LA CROSSE, WI (January 15, 2025) |
Marine Credit Union (MCU) concluded a season of generosity with its Community Give Back promotion, a unique initiative where members, employees and the community voted on local organizations to receive $1,500 donations in the Eau Claire, La Crosse and Racine areas. This $4,500 initiative capped off more than $30,000 in donations made through the MCU Foundation to empower local organizations across Wisconsin at the end of 2024 and early 2025.
"Our Community Give Back promotion is about more than just the donations—it's about inviting our members and communities to join us in creating meaningful change," said Tom Knothe, CEO at MCU. "This year's campaign is a testament to the power of collaboration, showing what we can achieve together for the people and causes we serve."
Donation Recap
In addition to the Community Give Back promotion, MCU made significant contributions to local organizations that align with its mission to empower and uplift underserved communities:
Eau Claire: A $9,200 donation to Feed My People Food Bank will support their new Farm to Food Bank program, which connects small-scale farmers to food pantries across Wisconsin. MCU's partnership includes a two-year commitment to fund transportation costs and expand financial education resources for food bank users.
La Crosse: A donation of $8,000 to The Good Fight will support programs that provide at-risk youth with a safe environment to develop personal goals, discipline and values. MCU is collaborating with the organization to offer sustainable financial education options for youth and their families. The Good Fight was also selected by MCU members to receive an additional $1,500 donation through MCU’s Community Give Back promotion.
Racine: MCU contributed $7,000 across two impactful organizations:
Halo, Inc., a homeless shelter and food pantry supporting families on their journey toward self-sufficiency, received $3,500.
The Volunteer Center of Racine County also received $3,500 to support their efforts in fostering community engagement and teaching valuable life skills through youth volunteer programs.
Community Give Back Promotion Highlights
Through the Community Give Back promotion, nine organizations—three from each community—were nominated to compete for $1,500 donations. The winners were selected through voting on MCU's social media channels, with members, employees and local residents coming together to decide the recipients.
The Good Fight: The Good Fight provides at-risk and disadvantaged youth with hope, encouragement and a safe environment to develop personal goals, discipline and values free from juvenile delinquency, substance abuse, truancy, crime, gang activities and other difficult challenges.
Fostering Success: Fostering Success provides resources and support for students who have formerly been in foster care, are experiencing homelessness or may lack family support. The program offers access to resources like school and household supplies, financial tools, scholarships, professional development and more.
Focus on Community: Focus on Community teaches life skills to the youth and families of Racine County, setting them up for long-term success through programming, coaching and mentorship. Originally formed in 1980, the organization is also Racine’s primary substance abuse prevention agency.
MCU's Community Leads in Eau Claire, La Crosse and Racine will hand-deliver the checks to the winning organizations by January 17.
Looking Ahead
Marine Credit Union's 2024 giving campaign demonstrates the organization's deep commitment to creating opportunities for individuals and families to thrive. At MCU, our mission is to advance people's lives from a place of financial need, and giving back to our communities is central to that purpose. As we look toward 2025, we remain dedicated to fostering long-term community partnerships, offering financial education and empowering underserved individuals.