SMUD and partners pledge $750,000 to communities in need. What will Sacramento receive?

The Sacramento Municipal Utility District, along with nine community partners, announced a plan Monday to contribute a minimum of $750,000 to initiatives in Sacramento’s Promise Zone neighborhoods.

The Promise Zone is a federal designation given to underprivileged communities. Sacramento received the Promise Zone designation in 2015, and the zone encompasses 22 square miles, including downtown, parts of North Sacramento, Del Paso Heights, Oak Park and parts of south Sacramento.

The new initiative includes partnerships with UC Davis Health, Blue Shield of California, the Sacramento Black Chamber of Commerce, the Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency and five other organizations, according to a news release from SMUD.

The $750,000 will go to economic and workforce development programs that are set to be implemented over the next three years in the Promise Zone. The ultimate goal of the partnerships is to create public-private shared initiatives to “drive revitalization in Sacramento’s most underserved communities,” according to the release.

“What is unique about this group of partners is they are making a significant local financial investment which will attract and leverage additional corporate, philanthropic, state and federal dollars to enhance the lives of Sacramento residents,” said Tyrone Roderick Williams, director of the Sacramento Promise Zone, in the release. “The Promise Zone provides the ideal platform and infrastructure for expanding opportunities in underserved neighborhoods.”

The “Promise Zone Partnership” will be anchored by three projects, according to SMUD.

The first project is the SMUD Sustainable Communities Initiative, which will offer multiple energy savings and electric vehicle projects in Del Paso Heights and south Sacramento. SMUD is hoping the projects will offer energy efficiency savings to their customers and improve air quality through access to electric vehicle infrastructure, according to the release.

SMUD is working with the Roberts Family Development Center and the City of Refuge to develop further programs in the community, according to the release.

“This is a part of SMUD’s Sustainable Communities Initiative that optimizes our public good investment,” said SMUD CEO Arlen Orchard in the release. “By working collaboratively with our partners, we can increase the use of transportation technologies and energy efficiency programs in disadvantaged neighborhoods – ultimately improving access to resources, air quality and health for everyone in our community.”

The second project is UC Davis’ Aggie Square. The project is located just south of the UC Davis Medical Center, within the Promise Zone, and promises to combine education, health and community. The project is slated to include academic programs, workforce training and “inclusive community spaces,” with shared workspaces and job recruitment services, according to the release.

Aggie Square is working with the National Society of Black Engineers Junior Programs to provide students from underrepresented groups with access to high-level STEM curriculum, with a goal of increasing diversity and inclusion in STEM, the release said.

“We need to work together to effectively address economic disparities in order to meet the needs of people in our community. This is a core value of our mission – to help the people who need us most,” said UC Davis Health CEO David Lubarsky in the release.

“Economic well-being is one of the social determinants of good health, so if we can improve people’s economic health, statistically it’s been proven to improve physical health throughout a person’s life. We hope this vital effort will have far-reaching, positive effects on these communities,” Lubarsky said.

The third project is a joint effort between the Sacramento Black Chamber of Commerce and Blue Shield of California. The health and wellness training program will provide STEM education at locations throughout the Promise Zone to aid and develop community health workers.

The Promise Zone Partnership also includes SAFE Credit Union, the Greater Sacramento Urban League, United Way and the Sacramento Area Council of Governments.

This story was originally published April 29, 2019 at 4:13 PM.