Wells Fargo donates $1 million to LA County Alliance for Boy and Girls club
$1 million will be used to support the Kollab project which serves to mentor underserved youth in Los Angeles.
LONG BEACH, Calif. (KABC) -- The Los Angeles County Alliance for Boys and Girls Club launched the Kollab program in 2019.
The goal is to provide kids who are ages 14 to 18 with career and networking opportunities, especially in underserved areas where they may not get them. The Kollab members are also paired with mentors.
"I thought it was a really enriching experience for me because I didn't really know how much career opportunities there were for me out there 'til I took the program," said Kollab member, Alison Trujillo.
ABC7 saw the need to help youth succeed and were one of the founding members of the Kollab program.
This year, Wells Fargo and Academy Award-winning actress Regina King have stepped up to donate $1 million for KOLLAB.
"Wells Fargo believes in giving equitable exposure to career opportunities and financial education so that all youth across L.A. have access to professional, successful careers and the basis of personal finance to help them as they begin earning their first paychecks," said Justine Gonzalez, Wells Fargo's vice president of community relations.
More than 150 youth have participated in the Kollab program, and they receive high school credit for completing it.
These kids are dreaming big, honing their skills and setting goals for the future.
"I plan to major in engineering, so specifically want to be a mechatronics engineer, which is a combination of mechanical engineering and electric engineering," said Kollab member Erik Villa.
With this donation, the Los Angeles County Alliance for Boys and Girls Club is hoping to expand the program to underserved, diverse communities with an emphasis on African American Youth.
"They can have that added value in terms of finding those paid internships, apprenticeships, and entry level jobs, and also be exposed to trades and certification opportunities in the digital and technology community," said Mary Hewitt, executive director of the Los Angeles County Alliance for Boys and Girls Club.
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