Meriwest Credit Union Sponsors $1.1 Million in Grants
Funds will support the renovation of a homeless shelter and services for minorities in need in the Silicon Valley area.
A Silicon Valley credit union has sponsored $1.1 million in grants through the Federal Home Loan Bank to support two local non-profits to help the homeless and minorities during the pandemic.
Meriwest Credit Union of San Jose, Calif. ($1.9 billion, 87,651 members) sponsored a grant of nearly $1.1 million for CityTeam San Jose through the Federal Home Loan Bank’s Affordable Housing Program.
The grant supports the renovation of a transitional housing and emergency shelter for homeless and low-income residents. The renovations will include major restroom and air systems improvements in its residential facilities. It will also provide meals and improve the financial mobility of residents through financial educational workshops.
John Scott, CityTeam’s San Jose executive director, said hundreds of men each year receive hot meals, transitional housing and supportive services to help launch them into permanent housing, full-time employment and the life skills needed to continue their success.
“CityTeam is so thankful for Meriwest’s support in obtaining this funding and their ongoing care for our community members’ well-being,” Scott said.
Meriwest also sponsored a Pandemic Relief grant of $37,500 for the African American Community Services Agency of San Jose through the Federal Home Loan Bank’s Access to Housing and Economic Assist for Development (AHEAD) program.
The AHEAD grant will be used to help pay for needs-based services to ethnically diverse low-income families and seniors in San Jose and greater Santa Clara County.
In addition to the grant, Meriwest provided staff hours, sponsorships for virtual events and non-perishable food to support the Community free food program.
“With these funds, we have the ability to serve more of our community residents,” AACSA Executive Director Milan Balinton said.
Meriwest President/CEO Julie Kirsch said the credit union has a longstanding commitment to improve the lives of residents in the San Francisco Bay area and Tucson, Ariz., where it operates. In 2020, individual staff donations to various charities exceeded $23,000 and its 228 employees together volunteered more than 1,000 hours to help feed, clothe or increase financial literacy of our community residents.
“Throughout the most challenging year we have endured, Meriwest was out in the community doing our part to help others,” Kirsch said. “We are part of this community of people helping people and we will continue our pledge to support and work on behalf of those most in need.”