Maurice Lucas Foundation receives $5,000 grant from Wells Fargo to support its in-person tutoring program for students

PORTLAND, Ore. — More than 100 middle school and high school students will receive free tutoring services in person, thanks to a $5,000 grant Wells Fargo has given to the nonprofit Maurice Lucas Foundation (MLF).

The foundation will use the gift to cover operating expenses for its Academic Hub, which it opened in September at an Elks Lodge in N. Portland to provide in-person academic support to students.

For many parents who work, there often isn’t the time or resources to help their children with schoolwork. The hub provides live class support for four hours, four days a week, to foundation students. The youths sign up in advance for the time they want to attend, based on the support they need.

The participating students benefit from technology support, peer-group study sessions, quiet workspaces and one-on-one access to tutors. They also work through lessons on resiliency and perseverance, focusing on the coping skills necessary to maintain mental and emotional health.

“Wells Fargo and our foundation share a common interest in helping our youths succeed by providing them quality education,” said MLF Executive Director David Lucas. “We’ve found during the pandemic that some students are not able to succeed through distance learning. At our hub, our tutors support students safely by providing social-distanced academic help so they can continue learning.”

Basic Needs Help Provided

The foundation will also use some of the funds to support the financial assistance it provides to some of the students’ families for basic needs, including housing, utilities and food.

“This assistance is critical,” said Lucas. “It enables our students to remain ready to learn safely, while coping with the physical and emotional health challenges of the pandemic.”

Between the Academic Hub and basic needs assistance, the foundation is helping close to 450 local residents, said Lucas.

Wells Fargo has donated $17,500 to the foundation since 2018. Wells Fargo Portland Westside District Manager Samuel Isaac volunteers as an Executive Board member of the foundation.

“I’m proud to work for a company that supports not only its community but also the volunteer efforts of its employees,” said Isaac. “The Maurice Lucas Foundation is making a difference in the lives of Portland youths. We see this grant not so much as a gift but more as an investment in the future generation of our region.”