Peach State FCU Pledges $7,500 to Local School's REACH Program

WINDER, GA (September 1, 2021) – Peach State Federal Credit Union has committed to donating $7,500 to students participating in Barrow County School System’s REACH Scholarship Program over the next five years. The program will receive $1,500 each year through 2026 from the credit union.

Pictured (left to right): Sherri Perry, REACH GA Coordinator for Barrow County School System with Develon Davis and Peggy Kilgroe, Business Development Representatives for Peach State FCU

REACH Georgia is a mentorship and scholarship program that provides students with academic, social, and financial support to graduate from high school and attend college. To be eligible for the REACH Georgia Program, a student must currently be a rising 8th grader at an eligible Georgia school in a participating district; demonstrate financial need; have proven legal status in the United States (U.S. Citizen or legal resident); have good attendance and behavior; have grade reports reflecting at least a 2.5 cumulative grade point average in core courses; have a crime and drug-free record; have demonstrated the support of a parent, legal guardian, or other caring adult.

The Barrow County School System REACH Georgia Scholarship Program has graduated two classes of REACH Scholars. They are enrolled in Georgia Gwinnett College, the University of North Georgia, Georgia Southern University, and Lanier Technical College. During the 2022 school year, the Barrow County community will have 22 REACH Scholars in grades eight through twelve. Community members serve on interview teams to choose each year’s Scholars. They also serve as mentors and scholarship sponsors. The Scholarship is funded in part by the state legislature, the REACH Georgia Foundation, and by local donors like Peach State. 100% of these donations are applied to the scholarships.

“This year, we are excited that Peach State Federal Credit Union has chosen to not only support the REACH scholarship, but to also donate funds to allow the scholars to benefit from enrichment activities such as college visits,” Barrow County’s REACH GA Coordinator, Sherri Perry explained. “Visiting colleges gives a student a glimpse of college life including academics, social life, community service, and study abroad opportunities. These experiences help take the mystery out of college and build confidence in the scholars as they explore their options.”

Support of the REACH program aligns with Peach State’s foundation in education. “Our credit union was founded by educators 60 years ago this year. We honor that foundation through our continued support of education throughout our service area,” said Peach State’s President/CEO, Marshall Boutwell. “We’re excited to help Barrow County students achieve educational success through this program. “

To learn more about the REACH Georgia program, please visit http://reachga.org/.

Peach State Federal Credit Union’s passion for helping their members and community guided them to create the Peach State FCU C.A.R.E.S. Foundation. The Foundation is funded by the credit union’s VISA® Debit Card program and private donors. Since the inception of the Peach State C.A.R.E.S. VISA® Debit Card program in July 2019, Peach State has donated more than $1.2 million to charitable organizations, school systems and the arts in the communities that we serve. The C.A.R.E.S. program was created to put these contributions on a sustainable path for the future. To learn more about how Peach State cares, visit https://www.peachstatefcu.org/Stories/Peach-State-CARES. Peach State is a $752 million not-for-profit financial cooperative that serves more than 72,000 members in Georgia and South Carolina with a mission to provide quality financial services that meet the needs and exceed the expectations of its member-owners. For more information about products and services, visit www.peachstatefcu.org.