PASADENA–Union Station Homeless Services has been named by the Bank of America Charitable Foundation as a recipient of the 2013 Neighborhood Builder® Awards. The $200,000 in grant support and leadership training are awarded to high-performing nonprofits that have made a significant impact in the community working in the areas of housing, jobs and hunger relief.

“Union Station Homeless Services is consistently a high impact model in the Southland for how to effectively serve our most vulnerable residents, helping to set thousands of men, women and children on the path to better, self-sufficient lives. This highly competitive and prestigious award reflects Union Station’s record and significant contribution it makes in the community,” said Raul Anaya, Los Angeles market president, Bank of America. “The funding and comprehensive leadership training component will not only deepen their impact today but sustain their important mission and critical services of providing shelter and counseling over time.”

“We are deeply honored and thrilled to have received Bank of America’s Neighborhood Builder award,” said Union Station Homeless Services CEO Marvin M. Gross. “Their generosity and support of our work helping homeless residents of Pasadena and the San Gabriel Valley rebuild their lives is wonderful, as the award will allow us to serve many, many individuals and families in need.”

According to the Bridgespan Group, Neighborhood Builders is the largest investment in nonprofit leadership development, 2.5 times the next largest program (in spending) and the third largest in number of leaders served. Through the program, now in its tenth year, Bank of America has invested $160 million in 800 nonprofit organizations and provided training to 1,600 nonprofit leaders. Neighborhood Builders furthers the company’s broader philanthropic commitment to addressing core issues that are critical to the economic vitality of local economies, with a particular focus on low- and moderate-income communities.

“It is truly humbling to receive the endorsement of one of the country’s most well-known financial institutions in this way,” said Gross.

Bank of America’s Neighborhood Builders® program helps address local challenges in community developmentworkforce development and education, and other critical needs. The program, an invitation only process for nonprofits addressing these three areas, provides high-performing nonprofits with $200,000 in unrestricted grant funding and leadership development for their executive directors and emerging leaders.

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Linda Jahnke and Marv Gross