Comcast To Distribute $50K In Grants To Support Community Groups

CHICAGO HEIGHTS, IL — Comcast announced on Tuesday that it will be distributing $50,000 in grants to community-based organizations, supporting their services. The grant comes as a way to help organizations adapt to services amid COVID-19, according to Comcast.

The organizations Comcast is distributing the grants to are Cornerstone Community Development Corporation in Ford Heights, Mentoring Youth Through Technology (MYTT) in Harvey and New Star in Chicago Heights, according to Comcast.

According to Comcast, the grants are designed to support these organizations’ critical technology needs, in light of challenges presented by COVID-19. It will also expand and enhance their operations to accelerate skills training and certifications for unemployed adults. With this, it will develop new platforms for remote instruction, training and mentoring for school children through after-school programming, according to Comcast.

"COVID-19 has made it even more challenging for community-based organization to provide services to their constituents," John Crowley, senior vice president of Comcast’s Greater Chicago Region said, according to the release. "Our goal is to support operations and help them bridge the gaps exposed by the pandemic and find innovative ways to provide services, both remotely and safely onsite."

According to the release, Angelia Smith, executive director of CCDC, said as the economy reopens residents and seniors will require new skills in technologies they might not be familiar with.

"The funds provided by Comcast will support Cornerstone CDC programs geared toward bridging the digital divide of our residents by providing basic computer training to help them adapt to this new social distancing world," Smith said according to the release.

The release also states that Randle Carter, Executive Director of MYTT said "The financial support from Comcast will help us remain the key that unlocks today's imagination for tomorrow's possibilities through virtual STEM learning programs for the youth in at-risk and underserved communities in the South Suburbs at a time when virtual learning has become the norm."

According to the release, New Star, an organization that works with people who have intellectual disabilities such as Epilepsy, Cerebral Palsy and Autism, said they can benefit from the grant through virtual services.

"Many of the people we support already have difficulty with change and lack the comprehension to understand special situations such as self-distancing and self-isolation," said Dan Strick, President/CEO of New Star. "This grant will increase the agency's ability to offer virtual services to individuals and help fill a need created as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. It will help us provide that needed interaction and service they both need and deserve."