| SBC Foundation Awards Second $300,000 Grant to Operation HOPE for Oakland Technology Center |
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| Friday, 28 October 2005 | |
SBC Foundation Awards Second $300,000 Grant to Operation HOPE for Oakland Technology CenterLOS ANGELES, CA, (NAMC) - Operation HOPE, Inc. today announced that the SBC Foundation - the philanthropic arm of SBC Communications Inc. -- has given a second $300,000 grant to support Operation HOPE's Cyber Cafe technology center in its Oakland HOPE Center. The SBC Foundation's initial $300,000 grant was awarded in 2001. The HOPE Center is located in Oakland's Fruitvale Shopping Center and opened in January 2005. "I applaud SBC companies and Operation HOPE for investing in the Cyber Cafe and helping Oakland residents to seize the economic opportunities that rightfully belong in our city," said Jerry Brown, mayor of the city of Oakland. Added Lance Triggs, co-chair of Operation HOPE's National Digital Empowerment Initiative: "Operation HOPE is grateful to SBC for their continued and substantial support of our empowerment initiatives to bring economic self-sufficiency to inner-city residents. The new SBC funding will enable our Cyber Cafe in Oakland to provide state-of-the-art computers and Internet access to individuals and families who do not have them." Operation HOPE developed its Cyber Cafes to help bridge the technological gap separating inner-city and mainstream communities. The Cyber Cafes provide access to a variety of digital literacy resources and services, business management training for small-business owners, Internet access and other job-training and education opportunities. So far -- with the help of SBC employee volunteers -- the Cyber Cafes have provided computer literacy training to more than 1,000 individuals and currently have more than 7,000 member users. "SBC is proud to support Operation HOPE and its efforts to provide underserved communities in Oakland with the opportunities afforded by technology," said Lora Watts, president of external affairs for SBC. "The Cyber Cafe technology center is already contributing to Oakland's growing reputation as a dynamic urban center and engine of economic opportunity." The Oakland HOPE Center Cyber Cafe is located at 3062 East 9th St. and is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. More information about the Cyber Cafe is available by calling (510) 535-6700 or by visiting www.operationhope.org. The SBC Foundation's mission is technology-driven and focused on enhancing lives through improved education and economic growth. In July 2005, the San Francisco Business Times selected SBC as the 2005 Education Partner of the Year for the company's contributions to improving Bay Area education, particularly minority student success and programs targeting underserved populations. Since 2000, grants by the SBC Foundation and contributions by SBC Communications and its employees have totaled more than $90 million in California. Since 1984, SBC Communications and the SBC Foundation have contributed more than $1 billion to nonprofit organizations across the country. The SBC Foundation is the charitable giving arm of SBC Communications Inc. The SBC Foundation supports efforts that enrich and strengthen diverse communities nationwide, particularly those with an emphasis on education and technology and those that benefit underserved populations. SBC Foundation-backed programs are designed to increase access to information technologies, broaden technology training and professional skills development, and effectively integrate new technologies to enhance education and economic development. The Foundation Center has consistently ranked the SBC Foundation among the nation's top 15 corporate foundations. In 2002, the SBC Foundation launched SBC Excelerator, a multimillion dollar competitive grants program that funds nonprofit organizations in their efforts to digitally connect communities. For more information, visit www.sbc.com/foundation. SBC Communications Inc. is a Fortune 50 company whose subsidiaries, operating under the SBC brand, provide a full range of voice, data, networking, e-business, directory publishing and advertising, and related services to businesses, consumers and other telecommunications providers. SBC holds a 60 percent ownership interest in Cingular Wireless, which serves more than 51 million wireless customers. SBC companies provide high-speed DSL Internet access lines to more American consumers than any other provider and are among the nation's leading providers of Internet services. SBC companies also offer satellite TV service. Additional information about SBC and SBC products and services is available at www.sbc.com. Operation HOPE, Inc. is America's first nonprofit social investment bank and a national provider of financial literacy and economic empowerment programs. Through ongoing collaborations and long-term partnerships with leading government, private sector, and community interests, HOPE works to bring self-sufficiency and a sustained spirit of revitalization to America's inner-city communities. Three key initiatives work to fulfill HOPE's goals: "Banking on Our Future," HOPE Coalition America (HCA) and neighborhood HOPE Centers. HOPE Centers, a growing network of inner-city banking centers, have created more than 800 new homeowners and small-business owners, more than $125 million in funded loans, and more than $240 million in commitments for homeownership and small-business loans from their 250 bank and corporate partners. In partnership with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and a network of private and community partners, HOPE Coalition America has provided free financial counseling and casework services to Americans affected by natural disasters and national emergencies in 125 cities in 35 states to date. The award winning financial literacy program for school aged students, "Banking on Our Future" has trained over 155,000 youth's nationwide to-date, in how to manage money wisely. Taken together, these programs make Operation HOPE the national leader in economic empowerment tools and services for the underserved in America. HOPE and its programs can be found online at www.operationhope.org, www.bankingonourfuture.org , and www.hopecoalitionamerica.org. Contact: |
