Central Florida Foundation and Wells Fargo announced their support for the Enterprising Black Orlando Initiative, a new project that aims to strengthen local Black businesses and the community at large, by promoting racial economic equity. Central Florida Foundation will support the initiative with $50,000, and Wells Fargo with a $25,000 contribution as the initial seed investment for the effort. “The economic and health challenges of COVID-19 along with the loss of Black lives this year have made this a critical time for Central Florida to invest in equitable solutions that support Black businesses and communities in the region,” said Mark Brewer, President/CEO of the Central Florida Foundation. “Central Florida Foundation believes that we must all work together to build a community where everyone feels at home.” Black and minority businesses and households play a critical role in Central Florida’s economy, but they are also largely underfunded and under-represented. The Enterprising Black Orlando Initiative resulted from a yearlong partnership between Wells Fargo, and the Central Florida Community Collaborative – an alliance between the African American Chamber of Commerce of Central Florida, BBIF Florida and the Central Florida Urban League – to address this need. “The Enterprising Black Orlando Initiative is something we’ve been working on for about a year now, yet its importance has resonated even more in 2020,” said Glenton Gilzean on behalf of the Central Florida Community Collaborative. “The initiative provides an opportunity to apply proven best practices that help close the wealth gap in Black businesses and communities in Orlando. We are grateful to Wells Fargo for championing this effort and bringing together the Central Florida Foundation and the Central Florida Community Collaborative to make it a reality.”

The CFUL is proud to launch our Microsoft Office Specialist certification training program! As a Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS): Associate, students will be prepared for entry-level positions in industries like Technical Support, Education, Sales and Hospitality. Classes offered by the Central Florida Urban League will teach students how to create professional-quality financial statements, including budgets and invoices, along with sales presentations, performance charts and employee training manuals. Scholarships are available for eligible students. Employees with MOS certification can earn as much as $16,000 more in annual salary than uncertified peers. Register today by clicking here. 

Join Rep. Eskamani and The Florida Bar Foundation as we discuss the newest moratorium on evictions and foreclosures in Florida and review legal protections available to you during the COVID-19 pandemic. Rep. Eskamani will be joined by: (1) Sean Rowley, Advocacy, Director of Tenants’ Right Unit, Legal Services of Greater Miami(2) Jamos Mobley, Senior Housing and Consumer Attorney, Legal Aid Society of Orange County Bar Association(3) Jim Kowalski, President and CEO, Jacksonville Area Legal Aid Please fill out the form to RSVP and share the link with others at bit.ly/FLHousing. This virtual event will be offered on Zoom and livestreamed on the Representative Anna Eskamani Facebook page at: www.facebook.com/AnnaForFlorida

Join us and Fifth Third Bank on Thursday for Empower U. To register for Thursday's session, click here. To register for Friday's session, click here.