Century Credit Union supports local teachers and students through "Push for Pencils / Push for Change" drive

St. Louis, MO (Oct. 2, 2023) – With the support of its members and employees, Century Credit Union helped make a difference in the lives of underprivileged youth by collecting school supplies and accepting financial donations at its branches.

Items included pencils, erasers, pencil boxes and sharpeners, pens, markers, crayons, highlighters, scissors, glue sticks and bottles, reams of loose-leaf paper, notebooks, pocket folders, rulers, binders, compass and protractor sets, and more.

All items were donated to KidSmart, a nonprofit that equips local children living in poverty with the essential tools they need to learn in school. Each year, 90,000 St. Louis-area children cannot afford basic school supplies. 

Research and studies have shown that having the proper supplies in the classroom can also help increase self-esteem for students, decrease absenteeism, improve children's classroom behavior and empower kids to overcome challenging situations at home.

KidSmart operates the only free educational supply store in Missouri for teachers, with students in 160+ St. Louis-area schools ultimately benefitting.