STAMFORD, Conn., Sept. 15, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Charter
Communications, Inc. today announced the launch of Spectrum
Community Assist, a $30 million,
five-year philanthropic initiative to revitalize community centers
in rural and urban areas, and invest in job training programs in
underserved communities across the company's 41-state footprint. By
2025, Charter will improve 100 centers across the country,
impacting an estimated 50,000 local residents, including through
financial support for job skills training programs, new technology
and 1 gigabit high-speed internet service, as well as building
refurbishments and repairs. Charter kicks off the program on
Sept. 18 at the Better Family Life
Community Center in St. Louis,
followed by similar events in Charlotte next month and Stamford in November.
![Charter Communications Logo. (PRNewsfoto/Charter Communications, Inc.) Charter Communications Logo. (PRNewsfoto/Charter Communications, Inc.)](https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/76092/charter_communications_logo.jpg)
Through Spectrum Community Assist, Charter will partner with
national and local nonprofit organizations to identify and improve
community centers in underserved areas in need of support. At each
center, revitalization events with employee and community
volunteers will be held to repair and enhance the physical
buildings. As part of Charter's ongoing commitment, the company
also will invest in the centers' job training efforts with cash
grants and in-kind contributions, improve physical classroom spaces
and provide new equipment, including laptops and furniture.
Additionally, because broadband is a critical component of a
community center's infrastructure, Charter will offer each
community center its advanced 1 gigabit internet service.
"Community centers are hallmarks of our neighborhoods; people
turn to these centers for support, shared experiences, and for help
developing new job skills or finding employment," said Rhonda Crichlow, Senior Vice President and Chief
Diversity Officer for Charter, which operates the Spectrum brand of
internet, TV, mobile and voice services. "Seven years ago, we set
out to make a difference in our communities through Spectrum
Housing Assist, which provided critical home repairs for low-income
homeowners. Spectrum Community Assist is a natural evolution of
that successful effort, extending our support for the communities
we serve to local centers and organizations providing important
programs and career development training."
Currently 8.4 million Americans are unemployed, according to the
U.S. Department of Labor and an estimated 17 million U.S. workers
may need to transition to new jobs in the post-pandemic world
(McKinsey Global Institute February
2021 study here). Charter's $25
million investment, plus $5
million of in-kind contributions over the next five years
will directly benefit these organizations working to address this
urgent need while improving lives and strengthening the economic
fabric of the communities where Charter operates.
Charter Launches Spectrum Community Assist in St. Louis
Charter kicks off its
Spectrum Community Assist program in St.
Louis on Sept. 18, with an
event at Better Family Life, a nonprofit community service agency
that provides short-term training to employment programs, in-demand
industry certifications, job placement and retention services, call
center representative classes and the possibility of micro loans
for entrepreneurs looking to start their own small businesses.
Physical improvements to be completed by Charter employees and
community volunteers include painting, landscaping and light
construction. Charter's investment also will provide a new
smartboard, chairs and 25 new laptops for a newly refurbished
classroom, which will be unveiled as the Spectrum Training and
Technology Center. Additionally, Charter will donate $50,000 to Better Family Life to support its
career development programs, which will enable more individuals to
take advantage of the center's job training offerings. Additional
support will be provided to ensure connectivity through the
company's advanced suite of Spectrum broadband services.
Following the St. Louis event,
Charter will sponsor Spectrum Community Assist events with
community partners in several other markets throughout 2021,
including Charlotte on Oct. 16 and
Stamford on Nov. 13, with additional revitalization projects
planned for 2022 and beyond. More information on Charter's
philanthropic initiatives, including Spectrum Community Assist, is
available
at https://corporate.charter.com/community-impact.
About Charter
Charter Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ:
CHTR) is a leading broadband connectivity company and cable
operator serving more than 31 million customers in 41 states
through its Spectrum brand. Over an advanced communications
network, the company offers a full range of state-of-the-art
residential and business services including Spectrum Internet®, TV,
Mobile and Voice.
For small and medium-sized companies, Spectrum Business®
delivers the same suite of broadband products and services coupled
with special features and applications to enhance productivity,
while for larger businesses and government entities, Spectrum
Enterprise provides highly customized, fiber-based solutions.
Spectrum Reach® delivers tailored advertising and production for
the modern media landscape. The company also distributes
award-winning news coverage, sports and high-quality original
programming to its customers through Spectrum Networks and Spectrum
Originals. More information about Charter can be found at
corporate.charter.com.
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SOURCE Charter Communications, Inc.