New York, NY – November 22, 2016 — At URI Celebration, an inaugural event honoring people and organizations that have positioned themselves as leading advocates in the fight against domestic violence that took place last week, BBVA Compass presented a new $20,000 grant to URI. Since 2014, BBVA has supported a number of URI’s programs, especially its initiatives around financial literacy and economic abuse related to domestic violence.
Earlier this month, BBVA NY hosted a financial literacy education workshop for URI domestic violence shelter residents. This grant continues BBVA’s partnership with URI to empower domestic violence victims, especially in the area of financial independence, and to help educate domestic violence victims about economic abuse.
Economic abuse, which is when an abuser controls the employment or finances of their partner, is present in 98% of domestic violence relationships. It can include an abuser restricting their partner’s spending, preventing them from working, or destroying their credit score. As a result, survivors feel that they lack the funds to escape abuse and rebuild an independent future, and many return to their abuser for that reason. In order to combat this prevalent problem, BBVA has hosted financial literacy sessions for domestic violence survivors living in URI shelters, made grants, and donated hardware for a new computer lab at one of URI’s domestic violence shelters.
“Our partnership with BBVA has allowed us to provide crucial information about financial literacy to domestic violence survivors,” said Nathaniel Fields, president and CEO of Urban Resource Institute. “Many people do not realize that domestic violence often has a tremendous financial impact on a victim in addition to an emotional or physical impact. We are grateful to BBVA for all they have done to help us raise awareness about the prevalence of economic abuse while assisting us in providing direct services and financial literacy education to our shelter residents.”
“Our recent actions with the Urban Resource Institute, both with the financial literacy workshops and this $20,000 grant, are part of our continuous desire to help economically abused people within our communities,” said BBVA Compass Director of Corporate Citizenship and Reputation Rita Garza. “We use a variety of resources to bring the age of opportunity to everyone, and this grant was a big step in elevating our work with URI and the amazing things they accomplish.”
Media Contacts:
URI:
Kevin Maloney
KMaloney@GroupGordon.com
212-784-5716
Eseohe Yamasaki
EYamasaki@urinyc.org
646-604-7923
BBVA Compass:
Al Ortiz
Al.ortiz@bbva.com
281-433-5640
About Urban Resource Institute
Urban Resource Institute (URI) is a leading non-profit organization that provides comprehensive, holistic, and supportive social services that aid and empower New Yorkers in times of crisis. URI’s programs help victims of domestic violence, the homeless, and other at-risk populations to live in safety and recover from trauma. With a rich 35-year history; deep community relationships; and a flexible, innovative approach to program development and service delivery, URI is uniquely equipped to provide solutions to the challenges affecting New York City’s most vulnerable populations. Headquartered in Manhattan, URI is one of the largest providers of domestic violence services in New York City, serving over 1,600 clients annually. For more information, please visit www.urinyc.org.
About BBVA Compass
BBVA Compass is a Sunbelt-based financial institution that operates 674 branches, including 345 in Texas, 89 in Alabama, 75 in Arizona, 62 in California, 45 in Florida, 38 in Colorado and 20 in New Mexico, and commercial and private client offices throughout the U.S. BBVA Compass ranks among the top 25 largest U.S. commercial banks based on deposit market share and ranks among the largest banks in Alabama (2nd), Texas (4th) and Arizona (4th). BBVA Compass was recently named Best Digital Bank in North America by global finance magazine Euromoney, and earned top nods for best mobile app and best regional bank in the South & West in Money magazine’s annual list of the Best Banks in America. Additional information about BBVA Compass can be found at bbvacompass.com, by following @BBVACompassNews on Twitter or visiting newsroom.bbvacompass.com.
