The Comcast NBCUniversal Foundation and the NBCUniversal Owned Television Stations division awarded Project Innovation grants to 69 organizations in 11 markets that are using innovation to tackle everyday problems and urgent COVID-19 needs in their communities. The Opa-locka Community Development Corporation (OLCDC) was fortunate enough to have been awarded $20,000 for COVID-19 relief efforts. Increasing and intensifying the work we've been doing for many years, specifically targeting small businesses, supporting families with bridge grants, and getting people back into jobs through our workforce development program. Also, with Opa-locka being a food desert and residents not having easy access to fresh fruits and vegetables, OLCDC hosts a free food distribution twice a week, passing out those fresh fruits and vegetables grown in the Urban Garden right in the heart of Opa-locka. Launched in 2018, Project Innovation supports qualified nonprofit organizations that are using innovation to advance communities in the areas of storytelling, community engagement, culture of inclusion, and youth education. The non-profit organizations selected as Project Innovation 2020 grant recipients all exhibited flexibility with their programming and will use their funding to deliver services and programs that address the needs of those impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. After a thorough evaluation process, NBC and Telemundo owned stations located in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, Dallas/Fort Worth, Washington, D.C., San Francisco Bay Area, Boston, Miami/Fort Lauderdale, San Diego, and Hartford, awarded up to $225,000 in Project Innovation grants to a maximum of eight non-profit organizations in their markets for a total of $2.475 million awarded across all markets. “This year’s grant winners are on the ground and know what our communities’ needs are. Our grant funding will help provide support to those who need it right now,” said Valari Staab, President, NBCUniversal Owned Television Stations.
