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Enterprise pledges $120 million to advance racial equity, fight against hunger

Posted at 2:24 PM, Nov 25, 2020
and last updated 2020-11-30 14:13:36-05

Enterprise is the latest company committing to causes that will help improve racial equity and fight hunger.

The company's ROAD Forward initiative was developed in response to the death of George Floyd. Through it, the company's foundation will give $5 million to four nonprofits.

The company says it chose the nonprofits, because they work to address social gaps in three critical areas: early childhood development, youth health and wellness, and career or college prep.

The organizations had no idea these donations were in the works.

“It's an amazing affirmation of what we do and what we've been doing and where we hope to go,” said Constance Gully, President and CEO of Parents as Teachers.

Parents as Teachers uses home visits to help families of color with newborns through kindergarten entry. Its plan is to use the funds to fill gaps in their framework.

“We see them now. We see people, so that's what I think the corporate community can do is see and hear people and communities that have unfortunately been literally invisible,” said Gully.

Another recipient is Girls Inc., which offers social and emotional support to mostly minority and low-income families outside of school.

“These are the girls who need the most support, but they also have an incredible amount of potential,” said Stephanie Hull, President and CEO of Girls Inc. “Girls will be important in the future, girls in these communities will be important in shaping the future and an investment in these girls right now is a significant step toward a better tomorrow.”

The initiative will also commit $65 million to fight food insecurity and global operating teams will allocate $35 million to local charities.