On Tuesday, August 4, 2020 CIT announced that it has made a donation that will completely furnish ten temporary housing apartments for Upward Bound House, an organization working to eliminate homelessness among families with children in Los Angeles. The donation addresses a community need identified by a customer of CIT’s Southern California retail bank OneWest Bank as part of the company’s Acts of Caring initiative.
CIT’s donation provides standard apartment items like bedroom furniture and bedding, couches and televisions, and kitchen and bath essentials, and helps provide stability to families in need as they work with Upward Bound House to transition to a more permanent living situation.
Albert Vera, Jr., current city council candidate who also sits on the Board of Directors for Upward Bound House, was more than pleased with the donation. “We have had such great success with Upward Bound House, and it’s because we can offer wraparound support. Out of 46 families that we have had there, 41 have moved into permanent housing. We have even had six of the adults in the program who have recently increased their income with employment. Giving people the help they need to succeed, it’s a passion of mine.”
Since 1991, Upward Bound House has helped 1,911 families, including 3,757 children, transition from homelessness into permanent housing. The organization provides housing, supportive services and advocacy to homeless families, helping them access basic resources and successfully transition into their own homes with the capacity to remain there permanently.
“In the Los Angeles area, there are thousands of families with children who face homelessness every day. We work to provide the support and resources that they need, to get them back on their feet and secure permanent housing for them,” said Christine Mirasy-Glasco, chief executive officer at Upward Bound House. “As homeless families move into our housing, CIT’s donation will ensure that they have everything they need and help them to feel more comfortable with this transition.”
“Through our Acts of Caring initiative, we’re learning about causes that our customers passionately support and are completing projects to advance them,” said Heather Ellison, head of Retail Banking at CIT. “We’re proud to work with organizations like Upward Bound House, who are doing incredible work in their communities to ensure a better quality of life for all.”
Megan Lehrer
Be the first to comment