GlobeNewswire
Enterprise Holdings pledges $ 120 million to advance social and racial justice and expand the fight against hunger
The Enterprise Holdings Foundation starts new “ROAD Forward” initiative and at the same time expands the existing commitment to “Fill Your Tank” support for my brother’s Keeper Alliance, UNCF, Girls Inc. and parents as teachers, to include social and racial justice in local areas Promote communities. LOUIS, MO, Nov. 23, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) – Enterprise Holdings is increasing its focus on diversity, equity and inclusion through the Enterprise Holdings Foundation with a new five-year commitment of $ 55 million to organizations that drive social and social advancement promote racial justice in communities around the world. The company’s new initiative, Enterprise Holdings ROAD Forward, will increase respect, opportunity, achievement and diversity (ROAD) for youth and families by addressing three social and racial equity gaps that urgently need to be addressed: early childhood development, Youth Health and Wellbeing Career and College Preparation. “Diversity, inclusion, and empowering the communities we serve have been part of our guiding principles for more than 60 years,” said Carolyn Kindle Betz, president of the Enterprise Holdings Foundation. “The Enterprise Holdings ROAD Forward initiative will open new doors to individuals in our communities who are disproportionately affected by the lack of access to resources in the fields of education, health and wellness.” In conjunction with the Enterprise Holdings ROAD Forward initiative, the This Foundation pledged an additional $ 65 million for Enterprise Fill Your Tank, a program launched in 2016 that has contributed more than $ 50 million to tackling food insecurity in local communities – an issue that often affects people of skin color disproportionately. The company pledges the funding to extend the program program for an additional five years. Funds continue to be distributed annually to Feeding America, Food Banks Canada and the Global FoodBanking Network, as well as other local food banks and pantries in the communities served by Enterprise. “Hunger is another barrier to too many young people’s success, and we felt that expanding our existing commitment to Fill Your Tank was a natural addition to the ROAD Forward initiative. “Betz added. “Our decision to expand Fill Your Tank and start ROAD Forward was also inspired by our employees, who frequently ask the foundation to support causes they are passionate about.” Paving the ROAD Forward As part of the Enterprise’s commitment Holdings ROAD Forward initiative for young people in underserved communities, the company will partner with four nationally renowned nonprofits – the Obama Foundation’s My Brother’s Keeper Alliance, UNCF, Girls Inc. and Parents as Teachers. Through these four distinct partnerships, the initiative will have a significant impact on local youth and youth families in the following ways: * Early Childhood Development: By supporting parents as teachers, the organization can expand the reach and effectiveness of its proven early childhood education programs to better serve the needs of the family To be able to meet the needs of black, brown and Native American children. The main objectives of the partnership include refining the curriculum for different audiences, creating professional development sessions, subsidizing cultural adaptations of existing programs, translating program materials into Somali, Spanish and other languages, and creating new data equity studies. * Youth Health and Wellbeing: Supporting the MBK (My Brother’s Keeper) Alliance will advance their mission to build safe and supportive communities for black boys and young men where they are valued and have clear pathways to opportunity. Key objectives include helping the 19 MBK Impact and Seed Communities document and broadly disseminate best practices, lessons learned, and stories of inspiration and hope from youth and community leaders. and introduction of the MTC framework for influencing system changes, with the help of which hundreds of MTC communities can better define, document and increase their effects. * Adolescent Health and Wellbeing: Support from Girls Inc. will continue its mission to help all girls grow up “strong, smart, and brave” by funding work to assess the organization’s proven framework for social and emotional learning and refine that deal with racial injustice and inequalities. The updated framework will then be implemented with education, training and mentoring facilitated by partner programs. * Career and College Preparation: Through UNCF, Enterprise will support more than 70 scholarships for first-generation black college students to address critical, but often unmet, needs that can create barriers to college graduation or successful career transitions. Scholarships will support non-tuition-related needs of students, such as: B. Emergency costs, scholarships to support extracurricular professional development and to repay educational loans. “We are grateful that Enterprise is acting with the intent to remove the systemic barriers that prevent far too many of our children from dreaming,” said Michael D. Smith, executive director of the My Brother’s Keeper Alliance. “Enterprise support will help to accelerate the impact in MBK communities in order to reduce youth violence, develop effective mentoring programs and measurably improve the lives of boys and young men with skin color. ”“ We feel honored and obliged to act as an early childhood development partner of Enterprise important way forward, “said Constance Gully, President and CEO of Parents as Teachers.” Working directly with parents during the most vulnerable stages of their child’s early development has a direct impact on reducing the educational gaps that result in income – and health differences. This generous investment in the work de r Parents Teaching will provide vital resources to meet and more effectively meet the needs of the thousands of Black, Brown, and Native American families we work with in all 50 states. “” Girls’ social and emotional support is vital to their wellbeing and ensures they can lead healthy and fulfilling lives. In these unprecedented times, the need is even greater, especially for girls with skin color and those from underserved communities, ”said Dr. Stephanie J. Hull, President and CEO of Girls Inc. “We thank Enterprise for their partnership and investment in The Girls Inc. work strengthens our ability to provide girls with the experience and care that will enable them to thrive. “Support from the Enterprise ROAD Forward initiative is critical to the talented and deserving students we serve,” said Dr. Michael L. Lomax, President and CEO of UNCF. “This new scholarship program will help us continue to bring more color students into and through college. This is especially important now as we all face mounting racial injustice and a health pandemic that is affecting our communities quite badly. Thank you, Enterprise, and we look forward to working with your team to create a better future for many others. In addition, Enterprise Holdings’ ROAD Forward initiative will provide funding to its 70+ global operations teams over the next five years to empower employees to take leadership in identifying pressing issues related to the program’s three priority areas in their communities take on and support local organizations best equipped to do so. “These actions are the next steps in an ongoing journey towards increasing our focus on equality and diversity – and continuing to breathe inclusivity in everything we do,” said Chrissy Taylor, president and chief executive officer of Enterprise Holdings. “It reflects our internal efforts to promote social and racial justice within our own walls – from our mentoring programs to the introduction of new training, development and diversity councils, to forums that allow honest dialogue about these critical ones Promote topics. ” Jack Taylor founded the company in 1957 with a fleet of seven cars. Today Enterprise operates in more than 100 countries and territories and is the largest car rental company in the world in terms of revenue, fleet size and number of locations. Jack Taylor founded the Foundation in 1982 to give back to the communities that drove the growth and success of Enterprise. Since then, the Foundation and the Taylor family have raised more than $ 1.4 billion to thousands of local nonprofits, with a special focus on community improvement, education and environmental responsibility. Meanwhile, each year, Enterprise employees contribute their time and skills to thousands of national and local organizations in the cities and neighborhoods in which they operate. For more information on Enterprise Holdings’ philanthropic initiatives, please visit https://www.enterpriseholdings.com/en/corporate-social-responsibility/philanthropic-initiatives.html. About Enterprise HoldingsEnterprise Holdings, Inc. is a leading provider of mobility solutions. Owns and operates the Enterprise Rent-A-Car, National Car Rental and Alamo Rent A Car brands through the integrated global network of independent regional subsidiaries. Enterprise Holdings and its affiliates provide extensive rental car, car sharing, truck rental, fleet management, retail car sales, travel management and other transportation services to make travel easier and more convenient for customers. Privately owned by the Taylor family in St. Louis, Missouri, Enterprise Holdings manages a diverse fleet of nearly 1.7 million vehicles through a network of more than 9,500 fully occupied neighborhood and airport rentals in nearly 100 countries and territories. For more information on Enterprise Holdings Inc., please visit www.enterpriseholdings.com. CONTACT: Monique LeNoir United Negro College Fund, Inc. (UNCF) 202-810-0231 [email protected] Sara Miller Enterprise Holdings [email protected]
