Starkweather Academy in Plymouth Benefits from $1,000 Summer of Sharing Grant

PLYMOUTH, Mich., July 21, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- When Starkweather Academy in Plymouth wanted to jumpstart a music program last year, Community Financial Credit Union was there to help the school afford musical instruments and a PA system.

Now, for the second consecutive year Starkweather is one of the recipients in Community Financial's Summer of Sharing program, which donates $1,000 a day for 60 days to local charities. This year the grant will be used to buy about 100 books that Starkweather teacher Emily Szachta says will help students immensely.

"This year we identified the need for more contemporary books," Szachta said. "I'm really looking forward to going on a shopping spree so that our students aren't just reading books written long before they were born."

Starkweather Alternative High School promotes lifelong learning by offering a comprehensive educational program which addresses individual goals and prepares students to become contributing members of society. Its roughly 200 students mostly come from Plymouth-Canton and Livonia school districts.

Starkweather has also been involved in Community Financial's Student-Run Credit Union Program for the last three years, and Szachta says there are a handful of students that stay active in the credit union program each year.

"It's good for them to be able to learn financial literacy where the credit union comes to them," Szachta said.

Getting community support can be difficult for Starkweather, because the school is not as visible as the more traditional high schools. Szachta says having partners like Community Financial is critical to its success.

"We're big into helping our students gain confidence," Szachta said. "We couldn't afford new supplies without the help of organizations like Community Financial."

Since 2011, Community Financial has donated more than $180,000 through its Summer of Sharing program. This year's campaign runs through the end of August. To learn more about the Summer of Sharing or to nominate a charity visit www.SummerOfSharing.org.

About Community Financial Credit Union
Headquartered in Plymouth, Michigan, membership in Community Financial Credit Union is open to anyone who lives, works, worships, or attends school in 23 Michigan counties. With more than 50,000 members, Community Financial provides financial services to members at eleven branch locations and through a variety of automated and online services. For more complete membership information, visit www.cfcu.org or call (877) 937-2328.

SOURCE Community Financial Credit Union