One week before a Thanksgiving holiday at a time when many are facing hardships due to the coronavirus pandemic, USAA announced it will donate $5 million to dozens of charitable organizations.
The donation brings USAA’s total pandemic relief contributions this year to $47 million.
“Since the pandemic began in March, many families across the country have experienced hardships related to food insecurity, limited access to technology and connectivity for remote schooling, lack of child care, and sometimes even homelessness,” stated Harriet Dominique, USAA’s chief diversity, inclusion, and corporate responsibility officer. “Aligned with our mission, we hope this continued support that we are able to provide to key nonprofit organizations helps with some of the burdens families are experiencing.”
In March, USAA donated $1 million to local nonprofits supporting a response to the virus outbreak, and in August, the company announced it would donate $30 million to 24 charitable organizations that support military families through economic hardships.
The latest contribution will be spread among 24 nonprofit organizations in the cities in which USAA has offices.
USAA cited studies show that more than 24 million adults nationwide reported that their households do not have enough to eat amid rising unemployment numbers and the growing dependence on remote learning.
In San Antonio, the company is donating $3.5 million to these seven organizations to help close the digital divide, provide quality child care, and relieve food insecurity:
- Texas A&M University-San Antonio
- Boys & Girls Clubs of San Antonio
- Haven for Hope of Bexar County
- San Antonio Food Bank
- SAMMinistries
- United Way of San Antonio and Bexar County
- Meals on Wheels San Antonio
“We’re so grateful to USAA for their support through the years and especially during this pandemic. They are ensuring we can serve our clients who are some of the most at risk in this time of uncertainty,” said Vinsen Faris, CEO of Meals on Wheels San Antonio, which is collaborating with the Raul Jimenez Thanksgiving Dinner to manage logistics for delivery of 2,500 home-delivered Thanksgiving meals.
USAA and its charitable arm, the USAA Foundation, estimate assisting over 2 million people through its pandemic-related efforts, which represents over half of the $90 million the company has pledged to nonprofit organizations during 2020.
USAA employees have given $14.3 million to nonprofit organizations this year, with matching funds from the company, and volunteered 141,000 hours to support their communities, the financial services company said.
Also on Thursday, another financial services Citi Foundation announced it will provide $15 million to support community financial institutions across the country that serve small businesses owned by people of color and households most impacted by COVID-19.
Two of the recipients are based in San Antonio: LiftFund, which provides capital and services to small businesses and entrepreneurs who do not have access to loans from traditional sources, and National Association for Latino Community Asset Builders, which serves Latino communities in 40 states by providing grants and low-cost loans to support small businesses.
Citi did not specify how much money each of the 30 total recipient groups will receive. The funds are being allocated from Citi’s proceeds from the bank’s participation in the Paycheck Protection Program.
USAA is a financial supporter of the San Antonio Report. For a full list of business members, click here.
