MBK Durham Receives $100K Grant From Dominion Energy Charitable Foundation
Durham, NC – My Brother’s Keeper (MBK) Durham received a major boost towards its efforts to building a system of support and services aimed at improving the lives of Black men and boys. Dominion Energy Charitable Foundation’s Community Reinvestment Fund has awarded MBK Durham a $100,000 grant. The Community Reinvestment Fund, established on June 4, 2020, is a commitment from Dominion Energy to support social justice and community rebuilding efforts that will be made during the next two years. MBK Durham was awarded its funding to identify and invest in communities making steady progress to substantially improve social justice and equality in the lives of boys and men of color.
“Durham is the ideal community to impact, expand and build upon the national work of My Brother’s Keeper, which began here in 2014,” said Manager of MBK Durham Edmund P. Lewis. “At a time when many have only given lip service to closing the achievement gap among Black and brown males, MBK Durham has made the issue a top priority, aligning resources into creating a pipeline for young men of color.”
Since 2017, relationships with stakeholders, partners, and various levels of leadership have been cultivated under Lewis’ leadership. These relationships have been combined with measurable and achievable goals that are producing outcomes for boys and young men of color in Durham.
“MBK Durham is committed to providing the community with access to tools and support for navigating systemic barriers that too often prevent many of our children from achieving their dreams,” he added.
With the funding, MBK Durham will continue ongoing transformative efforts that leverage programs and resources for improving mental health support, conflict resolution, restorative justice, college, and career access. The funding will further support intervention programs that address implicit bias, STEM, career exposure and training, entrepreneurship, and financial literacy.
The award is the latest sign of significant progress in Durham’s innovative outreach efforts, said Durham County Manager Wendell M. Davis. “The generous support from Dominion Energy shows that programs like MBK Durham are working,” said Davis. “Together, with all of our partners and stakeholders, we are going to continue this work to make the Bull City and Durham County a community that prides itself on closing the achievement gap for our Black boys and men.”
The MBK Durham-Dominion Energy Fund will begin with an initial dive into understanding outreach efforts and community needs, with the intent of leveraging new and existing corporate, philanthropic, and community partnership support with neighboring organizations whose reinvestment goals are aligned with MBK’s mission, milestones and action items.
Following the community needs assessment, stakeholders and partners will be asked to submit proposal ideas by email at mybrotherskeeper@dconc.gov.
For more information on this award or My Brother’s Keeper Durham, contact Lewis at (919) 560-8154 or email to mybrotherskeeper@dconc.gov.
About the Dominion Energy Charitable Foundation
More than 7 million customers in 20 states energize their homes and businesses with electricity or natural gas from Dominion Energy (NYSE: D). Through its Dominion Energy Charitable Foundation, as well as EnergyShare and other programs, Dominion Energy contributed more than $48 million in 2019 to community causes. The Foundation supports nonprofit causes that meet basic human needs, protect the environment, promote education, and encourage community vitality. Visit www.DominionEnergy.com to learn more.