2019 Advocacy and Engagement - Lake Trust Credit Union

Community Impact Scholarship Story

The Chance To Share Her Story

“I really appreciate Lake Trust and how much support they’ve given me. I’m grateful for the opportunities they’ve given me to share my story, too.”

LaToya W., Community Impact Scholarship recipient

LaToya W. had no idea that sharing her story would change her life. At her aunt’s encouragement, LaToya applied for the Lake Trust Foundation Community Impact Scholarship in the hopes of getting the chance to continue her education. A few weeks after applying, she learned the she had been selected for a full-tuition scholarship to Cleary University.

“I just couldn’t believe it. You really don’t know what people will see in you until you share your story,” said LaToya.

She’s now working on her Master of Science in Culture, Change, and Leadership at Cleary University and plans to work toward a doctorate degree. She also has another goal of one day opening her own daycare center. Her vision is to create a space that’s focused on cultivating and nurturing children’s social, cognitive, and developmental skills where students are taught individually based on their learning styles. As a teacher, LaToya is always looking for new ways to serve the community and help kids learn and grow.

New Beginnings Scholarship Story

The Opportunity To Give Back

“I'm so grateful to the Lake Trust Foundation for supporting my pursuit of a Bachelor of Science in cybersecurity through the New Beginnings Scholarship. I'm happy to report that with less financial pressure, I'm excelling in school and plan to achieve my first industry certification next semester. I'm thrilled to share the good news that I've gained full-time employment in the cybersecurity industry. Even better, I have the privilege of working with nonprofits and government organizations to use my new skills to serve communities all over Michigan!”

Amanda L., New Beginnings Scholarship recipient

New Beginnings Scholarship Story

The Path To Success

“I am completing my Computer Systems Technology Certificate at Washtenaw Community College this semester. Next semester I am enrolling in a transfer program to Eastern Michigan University for Network Technology Management/Cybersecurity & Information Assurance. I started a new job in January at Michigan Medicine. They offer a Service Desk Apprenticeship program that I applied for and got. It falls in line exactly with my career goals. Overall, I'm happy not to be working in a restaurant anymore and putting my education to good use. I'm very thankful for all the help.”

Keith A., New Beginnings Scholarship recipient

Read more about this story at:
The Lake Trust Latest
Holland Sentinel¹

Statistics on Moved By Good volunteering

2019 Moved By Good Day

How One Day Can Make A Difference

For the second year in a row, Team Lake Trust volunteered to give back to our communities during Moved By Good Day. More than 350 team members donated over 1,500 hours of service in 24 hours at 26 different volunteer sites. Each volunteer site was selected for the organizational focus on a basic human need of food, clothing, shelter, education, or health and wellness.

One popular volunteer activity involved working with our friends at Operation Warm to pass out brand-new winter coats to nearly 1,600 students at three elementary schools in Michigan. These jackets were purchased and donated through the Lake Trust Foundation. This is the second year in a row that we donated jackets after we learned how vital coats are to the health of children in the winter. This simple garment can improve attendance (so kids can safely walk to school) and make it possible for kids to go outside during recess in the winter to exercise.

One child told a volunteer, "Thank you so much! Now I don’t have to wear my mom’s coat anymore."

We visited Dove Academy in Detroit, Gardner Magnet International School in Lansing, and Holland Heights Elementary in Holland and helped students pick out coats in their size. Sharing our enthusiasm for the day, Congressman Bill Huizenga, State Rep. William Byrd, and State Senator Marshall Bullock joined us at the three schools where we volunteered and helped us pass out coats. Later, we received hundreds of letters of appreciation from the students.

In addition to our coat donation, we also collected, packaged up, and delivered nearly 100 boxes of school supplies to six additional schools, valued at over $12,600. Our donation included 6,534 pencils, 4,110 markers, 3,920 crayons, 3,420 erasers, and much more! The supplies were collected by Team Lake Trust in the weeks leading up to Moved By Good Day.

Our team also volunteered in community gardens, at food banks, in nonprofit stores, and more. In total, the credit union and the Lake Trust Foundation donated $62,056 between the 10 nonprofits where we volunteered our time and the purchase of nearly 1,600 new winter coats through Operation Warm.

Read more about this story at:
The Lake Trust Latest
Holland Sentinel¹

Lake Trust Foundation Golf Invitational

Putting For A Cause

For the seventh consecutive year, we were thrilled to once again host the Lake Trust Foundation Invitational, our largest yearly fundraiser, on Monday, September 23. Over 140 people joined us at Barton Hills Country Club in Ann Arbor for a day of golf and conversations about how we can make a difference in underserved communities in Michigan.

After golf, we were honored to hear from LaToya W., a Lake Trust Foundation Scholarship recipient. LaToya shared her plans to open an educational center one day and expressed thanks for being chosen as a recipient. With her full-tuition scholarship to Cleary University, she’s on a path to turning her dreams into a reality.

Thanks to our supporters, more than $90,000 was raised during this one-day event. These funds help us offer scholarships, grants to community organizations, make it possible for us to donate new winter coats to students in need, and allow us to donate to projects in Michigan that focus on meeting basic human needs.

View more photos on Facebook¹

Together, Lake Trust and the Lake Trust Foundation contributed $401,031 to Michigan communities in the form of sponsorships, grants, contributions, and scholarships in 2019.

View more photos on Facebook¹

Breakdown of Hours + Our Favorite Stories

Hover over each area to read more about how Team Lake Trust volunteering has made an impact.

Education

1576.59 Hours

Team Lake Trust collected enough paper, pencils, glue, markers, crayons, and other school supplies to fill 96 boxes. The supplies were donated to six schools in Michigan.

Food

1581.3 Hours

In one hour, one volunteer can sort enough food to feed 355 people at the Food Bank of Eastern Michigan. Our volunteer time at this organization equated to enough food sorted to feed 69,225 people.

Clothing

1144.55 Hours

During our Moved By Good Day volunteer activity with Operation Warm, we donated more than 1,600 new winter coats to students at elementary schools in Holland, Lansing, and Detroit.

Health

303.5 Hours

Over the holidays, Team Lake Trust made 289 blankets through a volunteer activity with Fleece & Thank You. The blankets were accompanied by encouraging videos from our team and distributed to sick children in hospitals across Michigan.

Shelter

607.25 Hours

Habitat for Humanity and Humble Design are popular choices for our team to volunteer. After opening our new Detroit Woodward branch, the team helped furnish a home for a family in need through Humble Design.

Other

1026.25 Hours

Additional time was spent volunteering for the State of Michigan Memorial Day Ceremony, community events, local career fairs, and more!

We worked with Michigan-based nonprofit Fleece & Thank You to make and donate blankets over the holidays.

6,240

Total Volunteer Hours

Community Networking Event

Connections, Conversations, and Cocktails

We were so excited to be part of the positive changes happening in downtown Detroit. To continue to foster this feeling of connectedness, we hosted an event to help the community come together.

“This is the only lending institution that I’ve heard of that says that we want to be a cornerstone to the community and figure out how to create growth and prosperity. This organization is very unique. As we venture farther into the future, we have some really exciting things happening. And companies like yours are going help to make it happen. And that’s a rarity.”

Adam Genei, founder and owner of Mobsteel

As part of the celebration of our expanded presence and investment in Detroit, we highlighted the grand opening of our Woodward relationship center and demonstrated our collaborative spirit by hosting a community networking event. On September 25, we brought together over 150 business leaders, influencers, nonprofits, and other local organizations at a one-night event at the College for Creative Studies.

In addition to collaborative conversations, we were able to celebrate and support Humble Design and other community partners. Adam Genei, Lake Trust business member and the owner of Detroit Steel Wheel Co., was a guest speaker at the event where he encouraged attendees to find ways to support growth in the city.

We realize that it’s important to form relationships with like-minded individuals who are passionate about giving back to their communities. Months later, the connections we formed during this event have proved invaluable on our mission to build a better future for everyone in Michigan. Together, we can create a positive impact.

We will advocate and inspire community engagement.

Lake Trust Foundation Scholarships

Investing in Education