Bank of America Friday announced a $1 million grant to the YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles to help rebuild the Lowe Family YMCA serving the Palisades-Malibu community that was destroyed in last year’s wildfires.
BofA said the grant is the first and largest corporate award to date for the YMCA’s $25 million capital campaign launched over the summer. The project is expected to break ground this spring, bringing new facilities and additional programs for working families and seniors in the community.
“As we mark the first anniversary of the devastating fires, we also celebrate the incredible progress of the YMCA’s efforts to rebuild its destroyed Via de la Paz site and a nearby campus,” Raul Anaya, Bank of America president for Greater Los Angeles, said in a statement. “The wildfires destroyed so much — thousands of homes, businesses and communities — but it never destroyed L.A.’s spirit. As a longtime supporter of the YMCA, we’re proud to help bring this space back to life for so many residents, and encourage other donors to help bring this important effort over the finish line.”
The Lowe Family YMCA has served Palisades- and Malibu-area children, families and seniors for more than 60 years. In response to the widespread displacement and trauma caused by the fires, the YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles quickly mobilized through nearby centers and partner sites to deliver emergency childcare, case management and trauma-informed care to thousands of residents.
“We are deeply grateful to Bank of America for their generosity and for being our first corporate donor to this campaign,” said Victor Dominguez, president and chief executive of the YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles. “Our corporate partners are critical to engaging our full communities in the rebuilding process. As the Center for Community Well-Being with dozens of locations across the L.A. region, we activated on day one of the fires to support our communities. We will continue to help Palisades rebuild not just the buildings, but the community and connections that make it so special.”