Posted on October 1, 2011

Community Foundation of South Alabama Awards $1.5 Million for BP Oil Spill Recovery

The Community Foundation of South Alabama in Mobile has announced grants totaling more than $1.5 million to help communities in Baldwin and Mobile counties recover from last year's Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

Awarded through the Fund for Gulf Communities, a program of Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, the grants include $190,000 to the Southwest Alabama Workforce Development Council to provide workforce training and connect families with food, utility assistance, medications, and child care; $164,000 to the Women's Business Center to offer financial literacy, entrepreneurship training, and credit counseling programs at business centers and libraries in the region; $125,000 to the Bayou Clinic to expand its mental health, medical, and social services; and $72,500 to the Bay Area Food Bank to strengthen its food distribution and child nutrition program and help families enroll in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

"More than one year later, the effects of the oil spill are still being felt by residents of the Gulf Coast," said Community Foundation of South Alabama president and CEO Alvertha Penny. "This funding will target programs providing assistance for mental health and wellness, social services, financial stability, and youth resiliency. Our goal is to increase the capacity of nonprofits addressing the unmet basic needs of individuals, families, and children."

For a list of grantees, visit the Community Foundation of South Alabama Web site.