In this Impact Newsletter, we have inspiring videos about live-saving interventions, an interactive image gallery, international efforts to empower women entrepreneurs, and insightful interviews on public health and economic opportunity. Here's what's ahead: As always, if you know anyone who would enjoy updates from Bloomberg Philanthropies, encourage them to sign-up here. Thanks, Bloomberg Philanthropies
Last year, in response to the surging number of overdose deaths in the U.S., we announced a $120 million investment to expand the Bloomberg Opioids Overdose Prevention Initiative. Those resources built on a previous $50 million commitment, and broadened the reach of proven, life-saving interventions to five new states — Kentucky, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, and Wisconsin — in addition to Pennsylvania and Michigan, the two states originally targeted. This week, our longtime partner Vital Strategies launched a campaign to promote "harm reduction," a method where health care and social support — rather than criminal penalties — are put in place to prevent drug users from overdosing. The campaign features a full page ad in the New York Times, as well as video ads sharing moving stories from individuals — like Axcel, Nicole, and Terrell — who have benefitted from harm reduction. The ultimate goal is to bring awareness to this effective approach, and combat the overdose epidemic that claims a life every 5.5 minutes in America.
With a quick swipe, you can now see street scenes — from London to Lancaster, PA — transformed by our Asphalt Art initiative. Check out our Before and After Transformations gallery, and explore individual Asphalt Art project pages, where you can use interactive sliders to switch between the unpainted Before to the enhanced After. The results are stunning, and paint a clear picture of the impact that community members and volunteers can have by revitalizing their neighborhood streets with Asphalt Art.
This week we announced a partnership with CARE — a leading humanitarian organization fighting global poverty, with a focus on working alongside women and girls — to expand Village Savings and Loans Associations, or VSLAs, in three East African countries. The VSLAs are member-driven community funds that encourage financial inclusion and independence by pooling resources and providing low interest rate loans. They will help women who own small agriculture-based businesses in Tanzania, Rwanda, and Democratic Republic of the Congo build capital and access credit. The partnership with CARE will also support efforts to train 150,000 people, over two years, on how to invest capital and grow small businesses. Verna Eggleston, who leads our Women's Economic Development team, described the impact for the women involved, saying, "With increased income and assets, they become decision makers on their children's education, competitors in the international marketplace, participants in local elections, and leaders in their local governments." Verna also spoke about the program at the EXPO 2020 in Dubai this week, which you can watch here.
In case you missed it, our Public Health program Lead Dr. Kelly Henning, M.D., recently sat down with U.S. Surgeon General Vice Admiral Vivek H. Murthy, M.D., MBA, for a candid conversation on the enduring COVID-19 pandemic and the future of public health in America.
After Mike kicked things off with opening remarks, Dr. Henning and Dr. Murthy discussed the possibilities of the post-Omicron landscape and what's ahead. They also talked about efforts to push back against public health misinformation, the pandemic's ongoing impact on mental health, the need to address America's overdose crisis, and much more. And they took a moment to reflect on the people who give the Surgeon General hope right now: "I am so often blown away by just how reflective, thoughtful and insightful young people are about the last two years." Watch now → | Last year Bloomberg Philanthropies committed $25 million to support career and technical education programs in the U.S. — part of a $90 million invested to-date in building career pathways and economic opportunities for students not headed to four-year colleges. In this Follow the Data epoisode, Jenny Sharfstein Kane of our Education team explores the impact of that support. She sits down with Julia Baez, CEO of Baltimore's Promise, to discuss the organization's Grads2Careers initiative, which helps non-college-bound Baltimore City Public Schools graduates enter the workforce through skills training in fields like tech, health care, logistics, and transportation. Jenny also speaks with Birmingham, Alabama Mayor Randall Woodfin about the ways internships and apprenticeships shape the employment landscape in his city, and the challenges entry-level workers face in the pandemic. Learn more → |
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Innovation | |  Environment | |  The Arts | | Bloomberg Philanthropies encompasses all of Michael R. Bloomberg's giving, including his foundation, corporate, and personal philanthropy as well as Bloomberg Associates, a pro bono consultancy that works in cities around the world. In 2021, Bloomberg Philanthropies distributed $1.66 billion. Learn more at Bloomberg.org Click here to stop receiving the Bloomberg Philanthropies Impact Newsletter Click here to unsubscribe from all Bloomberg Philanthropies emails Bloomberg Philanthropies All content ©2022 Bloomberg IP Holdings LLC. All rights reserved. | | |
