Second Harvest’s Farm To Foodbank Initiative Receives $50,000 From Compeer Financial

MADISON, WI, August 25, 2023 – Officials from Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern Wisconsin and Compeer Financial announced today that the Compeer Financial Fund for Rural America is providing $50,000 to support the purchase of produce, dairy, eggs, and more from local farmers and food producers and distribution of the product to families struggling with hunger through Second Harvest’s Farm to Foodbank initiative. 

“Everyone deserves access to the food that makes them feel part of the community,” said Michelle Orge, president & CEO of Second Harvest Foodbank. “Local, fresh produce should not be out of reach for anyone, and thanks to tremendous support from many different sources including organizations like Compeer Financial we’re able to put nourishing food on the tables of those facing hunger in our community while supporting our local economies at the same time.” 

The goals of Farm to Foodbank are simple: 

• Provide more nutritious food to those facing hunger in southwestern Wisconsin 
• Support local farmers and food producers 
• Invest in the local economy 

Launched by Federal pandemic-relief funds allocated by Dane County, Farm to Foodbank has provided tens of millions of pounds of locally sourced food into our community. Working with over 55 local farmers and food producers throughout southwestern Wisconsin, in 2022 alone the initiative helped provide 3.8 million meals and generate more than $12 million in local economic activity. 

The $50,000 from Compeer was allocated through Compeer’s MORE for Agriculture grant which, now it its fifth year, supports innovative programs that encompass four qualities: 

• Mission: Aligns with the mission of Compeer Financial, enriches agriculture and rural communities 
• Opportunity: Provides a new opportunity for clients or future clients, fills a known void in agricultural and rural markets, is a new and innovative project 
• Replication: Can be replicated by others to serve different geographic areas, with the ability for future collaboration 
• Evolution: Evolves over time to create a better future for agriculture and rural America 

As part of the grant process, the Compeer Financial Fund for Rural America Trustees asked Compeer team members to identify programs and projects they believe create MORE for agriculture. In all, nearly $900,000 has been awarded to 20 organizations since 2019. 

“It is an honor to join forces with these groups that are truly creating positive changes in their communities through groundbreaking projects,” said Karen Schieler, senior corporate giving specialist at Compeer Financial. “The recipients of the MORE for Agriculture grants are trailblazers and creative thinkers in the field of food and agriculture. Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern Wisconsin exemplifies this. We hope projects and programs like this will motivate others to contribute further toward ending hunger.” 

The grant comes at a critical time for Second Harvest and its network of partner food providers like food pantries, meal sites, and shelters. In fiscal year 2023 – July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2023 – Second Harvest distributed 22.7 million pounds of food, more than any other fiscal year in its history. Recently, many of the food providers in the network have reported a 30%, 40%, and even 100% increase in the number of people seeking support. 

Summit Credit Union provides $700,000 in 2023 Federal Home Loan Bank grants to eligible homebuyers 

Media Contact:
Jason Waller
(608) 243-5000, ext. 6862
publicrelations@summitcreditunion.com

Summit Credit Union provides $700,000 in 2023 Federal Home Loan Bank grants to eligible homebuyers 

Qualified homebuyers received up to $10,000 in FHLB (Chicago) grants through Summit toward their down payment, closing costs, or pre-paid expenses. 

Madison, Wis — Summit Credit Union has provided its full 2023 allotment of $700,000 in grants from the Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago to eligible homebuyers, supporting their down payments, closing costs, or pre-paid expenses. 

Each year the Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago, a cooperative institution, provides Summit Credit Union, and other participating financials, grant money to qualifying homebuyers. When purchasing a property, consumers qualify if their annual income is less than or equal to 80 percent of the Housing and Urban Development (HUD) area’s median income. This varies across the state.  

“We love to help people find a way to buy their own home, so we’re excited to have provided all the grant money allotted to us,” said Kristin Nesbitt, Summit Credit Union’s Vice President of Mortgage Lending. “Our Mortgage Loan Officers, Processors and Underwriters are all focused on identifying opportunities like this for our members.” 

“We prioritize distributing these funds to help more people on their path to homeownership,” said Summit Credit Union CEO and President, Kim Sponem.  “This is the power of cooperatives working together for our members and it’s just one of many lending tools we use to help members achieve their financial goals.” 

About Summit Credit Union

Established in 1935, Summit Credit Union is a member-owned financial cooperative. Summit holds $6.6 billion in assets and has more than 250,000 members and 948 employees across 56 locations throughout south-central and southeastern Wisconsin. Since 2002, Kim Sponem has been CEO & President of Summit Credit Union, formerly known as CUNA Credit Union/Great Wisconsin Credit Union.    

Recognized for its excellence in employee engagement, in 2021, 2022 and 2023 Summit was named both a Top Workplace in the USA by Top Workplaces USA and a Top Workplace in the Madison area by the Wisconsin State Journal. In 2023 it has added a Top Workplace award in Milwaukee by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.        

For more information, visit www.summitcreditunion.com or call 608-243-5000 or 800-236-5560. For additional media information, visit https://www.summitcreditunion.com/about-summit/press-room or follow Summit on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.     

About Federal Home Loan Banks  
The FHLBank System was created by the Federal Home Loan Bank Act of 1932 as a government sponsored enterprise to support mortgage lending and community investment. The System is composed of 11 regional banks which are privately capitalized and owned as cooperatives by their members. Their regional distribution enables each bank to focus on the distinct needs of their individual communities. 

While only financial institutions may belong to a FHLBank, people everywhere benefit from them. Each year, the FHLBanks provide access to billions of dollars in low-cost funding to approximately 6,600 of America’s banks, credit unions, insurance companies and community development financial institutions.

Maydm Receives $500,000 Grant from American Family Insurance Institute for Social and Corporate Impact 

Maydm, a Madison-based nonprofit organization, has been awarded a $500,000 grant from the American Family Institute for Social and Corporate Impact. The Institute supports efforts to close equity gaps including partnering with organizations, governmental entities, and nonprofits to create stronger communities. With this grant, the American Family Insurance Institute will become the largest donor in Maydm’s history.

Maydm provides girls and youth of color in grades 6-12 with the skills, experiences, and connections to pursue careers in and change the face of STEM. As part of this mission, Maydm offers one-day workshops, afterschool and partner programs, immersive summer programs, and paid internships in various topics within STEM primarily to Dane County youth. For many students, these are their first formal experiences in STEM, and Maydm comes alongside them to host or coordinate training, workshops, immersive programs, advising, and work towards holistic success in the fields. 

This year has been an exciting year of growth for Maydm. In the third year of their internship program, Maydm placed 23 students in highly paid internships across the surrounding Dane County area, and even Milwaukee. This year they were able to host remote internships at their new Youth Innovation Space in downtown Madison which is designed for Maydm staff and interns, STEM program interns, and Maydm educational program students to be able work together in a communal coworking atmosphere. 

“Maydm exemplifies what we strive for at the Institute, in supporting girls and kids of color in their pursuit of STEM careers,” said Nyra Jordan, community and social impact investment director. “This investment will help Maydm continue their mission supporting our communities for years to come.” 

Over the next five years, the Institute will donate $100,000 to Maydm in support of Maydm’s career based programming. Maydm plans to use this funding to help administer and grow their STEM high school internship program, and develop additional youth apprenticeship and summer instructor   employment opportunities. This funding will also support additional co-working space and equipment in the Maydm office for youth to work in virtual internships and space for training. 

Dr. Christina Outlay said in speaking about the multi-year commitment from the Institute, “Maydm is focused on providing intentional programming that prepares our youth to pursue careers in STEM. We are expanding our career programming to deliver a more intentional pathway to move our girls and our youth of color from STEM awareness to inspiration to innovation and, finally, achievement of a STEM career. We want to support the whole student, not just their technical prowess. That means providing safe spaces for learning, career exploration and guidance, soft skill development, access to resources and equipment, earned income, and financial literacy. We are grateful to the American Family Insurance Institute for supporting our vision for the future and enabling us to develop our future STEM leaders. The Institute, along with American Family Insurance, and American Family Dreams Foundation, have been incredible strategic partners with Maydm.” 

Learn more about Maydm at maydm.org, including sponsorship opportunities that can support their work. Maydm is located at 203 S. Paterson St. Madison, WI. They host year round programming at a variety of sites, including their primary office, after school and community organization sites, and other partner sites throughout Dane County. Maydm is currently Celebrating Their Students through their 2023 Mid-Year Campaign. Each week a new Maydm student is highlighted to showcase the work that they are doing to change the face of STEM. You can help them reach their goal by donating here. 

Hausmann Group Hosts Charity Event to Celebrate Late Owner Jeff Hausmann

Hausmann Group is excited to announce an upcoming charity event, Rock the Block, on Saturday, August 5th, from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm, at the GHC parking lot located at 675 W Washington Ave.  The community is invited to attend the event, which will honor the late president and owner of Hausmann Group, Jeff Hausmann, who was deeply passionate about community giving.

During his distinguished 50+ year career with Hausmann Group, Jeff proved to be a pillar in business and the community. He volunteered on countless boards including the American Exchange Bank, the Madison Children’s Museum, and Children’s Theater of Madison. He served on the advisory board for St. Vincent de Paul, most notably as the co-chair of the Capital Campaign where he played a critical role in raising capital to build a new St. Vincent de Paul food pantry for those in need. In his memory, Hausmann Group will be raising funds for two of these charities: Children’s Theatre of Madison and St. Vincent de Paul.

Rock the Block is a fun-filled event for the whole family, with plenty of exciting activities planned such as food trucks, inflatable rides, games, drinks, music, and much more. Representatives from both charities will be present to talk about their mission and educate the community on their resources.

Tickets to attend are $50 each with children 12 and under free. Tickets can be purchased ahead of time on the Hausmann Group website: https://www.myhaus.com/rock-the-block-party or on the day of the event under the big tent. All ticket sales and donations will go directly to Children’s Theatre of Madison and St. Vincent de Paul.

Boilerplate:

Hausmann Group is a full-service independent insurance agency with offices located in Madison and Milwaukee, Wisconsin. For over 75 years, Hausmann Group has offered wide-ranging insurance and business services to clients both locally in Wisconsin and across the country.

Contact Information:

Rachel DeGrand, Director of Marketing & Communications

Phone: 608-252-9685

Email: rdegrand@myhaus.com

Website: https://www.myhaus.com/rock-the-block-party

Fenrici Brands Supports Local Back-to-School Events: 50% Discount for Local Organizations

Fenrici Brands, a Madison-based kids’ backpack company, is offering a 50% discount to local non-profits, businesses, and schools for their back-to-school events. This initiative supports the community and provides affordable, high-quality backpack options for students. To take advantage of this offer, interested organizations and schools can reach out to Fenrici Brands at bts@fenricibrands.com and mention the “Back-to-School Discount.” By partnering with Fenrici, the Madison community can ensure all students have a better chance of a successful new school season.