LIFT-Philadelphia, a local affiliate of a national non-profit organization dedicated to helping families achieve economic stability and well-being, is thrilled to announce its receipt of a $15,000 grant from the Cigna Foundation, whose focus is on supporting nonprofit organizations that empower people to make healthy choices in every aspect of their lives. Through this grant, LIFT-Philadelphia will develop and train its more than 200 volunteer advocates to provide effective, critical services to better support Philadelphia’s most vulnerable populations.
“LIFT’s model leverages the efforts of highly committed and engaged volunteers, and the Cigna Foundation’s investment will allow us to advance a corps of leaders that we believe has the potential to tackle some of Philadelphia’s most pressing issues, both now and in the future” said Josh Romalis, Executive Director of LIFT-Philadelphia.
“At Cigna, we’re dedicated to improving the health, well-being and sense of security of everyone we serve—a mission that closely parallels the work of LIFT-Philadelphia,” said David Figliuzzi, executive director of the Cigna Foundation. “We’re proud to help LIFT build a healthier community by enabling committed individuals to become even more effective in helping their clients meet often overwhelming economic challenges.”
With the Cigna Foundation’s support, LIFT-Philadelphia has already engaged community partners and leaders to help contribute more than 150 hours of training for more than 70 advocates on techniques to best support families and individuals in crisis. These advocates have, in turn, worked alongside more than 3,000 community members to find employment opportunities, secure safe and stable housing, access public benefits, and obtain referrals for other services throughout the city. In addition to one-on-one client service, several dedicated advocates have assumed leadership roles within the Philadelphia offices, with the promise of emerging as leaders in a broader anti-poverty movement.
Beyond Philadelphia, LIFT also operates centers in Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, and Washington, D.C., and has served over 60,000 individuals and families nationwide.