Dayton to receive $50,000 for coronavirus financial assistance program

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The initiative uses resources from Mastercard and is built off the Angeleno Card program, which provided no-fee debit cards to Los Angeles residents whose livelihoods were hit the hardest by the pandemic.

The program has distributed about $25 million to approximately 70,000 Los Angeles residents, including low-wage hourly workers.

The Angeleno Card program helps facilitate local fundraising and delivers donations directly to those in need via a prepaid credit card. The program aims to help those hurt the most by the pandemic, including low-wage hourly workers, day laborers, seasonal workers, self-employed and street vendors. The program includes residents regardless of their immigration status.

The program is funded by a $750,000 grant from the Open Society Foundations as part of its $130 million global initiative to fight the impact of coronavirus in vulnerable communities across the world. Donations are also accepted at Accelerateforamerica.org or by texting Legend to 27126.

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“We are helping America’s cities fill critical gaps left by the federal response to the economic devastation caused by the pandemic,” said Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, co-founder Accelerator for America. “Immigrants and domestic workers are essential to our economy and our communities, and we will not get through this pandemic by leaving people behind. I thank the Open Society Foundations for its support of Accelerator for America’s work to help cities directly assist their residents in need.”

During John Legend’s Father’s Day special on Sunday, it was announced that the program was expanding to 10 communities across the country, including Dayton.

The other communities include Atlanta; Connecticut; Rhode Island; Chattanooga, Tennessee; Birmingham, Alabama; Oklahoma City; Salt Lake City; Austin, Texas; and Louisville, Kentucky.

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“Accelerator for America exists to create and share solutions with America’s cities, and we are proud to help as they step up in an unprecedented way to respond to the COVID-19 crisis,” said Rick Jacobs, co-founder and CEO of Accelerator for America. “We are extremely grateful to the Open Society Foundations, whose willingness to partner with us will improve lives across America.”