LOS ANGELES BOARD OF HARBOR COMMISSIONERS APPROVES HARBOR COMMUNITY BENEFIT FOUNDATION (HCBF) GRANTS
Grants Totaling $209,169 to Support Four Community & Environmental Programs; HCBF Grants Total More Than $6.5 Million to Date
SAN PEDRO, Calif. – Nov. 5, 2020 – The Port of Los Angeles has approved four local organizations grants totaling $209,169 under the Harbor Community Benefit Foundation (HCBF) grants program. The community and environmentally focused programs approved by the Los Angeles Board of Harbor Commissioners today will directly serve and benefit the harbor communities of Wilmington and San Pedro.
“The grants awarded this year are going to an impressive group of organizations with a strong commitment to making an immediate and real impact on the health and sustainability of our Port communities,” said Harbor Commission President Jaime Lee. “We look forward to seeing the results of these programs in the months ahead.”
The four grant recipients approved today were:
“The grants awarded this year are going to an impressive group of organizations with a strong commitment to making an immediate and real impact on the health and sustainability of our Port communities,” said Harbor Commission President Jaime Lee. “We look forward to seeing the results of these programs in the months ahead.”
The four grant recipients approved today were:
- Los Angeles Walks ($75,000) – The pedestrian advocacy organization will implement the Safe Streets Community Promotora Education Program in partnership with Best Start Wilmington. The program will train community members to serve as educators on the built environment and safe street infrastructure, with the goal of helping improve local air quality and making communities safer for pedestrians and for non-vehicular users.
- Wilmington Community Clinic ($34,169) – The grant will go toward personnel support for the Wilmington Community Clinic’s asthma program. The clinic conducts asthma screenings, diagnoses and treatment in the local Harbor area.
- South Bay Center for Counseling (SBCC) ($60,000) - SBCC will use its grant to convert a vacant lot to an urban community greenspace. The greenspace will allow residents to grow plants, have access to healthy produce, and engage the community in health-promoting activities.
- Sharefest Community Development, Inc. ($40,000) – Sharefest will develop a port-focused service-learning course engaging youth from a local continuation high school. The program will introduce students to Port-related issues and teach skills on implementing service-learning projects, such as tree planting, landscaping and other activities.
Grant applicants this year included community-based, non-profit organizations, educational institutions and schools, as well as training and career centers. These four organizations were selected from a group of 14 applicants who were invited to apply. The Port received a total of 37 responses from its Request for Letters of Interest.
HCBF is an independent 501(c)(3) that administers the Port Community Mitigation Trust Fund, established to address Port-related impacts in Wilmington and San Pedro. Grants focus on programs and projects addressing impacts such as air quality, community health and education, access to natural and community resources, among other issues. Including today’s grant awards, the Port and HCBF have awarded more than $6.5 million in grants and contracts under the fund.
The Port of Los Angeles remains open with all terminals operational during the COVID-19 pandemic. North America’s leading seaport by container volume and cargo value, the Port of Los Angeles facilitated $276 billion in trade during 2019. San Pedro Bay port complex operations and commerce facilitate one in nine jobs across the counties of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura.
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