Please direct all press inquiring to Rita Mort, Director of Development, at Rita@Amer-I-Can.org

First Bank and Amer-I-Can Foundation for Social Change Announce Grand Opening of Life Skills Center in Gardena

LOS ANGELES, CA – The Amer-I-Can Foundation for Social Change today announced it will open a Life
Skills Center in Gardena on Thursday, October 21, 2021. This Center is made possible in part through an
ongoing partnership with First Bank, and will be housed at its 1644 West Redondo Beach Boulevar
location. The Amer-I-Can Center will serve as a hub for life skills training, workforce development and
community building.

“Amer-I-Can is pleased that our partnership with First Bank has grown to include a physical location,”
said Monique Brown, President of Amer-I-Can. “It is critical that community members have places they
can go to learn critical life skill skills, and then use those skills as building blocks for obtaining
employment, and building a secure financial future for themselves and their families.”
As citizens of Los Angeles continue to experience the lingering impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, the
opening of the Center is opportune, according to Nelson Arevalo, Manager of First Bank’s Gardena
Branch. “Now more than ever, individuals need open access to the opportunities a banking relationship
can provide,” Arevalo said. “This includes everything from immediate benefits such as avoiding
expensive check-cashing fees, to intermediate benefits like improving one’s credit score, to long-term
benefits such as property ownership.”

In addition to providing Life Skills Training classes and Financial Empowerment Seminars, Amer-I-Can will
use its Gardena Community Center to serve as a hub for helping community members progress in their
life plans, secure employment or progress in their careers, and gain access to any social service
resources they may need. Amer-I-Can Team members will also use the Center for meetings with city,
corporate and community partners.

“If the pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that none of us can fulfill our goals in isolation,” Brown said.
“We must all come together and combine our resources to achieve those common goals that build
thriving communities.”

As the Center’s work progresses, Amer-I-Can will also use a grant from the NFL Foundation to help staff
the Center with the physical and human resources it requires for optimal impact. This includes hosting
monthly life skills classes for area residents, and individual life plan monitoring sessions for those who
have graduated from the program in LACOE schools or other locations. However, there continues to be a
significant gap between needs and resources.

Those wishing to contribute to or partner with the Amer-I-Can Foundation to build workforce capacity
for our city, sponsor monthly life skills classes for those trying to better themselves, or simply make a
financial contribution, may contact its leadership by writing to info@Amer-I-Can.org. Those wishing to
sign-up for life skills classes can learn more at https://Amer-I-CanCommunity.partners Individuals can
also follow the organization on Facebook at The Amer-I-Can Foundation, or on Instagram at American32.

Amer-I-Can Foundation for Social Change – Founded in 1988 by Jim Brown, renowned NFL player, civil
rights leader, actor and philanthropist, Amer-I-Can transforms communities one life at a time. Believing
that the socio-economic programs plaguing our nation could all be traced to lack of self-esteem and life
skills development, Brown founded Amer-I-Can and its 15-chapter life skills curriculum to emphasize the
importance of: Motivation, Conditioning, Attitudes and Habits; Goal-Setting; Problem-Solving and
Decision-Making; Emotional Control; Family Relationships, Financial Stability; Effective Communication;
and, Job Search & Retention. Today, Brown’s wife, Monique Brown, who has been involved with Amer-ICan for more than 25 years, is expanding its work throughout the nation through partnerships with
organizations ranging from schools and probation departments, to corporations, to NFL teams.

First Bank – First Bank’s vision is to help family-owned businesses, their families and employees thrive
through the generations. They achieve this vision by building lifelong relationships, providing sound
financial advice and tailoring solutions that meet their client’s needs. First Bank is particularly proud of
its THRIVE™ programs, which help individuals establish a banking relationship, and secure and build
credit. Recognizing that approximately 14 million adults are unbanked with no checking or savings
accounts and that nearly 20% of our population (50 million adults) are underbanked, THRIVE™ provides
checking accounts with no minimum balances that can be opened for as little as $25. They also provide
low balance secured credit cards that allow clients to build their credit, and ultimately participate in
mortgage programs that build a realistic path to generational wealth.