At L+M, our commitment to the double bottom line is critical to our success. More than that, our desire to strengthen communities drives our organizational culture. Each member of our team is committed to seeking out opportunities that focus on supporting people in the communities where we work.

As part of this commitment, L+M is supporting 47 nonprofit organizations across New York and New Jersey. These organizations work to support their communities in areas such as education and youth development, workforce development and healthy living.

One of our returning grantees, the Brownsville Community Justice Center (BCJC), recently facilitated a sixteen-week on-site construction training program, with a focus on developing skills that could be used to secure work in the construction industry.

Residents from Marcus Garvey Apartments took part in the inaugural program and learned new skills in carpentry, framing, as well as some electrical work. The residents graduated a few weeks ago and will receive free job placement assistance. BCJC is preparing for the next group of trainees, who are scheduled to start the program in the spring. You can read more about the program here.

The BCJC’s community-based programming is a fantastic example of one of our grantees’ success in strengthening its community, as well as supporting residents accessing career path opportunities. There are many more great stories from our grantees, and I look forward to sharing those with you this year.