Bank of America Names Mesa as 2025 Neighborhood Builder for Ventura‑Santa Barbara Region • Kind Joe

A nonprofit focused on helping young adults experiencing homelessness has won a major grant and leadership support from Bank of America, a boost that could expand housing, wellness, and workforce services across Ventura County.

Here is the rundown 👇

Read this especially if you follow efforts around youth homelessness, community support programs, or nonprofit funding in Ventura County.

📍 What Just Happened

Bank of America selected Mesa as its 2025 Neighborhood Builder recipient for the Ventura‑Santa Barbara region. The award brings multiyear grant funding and leadership‑training resources to help Mesa expand its transitional housing, wellness services, and support for young adults (ages 18–24) experiencing homelessness in Ventura County. Mesa’s services include stable housing, job placement, mental and physical health support, and community‑building efforts.

📋 Key Details

Grant Type: Neighborhood Builder grant by Bank of America
Recipient: Mesa, nonprofit serving transitional‑age youth facing homelessness in Ventura County
Services Offered by Mesa: Transitional housing, wellness support, job placement or education support, community and mentorship programs
Grant Benefits: Flexible multi‑year funding plus leadership training for executive leadership and emerging staff, part of a decades‑long philanthropic program by Bank of America designed to strengthen nonprofit capacity.
Broader Impact: The grant helps Mesa scale up just as Ventura County reports rising demand for emergency and stable housing, especially among young adults and vulnerable populations.

🔍 Why This Matters

Provides crucial resources at a time when homelessness and housing instability among youth are growing in Ventura County.
Flexible funding and leadership support give Mesa the capacity to expand services sustainably rather than relying on short‑term project grants.
Reinforces the role of major philanthropic investment in tackling local social problems — and shows how national institutions can support community‑level solutions.
Improves long‑term opportunities for young adults who might otherwise age out of support programs and face homelessness, unemployment, or instability.

🧠 The Bottom Line

Mesa’s recognition as a Neighborhood Builder highlights an important step forward in supporting youth at risk of homelessness in Ventura County. With new funding and capacity‑building support, Mesa is better positioned to expand services, offering hope to young people in need of housing, stability, and a path to independence.