed our program and what it can do, is amazing. It means a lot.” Cathy Paredes has been with Bank of America for 13 years and a member of their community outreach for four years. During an interview, Paredes said, “Getting our youth ready and exposed to more opportunities will get them excited about their futures and its possibilities. That is such a great thing to invest in.” The goal is to get kids exposed so they can thrive and then turn around to give back to the community that gave to them. It’s a cycle.