QUAD CITIES, Iowa–Five credit unions are among a group of 13 financial institutions serving the Iowa and Illinois Quad Cities that have pooled resources to give more than $130,000 to the United Way’s United for Equity Fund. The fund was created to address and solve inequities in education, income and health.
Among the financial institutions participating are Ascentra Credit Union, Bank of America, BankORION, Blackhawk Bank & Trust, Blue Grass Savings Bank, Deere Employees Credit Union, IH Mississippi Valley Credit Union, Northwest Bank and Trust, Quad City Bank & Trust, R.I.A. Federal Credit Union, SENB Bank, TBK Bank and The Family Credit Union.
“We are so grateful to the Quad-Cities area’s financial leaders for their inspiring collaboration to drive equitable change — and proud to be part of this unprecedented collaboration,” United Way President/CEO Rene Gellerman told QuadCities.com.
Added Northwest Bank and Trust President and CEO Joe Slavens, who was an early supporter of the United for Equity project and personally reached out to executives to do their part to raise living standards for everyone in the community, “This year, the spotlight on COVID-19 has been shared by the painful reality that despite the progress we have made to reduce minority disenfranchisement, we still have so much more to do. And, while we might like to think that inequity does not exist in Quad Cities, the United Way and the African American Leadership Society have tracked racial disparities that divide the community in areas that affect quality of life.”
Halfway to Goal
According to QuadCities.com, outreach efforts have resulted in local financial institutions accounting for more than half of the $200,000 goal for the United Equity Fund. The fund will provide grants to social entrepreneurs, grassroots organizations and nonprofits advancing innovative efforts aimed to reduce racial disparities.