The Oklahoma Film + Music Office (OF+MO) is working with the Communities Foundation of Oklahoma to raise awareness of the relief funds currently being offered by Community CARES Partners, a resource center for local individuals who have been impacted by COVID-19 and may be considering jobs retraining related to careers in the state’s film and music industries.
The Communities Foundation of Oklahoma (CFO) partnered with others in the public and private sectors to support Community CARES Partners (CCP) to open an Oklahoma City resource center to help residents who are in need, having suffered loss due to the pandemic. The CCP seeks to positively impact Oklahoma City metropolitan residents by offering individual and family assistance to those who are facing housing crisis and eviction due to loss of wages or hardships related to COVID-19. The resource center provides support through eviction prevention, financial assistance and connection with wraparound services, including job retraining.
“Communities Foundation of Oklahoma was proud to help create the CCP to assist the State of Oklahoma, Oklahoma County and City of Oklahoma City in disbursing CARES funds intended to support those directly affected by the COVID-19 crisis,” said Teresa Rose Crook, Communities Foundation of Oklahoma Executive Director. “Our mission is simple: we must protect Oklahomans from further harm caused by the pandemic. CFO stands ready to assist our neighbors throughout the state as they work to overcome these hurdles.”
“With the high demand for additional labor in Oklahoma’s growing film and music industries, we see the CCP as providing an opportunity for those whose careers have been impacted by the pandemic to continue working either through jobs retraining or the transition of their current skillset or craft to existing employment opportunities within the departments on a film and television production,” said OF+MO Director Tava Maloy Sofsky. “Our local community members as well as our universities, trade schools and other training institutions need to know that these funds are available to their students and those ready to get back to work.”
For a list of film and music workforce training programs, including those at local universities, trade schools and other institutions such as the Oklahoma Film and TV Academy (OFTA), visit the “Getting Started” page of OF+MO’s website.
For those interested in applying, Community CARES Partners just released a helpful FAQ sheet.
For more information on CCP eligibility requirements for individual relief assistance and/or jobs retraining including the application for these resources, visit okcommunitycares.org.
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About Oklahoma Film + Music Office
Created in 1979, the Oklahoma Film + Music Office (OF+MO) strives to share all that Oklahoma has to offer by welcoming filmmakers and music professionals to the state and by creating a network of support to develop Oklahoma’s film and music industries. For more information about the Oklahoma Film Enhancement Rebate Program or the Oklahoma Film + Music Office, visit okfilmmusic.org.