The Unity Project receives FHLB grant with assistance from FCCU
05/14/2021
On behalf of the Unity Project, Fort Community Credit Union (FCCU) recently secured a grant from the Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago in the amount of $15,000 to provide direct support to those most impacted by the COVID-19 crisis as well as organizations that promote equity and opportunity for communities of color. These funds were part of a $14 million-dollar Targeted Impact Fund for relief efforts for populations hardest hit by COVID-19.
The funds are being used to increase literacy resources focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion within the Fort Atkinson School District. Whitney Townsend, FCCU Mortgage Loan Officer and the Unity Project’s School Partnership Committee co-chair along with Sue Johnson, FCCU CEO and other members of the Unity Project worked together to apply for the grant funding.
“We’re thankful for the opportunity to make an impact in our community,” said Johnson. “FCCU has always been passionate about providing financial literacy resources to our local schools. Supporting the Unity Project in an effort to also provide a variety of literacy resources including books that are bilingual, about black stories, diverse characters, and social/emotional only seemed fitting.”
Together, with co-chair Jocelyn Vechinsky, Townsend lead the Unity Project’s School Partnership Committee in this effort. Over the course of several months the pair ordered and organized the materials to be distributed at the four Fort Atkinson Elementary schools and Middle School.
“Reading books as a young child has a lasting impact. The books that our children read should act as mirrors for them to see themselves and windows to better understand others,” comments Townsend. “I am so grateful for the School District of Fort Atkinson for so willingly incorporating these diverse texts into their classrooms and libraries.”
Pictured below: volunteers help organize and distribute the collections.
Photo 1: left to right--Amy Oakley, Jocelyn Vechinsky, Whitney Townsend, Lisa Hollenberger.
Photo 2: left to right—Whitney, Jocelyn, Amy, Lisa—sorting through the collections.