Port of LA gives $1 million in community grants

August 26 2019 Print This Article

The Port of Los Angeles has selected 30 local organizations to receive a total of $1 million in grants for FY 2019/20 under the Port’s Community Investment Sponsorship Program. The non-taxpayer-funded program allocates grants annually to support community projects focused on local workforce development, education, the environment and on promoting the LA Waterfront.  

“The Port’s Community Investment Sponsorship Program continues to serve as an important vehicle to support innovative and promising local projects in the Los Angeles Harbor area,” said Gene Seroka, Executive Director at the Port of Los Angeles. “We’re proud to support programs like these that are truly making a difference in our Port communities.”  

Grants awarded under the program fall into three categories: small ($5,000 and under); medium ($5,001 to $99,999) and large ($100,000 and over). The Port received 49 applications for grants.  

The Port awarded $32,000 in small grants, $293,000 in the medium category and three large grants totaling $675,000. Making the final award selections was a committee comprised of three Port personnel, a local representative from each of the San Pedro and Wilmington communities, and a representative from LA City Councilman Joe Buscaino’s office.  

Large category grant recipients this year included EXP for its Preparing the Next Generation Workforce Program; the Los Angeles Maritime Institute for its Topsail Youth Program; and the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Los Angeles Harbor for its Port Ocean & Land Awareness Program. 

Two local community clean-up groups secured grants in the medium grant category. These were Beacon House Association of San Pedro and Clean Wilmington for their clean-up and beautification work targeting their respective neighborhoods.