LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (Sept. 17, 2015) – Little Rock Mayor Mark Stodola, the U.S. Conference of Mayors (USCM) and Wells Fargo today joined in an event to celebrate a 2015 First Place CommunityWINS?  (Working/Investing in Neighborhood Stabilization) Grant Award for medium-sized cities.

An award in the amount of $150,000 was presented to the Arkansas Lighthouse for the Blind for the Employment for the Individuals Who Are Blind – Inclement Weather Outer Layer (IWOL) Project– which offers employment for individuals who are blind or visually impaired, and provides funding for training and machinery accommodations. The award is part of a nationwide CommunityWINS? Program made possible by a grant from a USCM and Wells Fargo Housing Foundation collaboration.

The 2015 CommunityWINS? awards include monetary grants to city-based nonprofit organizations and recognize mayors for exemplary leadership in developing local programs that promote long-term economic prosperity and improve the quality of life for residents in three categories: neighborhood stabilization, economic development, and job creation. An independent panel of judges, selected by The U.S. Conference of Mayors, determined the six winning cities from a pool of 162 applicants in three populations groups -- small, medium and large.

“Our City has as one of its goals to improve the quality of life for all of its citizens. This grant to Arkansas Lighthouse for the Blind will do just that by creating additional opportunities for employment while boosting our local economy through this project,” Stodola said. “We are honored that the U.S. Conference of Mayors selected Little Rock to be one of the recipients of a CommunityWINS? award."

Arkansas has the second largest blind/visually impaired population per capita in the United States. The primary goal of Employment for Individuals Who Are Blind program is to provide full-time employment for 25 individuals, including at least 10 of those who are blind or visually impaired.

“We believe that every American deserves economic opportunity and independence,” said Jay Swindle, director of operations at the Lighthouse. “Support for Arkansas Lighthouse for the Blind – whether it comes in the form of corporate philanthropy, memorial or celebration gifts, or annual fund donations – allows us to continue to provide employment opportunities for Arkansans who are blind or visually impaired. The number of employees who are blind or visually impaired has been steadily increasing to meet the needs of new product lines. Moreover, National Industries for the Blind has consistently recognized us for employment retention, growth and upward mobility.”

Through the Inclement Weather Outer Layer (IWOL) project, their new product line — the IWOL jacket — to be used by the U.S. Army will be brought to Arkansas Lighthouse for the Blind (ALB) diversifying its current product mix and ensuring sustainable operations. Not only will ALB sustain the current levels of employment by supporting jobs at existing production lines, but it will also create additional employment for 25 Arkansans thus contributing to the area’s economic development and bringing federal contract revenue to the city.

The new product line will bring $5,184,000 annually in federal contracts to Little Rock. Individuals who are blind will produce 14,400 units of the Inclement Weather Outer Layer jacket for the military per year.

Tom Cochran, CEO and Executive Director of the U.S. Conference of Mayors commented, “Our 2015 CommunityWINS Grant Program gives the Conference an opportunity to showcase positive change happening now in our cities to make a difference in the lives of residents. We are grateful to Wells Fargo and the Wells Fargo Foundation for their support of the CommunityWINS Program, which also highlights the talent and commitment of mayors and city governments.”

”Wells Fargo is delighted to collaborate with the U.S. Conference of Mayors to make these grants available for nonprofits and enable them to make vital improvements in their cities,” said Martin Sundquist, executive director, Wells Fargo Housing Foundation. “Wells Fargo cares about the communities we serve and we’re inspired by the tremendous interest in the inaugural CommunityWINS grant program that will add up to make a big difference in helping revitalize neighborhoods.”

For more information on the 2015 CommuniyWINS Grant Awards recipeients go to www.usmayors.org/communitywins

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About Wells Fargo Housing Foundation

In 2014, the Wells Fargo Housing Foundation donated nearly $20 million in support of affordable housing initiatives serving low-and moderate-income households – including for seniors, veterans, and families – through neighborhood stabilization and community revitalization efforts. Since its inception in 1993, the Wells Fargo Housing Foundation has invested more than $150 million to such efforts, along with mobilizing more than 4.6 million team member volunteer hours to build and rehabilitate more than 5,500 homes and counting. 

About USCM

The U.S. Conference of Mayors is the official nonpartisan organization of cities with populations of 30,000 or more. There are 1,400 such cities in the country today, and each city is represented in the Conference by its chief elected official, the mayor. Find us on facebook.com/usmayors, or follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/usmayors