MINNEAPOLIS

NOVEMBER 2021

Phyllis Wheatley Community Center (PWCC) was selected as one of the Target Foundation’s 2021 Hometown grant recipients. This general operating grant supports the PWCC’s digital tech works program, as well as general operating support. In addition, earlier this year, the PWCC received a grant from Target to bolster its COVID-19 relief activities in support of vaccine equity. In total, both grants amount to $125,000.

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“The Phyllis Wheatley Community Center (PWCC) is proud to be one of Target and the Target Foundation’s funding recipients this year,” said PWCC Executive Director Suzanne Burks. “This funding support from Target will help augment PWCC’s COVID-19 program that supports testing, vaccinations, the information Hot Line, and other direct services. The general operating support from the Target Foundation will provide much-needed funding for services to underserved young women and men in PWCC’s new DigitalTechWorks™ Academy program, and the impact will support its ability to present innovative changes as we undertake this transformation.”

 

The funding will assist PWCC as it begins to address the inequitable representation of women and young adults who are BIPOCs in high-paying tech jobs in the region and present innovative changes between nonprofits and corporations.

 

Lastly, results PWCC wants to see include: 1) elimination of racial disparity in high-paying tech jobs in Minnesota, 2) provide advancement for women to earn an equitable sustaining salary, 3) address unemployment of our young people by training them in career tech jobs and thereby decrease crime and imprisonment, 4) increase economic prosperity, and 5) forge an innovative economic inclusion system’s change model that can be celebrated and replicated.

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About Phyllis Wheatley Community Center
Phyllis Wheatley Community Center (PWCC) has proudly served the Minneapolis Community since 1924 with a mission to provide comprehensive quality programs in life-long learning, child development, and family support to the diverse greater Twin Cities community. PWCC was the first agency in the Twin Cities committed to meeting the human service needs of a growing African American community. For many African Americans/Blacks, PWCC was a safe port in the midst of a racially segregated city. Today, PWCC programs address the needs of children, youth, and families by providing child development, family support, and innovative workforce development programming for the greater Minneapolis community.  PWCC’s focus is on building upon a rich legacy of community building with a focus on addressing wealth, opportunity, and achievement gaps in the African American community. PWCC will celebrate its 100th year anniversary in 2024.

 

For more information, visit: www.phylliswheatley.org. 

PWCC media contact: Katy Nelson, Director of Development and Communications, KatyN@phylliswheatley.org