Dow Chemical Employees CU Helps Provide School Supplies for Early Childhood Education Programs

MIDLAND, MICHIGAN, August 29, 2018 – At the third annual Garber Chevrolet “Stuff the Bus” event to collect backpacks, school supplies and nonperishable food items for early childhood programs throughout Midland County, Dow Chemical Employees’ Credit Union was able to donate hundreds of items to the cause thanks to the generosity of the DCECU community.

Between contributions from DCECU itself, the credit union’s members and employees, and the community at large, approximately 1,300 items were collected, including backpacks, nonperishable food items and a variety of school supplies. In addition, downtown Midland’s The H Hotel contributed 200 items at DCECU.

DCECU representatives delivered the collected items to Garber during the Aug. 24 event, which was organized to benefit Midland County’s Great Start Readiness Program (GSRP), Head Start and Early Childhood Special Education – programs offered by the Midland County Educational Service Agency in collaboration with many early childhood partners.

“This year, we called on DCECU members and the broader community to join the credit union and our employees in contributing items to Stuff the Bus during the first few weeks of August, and the response was heartwarming,” said DCECU Consumer Centralized Lending Manager Juli Lacina, who helped coordinate the credit union’s participation in the drive. “Thanks to this important event that Garber so generously presents each year, many of the county’s youngest learners will begin the school year with access to much-needed supplies and food.”

In all, the Garber event collected 135 backpacks, 20 lunchboxes, more than 600 notebooks and folders, and hundreds of other school supplies – such as markers, crayons, colored pencils and rulers – to support 30 classrooms in 10 locations, plus a $25 Meijer gift card for each of the 10 locations. All donated nonperishable food items were taken to the Longview Early Childhood Center’s food pantry for distribution to Midland County families.

“We are very grateful for the donations of school supplies and food for our students,” said GSRP Longview Early Childhood Center Director and Teacher Lori Kaylor. “Thank you for your generous support to our preschool programs!”

About Dow Chemical Employees’ Credit Union

Dow Chemical Employees’ Credit Union is a cooperative, not-for-profit financial institution that is owned by its members and dedicated to providing them with smart, affordable banking solutions. Located in Midland, Michigan, DCECU has nearly $1.7 billion in assets and more than 63,000 members and has been recognized multiple times by the Credit Union National Association (CUNA) for top performance in saving members money. Membership is open to employees and retirees of more than 50 Select Employer Group companies, as well as to their family members. For more information, visit dcecu.org or call 989.835.7794 or 800.835.7794.

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