An insurance company has committed
\n$1.4 million to AARP Foundation to extend
\nthe Foundation’s Back to Work 50+ initiative
\nto help low-income older adults assess
\nopportunities to become entrepreneurs
\nand create microenterprises.<\/p>\n
“We are thrilled to sponsor the Back to
\nWork 50+ program to educate and inspire
\nolder Americans who are interested in developing
\ntheir own small businesses,” said
\nDiane Cantello, vice president of corporate
\nresponsibility at The Hartford, which has
\nmade the contribution. “By encouraging
\nentrepreneurship among older Americans,
\nthis program will help foster small business
\ngrowth and contribute to the vibrancy of
\nour communities.”<\/p>\n
“Older adults are redefining traditional
\napproaches to work and careers,” said Lisa
\nMarsh Ryerson, president of AARP Foundation.<\/p>\n
“While many want to continue to work
\nor advance in their current jobs, a growing
\nnumber want to generate income by using
\ntheir talents and skills to start their own
\nbusiness or microenterprise. Through this
\neffort, AARP Foundation stands ready to
\nhelp by equipping them with the information
\nand skills they need to achieve their
\ngoals.”<\/p>\n
The announcement of this new sponsorship
\ncomes on the heels of the one-year
\nanniversary of The Hartford’s Communities
\nwith HART Program, a five-year initiative
\naimed at benefiting small businesses and
\nsupporting students through partnerships
\nwith the Accion U.S. Network (Accion) and
\nJunior Achievement USA (JA).<\/p>\n
In its first year, The Hartford announced
\na $1.25 million partnership with Accion to help small business owners who experience
\ndifficulty in accessing the traditional loans
\nthey need to sustain and grow their businesses.<\/p>\n
Accion manages the loan process,
\nwhich focuses on community-oriented
\nbusinesses in low-and-moderate income
\nareas that hire and source locally, deliver
\nsocial value and make a positive difference
\nin their neighborhoods.<\/p>\n
With an initial focus in four key markets
\n– Chicago, Hartford, San Antonio and San
\nDiego – Communities with HART also provides
\ntraining and web resources to help
\nsmall business owners succeed.<\/p>\n
The Hartford is also helping to inspire
\nthe next generation of small business owners
\nas the title sponsor of the JA Company
\nProgram\u00ae, which includes a new online
\nblended learning model and offers students
\nthe opportunity to launch their own small
\nbusiness while learning the basics of entrepreneurship,
\nfinancial literacy and work
\nreadiness. With the help of a $1.5 million
\ninvestment, JA has already seen more than
\na 25 percent increase in the number of JA
\nCompany Programs being conducted since
\nthe new program was rolled out across the
\ncountry at the end of last year.<\/p>\n
The three-year sponsorship, which
\nbroadens The Hartford’s long-standing
\nrelationship with AARP, is part of the
\ncompany’s national philanthropic program.<\/p>\n
Communities with HART nurtures the
\nwell-being of America’s communities by
\ninspiring new generations of business leaders,
\nenabling underserved neighborhood
\nbusiness owners to achieve growth and
\nengaging the community in neighborhood
\nbusiness support.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
An insurance company has committed $1.4 million to AARP Foundation to extend the Foundation’s Back to Work 50+ initiative to help low-income older adults assess opportunities to become entrepreneurs and create microenterprises. “We are thrilled to sponsor the Back…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":121,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[57,82],"class_list":["post-17246","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-business-news","tag-business-news","tag-healthcare"],"yoast_head":"\r\n