Raphael House and Its Families Benefit From Bank of America-Merrill Annual Conference in San Francisco

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 22 /PRNewswire/ -- Raphael House, San Francisco's first homeless shelter for families, was the beneficiary of the 38th annual Bank of America-Merrill Lynch Multi-Sector Investor Conference held last week once again in San Francisco.  Specifically, all of the cooked and uncooked food from the premiere evening dinner was donated to Raphael House, feeding 50 additional people who rely on the nonprofit for meals.  

Bank of America also provided a $5,000 grant to the nonprofit as part of its efforts to provide immediate capital to help local nonprofits manage and meet the rising demand for food assistance and hunger relief. Bank of America has been a long time supporter of grants, Adopt-A-Family programs, and volunteer hours by bank associates to Raphael House.

The evening was a tremendous success and established a new partnership between the bank's annual national conference in San Francisco and Raphael House, a leader in family services in San Francisco.  "Through a homeowners approach to social service, we work with parents and families to lay the foundations for a lifetime of healthy development, achievement and stability.  We look to our community partners and leaders like Bank of America to make this all a reality and are grateful for their generosity, " said Claudia Ross, Chairman of the Board, Raphael House.

"Bank of America has deep roots in San Francisco, providing longstanding support in the communities we serve.  In this economy, it is important to maximize local impact from major national conferences such as ours.   By making Raphael House the non-profit beneficiary of the conference's premiere evening event, many families were able to enjoy some of the best food the city has to offer, and Raphael House will use our grant to continue providing critical services to help even more families in need," said Janet Lamkin, California State President, Bank of America.

For more information on Raphael House please visit us at http://www.raphaelhouse.org

About Raphael House

Established in 1971, Raphael House became the first shelter in San Francisco for families experiencing homelessness. Our mission is to help at-risk children and their parents achieve stable housing and financial independence, while strengthening family bonds and personal dignity.  More than 17,000 families have passed through our doors where they have received the necessary tools to reestablish their lives and become self-sufficient.

In addition to filling the most the most basic needs of shelter, food and clothing, Raphael House provides an atmosphere of care and security in which parents can rebuild their lives.  Our overall success is measured by the fact that 83% percent of families living at Raphael House last year moved into stable housing.  Once in stable housing, a family's relationship with Raphael House does not end.  Former residents look forward to participating in our AfterCare Program, which offers families on-going case management and support.  Funded solely by private resources, Raphael House neither seeks nor accepts government support of any kind.  We rely on volunteers for staffing support, and both individuals and groups of volunteers participate in virtually every aspect of the work at Raphael House – from tutoring children, to serving dinner, to serving on our Board of Directors.  

Raphael House has received several prestigious awards, including the John R. May Award from the San Francisco Foundation, the Management Center's Award for Excellence in Non-Profit Management and the Sara Lee Leadership Award. www.raphaelhouse.org

About Bank of America Corporate Philanthropy

Building on a long-standing tradition of investing in the communities it serves, last year Bank of America embarked on a new, 10-year goal to donate $2 billion to nonprofit organizations engaged in improving the health and vitality of their neighborhoods. Funded by Bank of America, the Bank of America Charitable Foundation gave more than $200 million in 2009, making the bank one of the largest corporate cash donors in the United States.  Bank of America approaches investing through a national strategy under which it works with local leaders to identify and meet the most pressing needs of individual communities.  Reaffirming a commitment to develop and sustain a culture of service, the bank announced the "Million Hour Challenge," a pledge by the company's associates around the world to donate 1 million volunteer hours by the end of 2010. In 2009, bank associate volunteers contributed more than 800,000 hours to enhance the quality of life in their communities nationwide. For more information about Bank of America Corporate Philanthropy, please visit www.bankofamerica.com/foundation

SOURCE Raphael House