Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC)

To help families access #AffordableChildcare options, we need to support childcare providers in becoming financially sustainable. Thanks to support from the U.S. Small Business Administration, we’ve published a new toolkit filled with best practice solutions and resources that local partners need to better prepare underserved entrepreneurs in the #ChildCare industry for success. Find out more: https://lnkd.in/eJ2EaTBz 

Here's one last exciting read before your holiday break! ☀ 🏖 🌼 Catch up on LISC National Updates from the last month and explore more at lisc.org!

"Small [Community Development Corporations or CDCs] are more closely connected to families and communities than any other aspect of our national community development ecosystem." In a new Shelterforce piece, LISC's William Taft discusses the importance of small, community-focused CDCs, their contribution to equitable growth and opportunity in underinvested communities, and how they collaborate with community partners to drive social and economic impact: lnkd.in/eyU_NYff

LISC's Entrepreneurs of Color Fund (EOCF) is committed to delivering crucial capital directly to small business owners serving communities of color by partnering with other CDFIs across the country. In a new Q&A, Kim Buttemer Devermann, a #smallbusiness finance expert and advisor to the EOCF, shares her perspective on how #CDFIs can foster organizational growth and economic impact, + more: https://lnkd.in/dDFPfuSY #LISCLending

August is Black Business Month, but at LISC, we champion Black-owned businesses all year long! Here are some of our favorite stories from the past year, highlighting entrepreneurs who have benefited from LISC partnerships that help break down barriers to success: https://lnkd.in/dvU67URu

It’s National Community Health Worker (CHW) Awareness Week! And to celebrate, we’d like you to meet Emilia Arispe, a CHW at Care Ring, a LISC partner in Charlotte. Arispe’s work is focused on helping new and expectant parents get prenatal and postpartum care and access to critical services like food assistance, transportation, child care, and housing.    Before becoming a CHW, Arispe worked as a Registered Medical Assistant in a Care Ring clinic that provides primary care services at affordable rates. She transitioned to a CHW role last year in order to nurture closer relationships with the people Care Ring serves, including Spanish-speaking patients who could benefit from her bilingualism and cultural competency.    As a CHW, Arispe connects clients to resources in the community. LISC’s Health Access Fund – supported by Uber – is one of those resources, providing free access to non-emergency medical transportation. To date, Care Ring has arranged free rides for 575 patients facing transportation challenges.    Take Teresa, who came to the U.S. from Honduras five years ago. She was diagnosed with cervical and pelvic cancer during a postpartum visit. Arispe provided emotional support and educational information to help calm Teresa’s fears and uncertainty. She also scheduled free rides for Teresa to all chemotherapy and radiation appointments, as well as checkups for her baby.    Teresa recently received her last treatment and has learned that her prognosis is excellent. And happily, her baby is healthy and thriving, too. “I love helping mothers in the community,” says Arispe. “The support from LISC has been a blessing for those we serve.” 

LISC Bay Area has secured over $6.9 million in financing, backed by a Community Housing Fund loan, to support the nonprofit Abode Communities in developing Camden Place, a 90-unit affordable housing project in San Jose, CA. This project will include 23 units for formerly homeless individuals, paired with integrated supportive services. #LISCLending

How is LISC Houston helping communities get ready for all kinds of rainy days? In a new blog, Laura Jaramillo, Executive Director of LISC Houston, shares how her team and their partners have prioritized helping people build #climate resilience—in their finances, homes, and communities—and emphasizes the urgent need for collaborative action to address the #climatecrisis. Read here: https://lnkd.in/evnpbswh

For 50 years, the the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program has been a critical federal resource for community development. LISC’s Mark Kudlowitz shares how LISC has used funding with our partners and what’s needed from Congress to strengthen the program for the future. https://lnkd.in/e48H3fhU

Just two weeks left to apply for a grant from LISC + The DICK'S Sporting Goods Foundation! Grants are available to upgrade athletic facilities for youth in under-resourced communities. Learn more + apply by September 5: https://lnkd.in/gBrCynHf