As the pandemic highlights racial inequities in the nation, Bank of America (BofA) is focusing much of its philanthropy on people of color, including preparing community college and university students for higher paying jobs in high demand industries.   

In Arizona, BofA is giving a total $1 million to Pima Community College (PCC) in Tucson and Arizona State University (ASU) Downtown in Phoenix as part of a nationwide jobs initiative to help Black and Latino communities, which have been disproportionately impacted by the virus. 

“We remain committed to helping address the barriers to sustainable employment that exist for many communities of color,” said Adriana Kong Romero, the bank’s market president in Tucson, where community college students of color have very low rates of graduation. 

As part of the workforce initiative, BofA is working with major employers and the nonprofit to target specific hiring needs and create a clearly defined career pathway to future employment, bank officials said.

PCC College sets sights on workforce for manufacturing, IT, medical  

PCC will use the funding to accelerate the development of its implementation of “micro pathways” such as non-degree, certificate, and apprenticeship opportunities in manufacturing, IT, construction, logistics, and emergency medical services.

Great need in community colleges 

While some PCC students transfer to a university to continue their education, fewer than 16 percent earn a certificate or degree within six years at the college. 

Nationally, less than 40 percent of the community college students earn a certificate or degree within six years. For students of color, graduation rates are particularly low – 11.1 percent for Black students and 18.6 percent for Hispanic. 

“This funding will allow us to close critical skills gaps and open new opportunities for Pima graduates,” said PCC Chancellor Lee Lambert, who has been focused on becoming a top producer of highly skilled technicians for industries like aerospace, defense, manufacturing, and healthcare.

ASU push to produce more professionals of color 

ASU intends to use the funding to continue to encourage and guide students of color to become professionals in technology, medicine, engineering, education, design and other industries. 

Among the companies partnering with ASU to prepare and recruit students are ON Semiconductor, Intel, Salt River Project, Arizona Public Service, ADP, Enterprise, Vanguard, State Farm, Ball Aerospace, PepsiCo, and Texas Instruments.

President Michael Crow has long stated that Arizona’s future lies in creating a path for the state’s large Hispanic population to achieve academic and career success. 

Under his vision, Latino student enrollment has almost doubled in the past 12 years with approximately 15,700 Hispanics enrolled in fall 2018. Today, more than 40 percent of students are from underrepresented populations, and of all undergraduates, 35 percent are the first in their family to attend college. 

“There is an enormous amount of work to be done to reach all of the learners who have the drive and desire to attend college, and this contribution by BofA helps more of them achieve their dreams,” Crow said.  

Bank commits $1 billion to advance racial economic opportunity 

The workforce initiative is part of BofA’s recent $1 billion, four-year commitment to advance racial equality and economic opportunity. Of that, $25 million is going to upskill and reskill students of color. The initiative includes partnerships with nearly two dozen community colleges that serve predominantly Black and Hispanic-Latino students, public Black colleges and universities and public Hispanic-serving institutions. 

Ultimately, the goal is to place them in higher paying and family sustaining jobs, bank and college officials said. 

To read more about BofA’s efforts to help students of color, go to: .

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The policies adopted by Gov. Doug Ducey and his administration during the outbreak of Covid-19 have prevented Arizona’s health care system from being overwhelmed and have kept most of the state’s economy open. Although we’ve still lost north of 500,000 jobs, thanks to the public’s cooperation and collaboration we’re now in Phase 1 of the economic recovery and, step by step, we’re reenergizing. 

As Gov. Ducey said in recent press conference, this new phase “is a green light to continue going forward on the way out of this pandemic. Now, this is not a green light to speed. This is a green light to proceed with caution.”

If we want to preserve the progress we’ve made and not backslide toward more infections and overstressed hospitals and risk more business closures, then we’ll all have to adhere to heightened protocols and demonstrate a commitment to responsibly protect ourselves and our fellow Arizonans.

It’s the least we can do.

The Arizona business community is deeply invested in this effort. No business wants to compromise the health of its employees, its customers, or the public, or jeopardize a broader economic reopening.

One of these protocols will include wearing masks in a variety of settings.

Already some brand name big-box retailers, which remained open during the original stay-at-home order since their continued operation was deemed essential, have announced that wearing masks will be required to enter their premises. Other retailers, which have been reopening since getting the May 8 go-ahead from Gov. Ducey, have similarly announced that they’ll require customers to wear masks.

I’ve heard the grumbling, and I get it. Wearing masks isn’t terribly comfortable, and it takes some getting used to. I received plenty of good-natured but deserved ribbing for a photo I posted on social media of yours truly at a special event with President Trump at Honeywell that showed me wearing my mask incorrectly. Over the nose next time! But businesses that are adopting policies to prevent the spread of the virus deserve our applause. They’re demonstrating a genuine concern not only for their own business, but for you, me, and the rest of Arizona.

Another protocol we’ll have to adhere to is the continued practice of physical distancing in retail establishments, dine-in restaurants, and other businesses as they welcome back customers.

Things like one-way aisles in grocery stores and tables appropriately spaced in restaurants will likely be the norm for the near future, as will new check-in procedures at restaurants where before you just grabbed an available table. And don’t be surprised if your hands get a squirt of sanitizer before you’re seated. Some businesses may ask for temperature checks.

If these minor accommodations are what it takes to protect public health and build consumer confidence to get the Arizona economy back into gear and to get tens of thousands of Arizonans back to work (and give others in vulnerable populations a chance to get a long overdue haircut as we advance phases in the reopening), then let’s do it. 

I’m encouraged that the vast majority of the feedback I’m getting is how restaurants, smaller retailers, and barbers and salons are being innovative in the steps they’re taking to protect workers and customers.

Now, not every business and customer will comply. We’ve all seen the pictures of a few places that look mostly like they did pre-pandemic. But hopefully whatever criticism they incur from the public will convince them to change their behavior.

Gov. Ducey throughout this period has wisely and prudently pursued a lighter touch than some other governors during the pandemic, and he has no desire to throw the book at anyone and disrupt any businesses any more than it already has been. A little social pressure and some education in these cases can go a long way.

The news over the last few months has been bleak, but Arizona’s has earned its share of positive headlines.

We’re in the midst of a testing blitz that has dramatically increased the number of tests given in just a few weeks. Maricopa County has undertaken a massive contact tracing effort. Honeywell is churning out millions of N95 masks as it adds 500 manufacturing jobs in the Valley. Professional sports have gotten the ok to resume games here when the leagues start up again. Hotel pools are open again. Zoom, whose video conference software has been indispensable as many of us work from home, announced it is bringing hundreds of jobs here. And, surprising everyone except the outstanding Arizona Commerce Authority team, Taiwan’s TSMC — a global semiconductor powerhouse — made international news with its plans to bring 1,600 jobs to Arizona as part of a $12 billion investment in the state.

So, the ball’s in our court. We can sustain the progress we’ve achieved, continue to control the spread of the virus, and ensure that our economy returns stronger. But it’s up to all of us to act smartly and responsibly.

Glenn Hamer is president and CEO of the Arizona Â鶹´«Ă˝Ół»­ of Commerce and Industry. 

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The most charitable college football bowl in the nation, Arizona’s own Fiesta Bowl, is donating $1 million in emergency relief to nonprofits across the state with a focus on feeding children and providing youth programming where it’s needed most during the coronavirus. 

Fiesta Bowl Charities also has officially opened its annual 2020-21 to award funding and support to organizations dedicated to three pillars: youth, sports and education. In September, it will open applications for its Wishes for Teachers program. 

In all, the charity will donate $4 million this fiscal year, it’s highest amount since it was founded almost a half century ago. 

One million to fill gaps for food and youth programs  

The charity is providing $1 million to 18 nonprofits to help fill the gaps for food services and youth programming that are their biggest shortfalls right now, said Patrick Barkley, chair of the Fiesta Bowl of Directors. 

“When we started thinking about how we could best help, we picked up the phones and asked charities what their most urgent needs are,” Barkley said. “Overwhelmingly, they said the biggest impact would be made in providing the increasing numbers they are now serving with enough food to eat and helping them manage the larger amounts of emergency programming for children and single-parent families.”

With schools closed down, organizations need food to feed families and more youth programming as parents perform essential jobs. Organizations in the Phoenix metro region, Tucson, Nogales, southern Arizona, Casa Grande, Prescott, Flagstaff and the Navajo Nation are recipients.

Here are some of the organizations found to be most in need that are receiving funds:

Amanda Hope Rainbow Angels in Phoenix: Amanda Hope’s financial assistance requests from families have doubled as schools have shut down and parents have been laid off. Now, it will be able to provide families with groceries for the next four months.

Boys & Girls Clubs of the Valley in metro Phoenix: Operating expenses more than tripled overnight between staffing costs and extended hours. Now serving as many as 1,115 kids per day with extended hours at 12 sites across the Valley, the goal is to extend to additional sites as needed. Clubs are now operating with expanded hours from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., instead of its usual after-school schedule. Normally, it operates at a 1-to-20 ratio of staff-to-child, but current rules require a 1-to-9 ratio. 

Boys & Girls Clubs of Casa Grande: One branch is operating specifically for health care professionals and essential workers, serving 60 kids. The donation will allow the branch to provide the necessary programming for nearly three months.

Boys & Girls Clubs of Flagstaff: Of the five locations, one will be open to severely impacted families and essential workers. Funding will be used for new needs across the branches including paying for added staff and cleaners for six weeks.

Boys & Girls Clubs of Tucson: The club is opening up more academic programming at some sites for children who do not have access to online tools. The funds will serve over-and-above costs for up to two months.

Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona: Numbers served have more than doubled, despite reduction in staffing and volunteer hours, and the donation will go directly to feed families in April and May. The Tucson warehouse food cooling system’s compressor went out, so the warehouse is getting new equipment.  

Maggie’s Place in Phoenix: With no donations coming in for diapers and wipes, the stock was almost entirely exhausted. Food donations were also down. The donation will help to pay for  emergency food boxes, food for the homes and shelters, diapers, and wipes over the next several months.

St. Mary’s Food Bank in Phoenix and the Navajo Nation: Donations will provide nearly 15,000 backpacks for food to last every weekend for a month for children in Maricopa County and Navajo Nation in Apache County, one of the most food insecure counties in the U.S. 

Fiesta Bowl 2020-21 grant applications being accepted now

Fiesta Bowl Charities also has opened up its 2020-21 grant season for non-profits that support youth, sports and education. 

Arizona nonprofits can submit applications through May 26. Recipients will be honored at the Arizona Bank & Trust Fiesta Bowl Kickoff Luncheon August 25.

There are three levels of grants: Spirit of the Fiesta Bowl Grant at $100,000, Touchdown Grant at $50,000 and the Field Goal Grant at $25,000. 

For more information, go to: . 

Wishes for Teachers grants to open in September

In addition, the Fiesta Bowl Wishes for Teachers will once again give $5,000 grants each to 200 teachers during its annual Draft Day. Applications for the 2020-21 program. Applications are set to open in mid-September.

Most charitable college football bowl  

For almost 50 years, the Fiesta Bowl has been focused on charitable giving in between hosting several events each year including the PlayStation Fiesta Bowl, the Cheez-It Bowl and the Desert Financial Fiesta Bowl Parade.

“Charitable giving is at the Fiesta Bowl Organization’s core and it’s inspiring to see how the nonprofits utilize the grant funds they receive,” Barkley said. “From creating a mobile science center to developing anti-bullying programs, we take great pride in our giving and serving our state through youth, sports and education.”For more information about the Fiesta Bowl, go to: .

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