CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Clinic Foundation and The KeyBank Foundation on Thursday announced a pair of grants intended to prevent lead poisoning and address systemic poverty in Cleveland.
The Clinic is donating $2.5 million to The Lead Safe Cleveland Coalition, which was designed as a long-term approach to help rid the Cleveland area of lead poisoning.
Lead poisoning has been an ongoing issue in Ohio for decades. Nearly 67% of all the housing units built before 1980 throughout Ohio contain lead-based hazards, according to the Ohio Department of Health.
Children living in Cuyahoga County are at the highest risk for lead exposure, and lead poisoning is four times more common in Cleveland than the national average, according to the ODH.
“For far too long, children in Cleveland have been robbed of the ability to live up to their full potential because of lead poisoning,” said Augie Napoli, the president and CEO of the United Way of Greater Cleveland a founding member of the Lead Safe Cleveland Coalition Steering Committee.
KeyBank is donating $2.1 million to the United Way of Greater Cleveland to address systemic poverty in Cuyahoga County, which has been exposed throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. The three-year investment is part of Key Bank’s 40 billion National Community Benefits Plan.
The donation will serve as a way to support United Way’s Community Hub for Basic Needs. The Hub was created to observe the region’s needs and develop different ways to aid in poverty reduction.
“United Way of Greater Cleveland is fighting poverty by developing new solutions focused on creating a future where everyone has an equal opportunity to succeed and thrive,” said Chris Gorman, the chairman and CEO of KeyCorp. “We support their efforts to bring meaningful change to our community and we are proud to stand with them as they reimagine the way we serve those in need.”
Ad Choices