On September 24, United Way of Northwest Indiana and Everwise Credit Union came together to celebrate a recent grant award from the Everwise Foundation to support clients across five counties in the area through the Level Up program.
Rich Shields, chief marketing and development officer for United Way of Northwest Indiana, is looking forward to how this donation will help support one of the organization’s most important programs.
“These funds are going to help support our Level Up program,” Shields said. “The Everwise Foundation made a very kind donation of $7,500 to help make this possible. This is a collaboration that we’ve done with their team for the last three years. We’re very appreciative of their support of our program.”
Robin Wright, director of the Level Up program, is excited for how this donation will positively impact both the program and the organization.
“Our program is for working adults that live in Lake, Porter, Jasper, Newton or Starke County,” Wright said. “We assist them in financial literacy, helping them improve their credit score and move towards goals such as buying a home. We provide them with social emotional support, help them decide on a career, provide tuition assistance and help them achieve whatever their goals might be. This donation will help give two individuals a certification and guide them in their career. It gives our clients an opportunity to have medical insurance benefits or a schedule that works for their family.”
Stephany Leonard, Everwise business banker, admires how this program can be life changing for these clients.
“We feel that there’s no better way to help out than providing funding for a program where you can really help someone take the steps they need to get where they want to be,” Leonard said. “I’ve been fortunate enough to talk to people who have completed the program and see the effect it has on their lives. It’s truly a blessing to be able to make an impact.”
The Everwise Foundation focuses on the power of education through elements such as financial education, mentoring, scholarships, education programs and member matching initiatives.
“The Everwise Foundation really allows us to give back to the people in our communities,” Carrie Upchurch, area manager at Everwise, said. “There are many ways that we’re able to make that happen. This is our third year working with the Level Up program and being able to provide them a grant for all that they do in the area is wonderful.”
Ben Cipra, grants manager for United Way of Northwest Indiana, loves to hear stories and meet new people within the Level Up program. His favorite part of the process is seeing how transformative it is on the clients’ decision making moving forward.
“It’s fantastic because most of our clients might not know what a budget is or how to make a budget,” Cipra said. “Some people aren’t sure about how to use credit cards responsibly or how interest rates work. This has been an organic partnership with Everwise because we're both looking to get people educated in their personal finance. This definitely isn’t a cookie cutter program because everyone’s journey is different.”
It’s a great feeling to help boost a program that prioritizes the community. United Way of Northwest Indiana is thankful for this opportunity to improve their Level Up program.
“We’re very appreciative of this collaboration to help our Level Up program move forward and assist our clients,” Kim Wazny, chief financial officer and interim chief executive officer for United Way of Northwest Indiana, said. “It’s going to go towards getting them through barriers in education or childcare that have prevented them from moving up. We appreciate it and we’ll make sure it goes to great use.”
For more information on United Way of Northwest Indiana, visit unitedwaynwi.org. For more information regarding Everwise Credit Union and the Everwise Foundation, visit everwisecu.com.
