The James Irvine Foundation announced a $500,000 grant to Brotherhood Crusade to support the organization’s career training, job placement, and supportive services programs for young adults with multiple barriers to employment. The grant will be administered over the next 2 years.
The goals of the grant are to refine, enhance, and expand the Brotherhood Crusade “Proud to be Me” Young Adult Middle-Wage Workforce Development and Career Placement Initiative model by demonstrating proof of concept and the program’s effectiveness through rigorous evaluation and documentation of the Proud to be Meprogram curriculum.
Additionally, the grant will assist Brotherhood Crusade to train and prepare 18-24 year old, low-income South Los Angeles young adults with multiple barriers to employment to enter into and thrive in high-demand middle-wage careers with large current or projected employment opportunities that lead to economic self-sufficiency and/or offer significant long-term benefits (i.e., government jobs that offer comprehensive medical benefits and retirement packages), and ultimately place and help young adults advance in these careers.
Finally, the grant will support Brotherhood Crusade in its goal to build and grow a diversified pool of talented 18-24 year old South Los Angeles young adult workers who are well-prepared to enter into and thrive in middle-wage, high-demand, and beneficially significant careers.
Kelley D. Gulley, Senior Program Officer, The James Irvine Foundation said, “The James Irvine Foundation is proud to be supporting the transformational work of the LA Brotherhood Crusade through our Better Careers initiative. At Irvine, we are in the business of creating a California where all low-income workers have the power to advance economically. The Brotherhood Crusade’s work to prepare young adults in South LA to enter and thrive in stable, middle-wage careers is truly changing lives, making them an important partner in our efforts.”
Charisse Bremond Weaver said, “This level of support for our Brotherhood Crusade students and young adults is monumental. We are working to cultivate and nurture talent in underserved communities that may otherwise not have access to important career building opportunities. James Irvine Foundation helps to level the playing field for bright students who aspire to maximize their potential, but just need a step in the right direction.”
Celebrating 50 years of service, the Brotherhood Crusade was founded in 1968 by civil rights activist Walter ‘Walt’ Bremond. For 35 years, businessman, publisher and civil rights activist Danny J. Bakewell, Sr. led the organization.
Today, Brotherhood Crusade President and CEO Charisse Bremond Weaver continues the legacy of her late father Walter Bremond and mentor, Danny J. Bakewell, Sr., as she maintains partnerships and forges new alliances to build on the organization’s historic impact.
An organization with a rich legacy for making an impact in the Los Angeles community, Brotherhood Crusade’s principal mission is to champion equality and equity by removing and/or helping individuals overcome the barriers that deter their pursuit of success in life and facilitate opportunities for a better quality of life via health & wellness, providing and enhancing educational opportunities, cultivating economic growth and building community agencies and institutions.
To learn more about Brotherhood Crusade visit https://brotherhoodcrusade.org or call 323-846-1649.
