Special to the Times
Bank of America and the New England Patriots Foundation recently awarded $50,000 grants to several charitable organizations, including Minds Matter Boston, a non-profit that helps students from low-income families prepare for educational success. Minds Matter Boston will use the grant to expand their program, which has traditionally focused on high school students, to include college students as well.
Bank of America Massachusetts President Miceal Chamberlain greeted representatives from each of the organizations on the field before a Patriots game earlier this year.
“The nonprofit organizations that are part of this initiative are making a profound difference,” Chamberlain said. “Through the vital work that they do, they are expanding opportunities for people from marginalized backgrounds and enriching the lives of those they serve. Together with the Patriots Foundation, our goal is to provide them with resources and capacity to build on their success, so they continue to have a positive and lasting impact.”
One of the many students that Minds Matter Boston helped is Joseph, a senior at Match Charter Public School.
“As an immigrant, MMB has been a Godsend in navigating the college process, especially when it came to standardized testing and figuring out what I wanted from college,” Joseph said. “My access to a mentor who graduated from a school I am interested in has given me early insight into my options, putting me ahead of the game. Additionally, Minds Matter Boston’s strong network and individualized student support on applications helped me get into my dream summer program.”
Bank of America and the Patriots Foundation created the Community Captains charitable initiative in 2021 to build deeper relationships with nonprofits and strengthen the impact on the populations they serve throughout New England.
The other five non-profits named Community Captains were Casa Myrna, a Boston-based provider of services for domestic violence victims; Inquilinos Boricuas en Acción, an organization founded in Boston’s South End to assist first-time homeowners; Father Bill’s and Mainspring, a Brockton-based organization working to reduce homelessness on the South Shore; the Archdiocese of Boston’s Public Office for Urban Affairs, which addresses housing, food, healthcare, and other issues in vulnerable neighborhoods; and Braintree-based Good Sports, a non-profit that works nationwide to provide sports equipment to young athletes in communities of need.