PENSACOLA, Fla.–The employees of Pen Air Federal Credit Union presented a total of $15,000 to three local nonprofits during the first quarter of the year. The Secret Place, Children’s Home Society of Florida, and the Santa Rosa Kids’ House each received a gift of $5,000 to enhance the lives of the people they serve.
The funds are raised through Pen Air’s Jeans for Communerosity (J4C) program, which is an employee-driven fundraising effort to give back to those in need in the community. Each year, employees nominate local nonprofit organizations to be voted on as recipients of this philanthropic program. Funds are raised through payroll deductions, J4C days, and J4C t-shirt sales. The funds raised by the employees are matched by Pen Air and divided equally among the voted charities for the year.
Through J4C, the employees have given more than $240,000 since the program began in 2013. By the end of 2019, more than $290,000 will be given back to make a difference.
The funds given to the Secret Place will go towards building the residential facility where young girls, ages 12 – 17, who are survivors of human sex trafficking will go for healing. The funds given to the Children’s Home Society of Florida will go towards the CA Weis Elementary School’s families program, which encourages family engagement and participation. The funds given to the Santa Rosa Kids’ House will go toward their preventative and intervention services to reduce the number of abused children in Santa Rosa County.