Wells Fargo & Regina King Announce $1 Million Donation to LA County Alliance for Boys & Girls Clubs’ Kollab Program

Support for Kollab to focus on increasing enrollment for Black youth

LOS ANGELES, CA, UNITED STATES, September 27, 2021 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Today, Wells Fargo & Company and Academy Award-winning actress and Wells Fargo Active CashSM Card spokesperson, Regina King, announced together a $1 million donation to the Los Angeles County Alliance for Boys & Girls Clubs’ Kollab program. Established in 2019, Kollab serves to mentor underserved youth in Los Angeles, leading them to high-demand career opportunities and financial health. The investment in the LA Alliance will be used to enhance the participant experience, and specifically inspire more Black students to join Kollab.

“As a mom and born and raised in LA, I’m especially attracted to causes that address the need to identify youth’s potential, and that encourage financial health and equitable exposure to professional careers,” said King. “In addition to Wells Fargo’s expansive support of youth across the country, I’m proud to announce along with them today an additional $1 million donation to inspire more Black participants to join Kollab.”

Kollab brings together public and private partnerships to introduce program participants to career prospects in growing industries, while working with them to identify their individual skills and passions. Participants have access to the largest employers in Los Angeles, in addition to foundational financial literacy education, so while participants earn their first paychecks they begin to understand the value of a dollar earned.

“We are thrilled to receive today a significant investment from Wells Fargo and Regina King that will help amplify our transformative Kollab program for even more participants, especially kids in our communities with higher Black populations,” said Mary Hewitt, Executive Director of the Los Angeles County Alliance for Boys & Girls Clubs. “Together, Wells Fargo, Regina King, and all of us at the LA Alliance believe that every student should have equal access to experiences that will help them reach their full potential and be prepared for careers of the future.”

Since the 2019 Kollab program pilot, over 150 youth have participated, with many now obtaining internships (to begin post-Covid-19 pandemic) with Kollab partners or enrolling in a college program related to their career interests. Participants also earn high school credit for completing the program. By enhancing the program experience for current enrollees, the funds will be leveraged to increase enrollment for Black students, targeting key Clubs throughout the Greater Los Angeles area.

Kollab has helped to secure the LA County Boys & Girls Clubs its reputation as one of the best pipelines for future diverse employees for Los Angeles’ various employers. The Clubs select participants ages 14 to 18, who participate in field trips, job shadowing, mentorship and internships that expose kids to career possibilities in growing industries and help them build connections to future employers. Past participants note that the program has opened their eyes to career prospects and helped build connections with employers to achieve those goals.

“With Wells Fargo’s size and scale, we’re able to make a big difference through our financial health initiatives and through donations like today’s announcement with Kollab,” said Krista Phillips, head of Branded Cards and Marketing at Wells Fargo. “Along with our Active Cash Card partner, Regina King, we’re excited to work with Kollab because together we believe in the program’s mission of providing equitable exposure to different career opportunities that kids may never have considered or believed were within reach.”

About The Los Angeles County Alliance for Boys & Girls Clubs
The Los Angeles County Alliance for Boys & Girls Clubs is made up of 138 Club locations serving over 130,000 youth ages 6-18 throughout Los Angeles County. We are a unified and collaborative force representing all Clubs with the purpose of securing resources, marketing, state of the art programs, and financial support to further the efforts of individual Clubs, and increase the impact and reach in their communities. The Alliance exists to support the individual Boys & Girls Clubs located in Los Angeles County in their efforts to enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring responsible citizens.

For more information, visit: www.greatfuturesla.org/kollab-program/.

About Wells Fargo
Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE: WFC) is a leading financial services company that has approximately $1.9 trillion in assets, proudly serves one in three U.S. households and more than 10% of small businesses in the U.S., and is the leading middle market banking provider in the U.S. We provide a diversified set of banking, investment and mortgage products and services, as well as consumer and commercial finance, through our four reportable operating segments: Consumer Banking and Lending, Commercial Banking, Corporate and Investment Banking, and Wealth & Investment Management. Wells Fargo ranked No. 37 on Fortune’s 2021 rankings of America’s largest corporations. In the communities we serve, the company focuses its social impact on building a sustainable, inclusive future for all by supporting housing affordability, small business growth, financial health, and a low-carbon economy. News, insights, and perspectives from Wells Fargo are also available at Wells Fargo Stories.

Additional information may be found at www.wellsfargo.com | Twitter: @WellsFargo.

Contact Information
Mary Hewitt
310-303-2869
mhewitt@begreatla.org

Hilary O’Byrne
415-715-4958
hilary.obyrne@wellsfargo.com

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Mary Hewitt
Los Angeles County Alliance for Boys and Girls Clubs
+1 310-303-2869
mhewitt@begreatla.org
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