"Apex IT's work helped double our pace of delivery," said Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti. "When people need help putting food on the table, they need help fast."
LOS ANGELES (PRWEB) August 20, 2020
Delivering over $36 million in economic assistance to help more than 100,000 Los Angeles residents in record time was only possible because of technical solutions implemented by Apex IT.
"Apex IT's work helped double our pace of delivery," said Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti. "When people need help putting food on the table, they need help fast."
The Angeleno Card program was established in March by Accelerator for America in partnership with the Office of Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, the Mayor’s Fund for Los Angeles, and Mastercard City Possible to provide direct financial assistance via no-fee debit cards to Los Angeles residents whose livelihoods were hardest-hit by the pandemic, including low-wage hourly workers who had jobs in homes and restaurants, seasonal workers, day laborers, street vendors, and self-employed individuals. The program also serves residents regardless of immigration status — immigrant communities have been some of the hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic, yet they have been too often excluded from federal assistance.
Recipients were originally scheduled to have their eligibility appointments made over the phone and receive their cards in person. To help people faster receive critically-needed assistance, the Office of Mayor Garcetti worked with Apex IT and Oracle to design a system to schedule appointments online, track appointment outcomes, and measure analytics such as total amount given, total number of Angelenos helped, and appointments conducted. This system was also less costly than the previous telephone-based system.
The success of the Los Angeles program led to the non-profit Accelerator for America now helping 10 additional U.S. communities establish similar programs. Supported by a $750,000 grant from the Open Society Foundations, Accelerator for America is providing technical assistance and $50,000 in funding for each community to stand up the infrastructure needed to successfully administer a large-scale financial assistance program. Accelerator for America, with resources and expertise from Mastercard, will work alongside grantees until their programs are fully operational, providing the necessary expertise and technical support to ensure success.
The 10 communities include: Atlanta, GA; the State of Connecticut; the State of Rhode Island; Chattanooga, TN; Dayton, OH; Birmingham, AL; Oklahoma City, OK; Salt Lake City, UT; Louisville, KY; and Austin, TX.
The expansion was announced by John Legend during his Father's Day special on ABC.
ABOUT APEX IT
Founded in 1997, Apex IT has grown continuously, but the mission has stayed the same: to help public sector, corporate, and higher education clients use technology to streamline their processes and increase productivity and profitability. To date, Apex IT has completed more than 2,750 engagements around the globe, helping clients with everything from strategic guidance to implementation to long-term direction. Apex IT is dedicated to staying ahead of the competition in offering clients the People, Processes, and Technologies that will meet their changing demands. http://www.apexit.com.
ABOUT THE MAYOR’S FUND FOR LOS ANGELES
The Mayor’s Fund for Los Angeles is a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to improving life for all Angelenos. Bringing together institutions and experts from across the City, the Fund supports programs to create transformative change across Los Angeles, making it a world leader in economic prosperity, government efficiency, community resiliency, and quality of life for all of its residents. Uniquely positioned at the crossroads of local government, business, philanthropy, and non-profits, the Fund sparks communication and collaboration to tackle some of Los Angeles’ most complex challenges. The Fund is supported by private donations and is overseen by an independent Board of Directors. http://www.mayorsfundla.org.