The Osoyoos Credit Union has continued its longstanding tradition of giving back to the community.
Last Friday, Osoyoos Credit Union manager Greg Sol, along with veteran employees Michelle Quail and Richard Alexander, handed over a cheque for $10,000 to management with the Osoyoos Childcare Centre.
The childcare centre will use the money to build a permanent play structure in its courtyard.
The childcare centre was selected as this year’s recipients of a Concentra Financial Empowering Your Communities $10,000 grant.
Concentra is the Osoyoos Credit Union’s finance and trust solutions partner, along with other Credit Unions from coast to coast, said Quail.
Concentra has developed the Empower Your Community Initiative, which invites its partner Credit Unions from across Canada to submit applications for a project in their community which embodies credit union/co-operative values, she said.
In March, the Osoyoos Credit Union submitted an application to support a new play structure for the Osoyoos Child Care Centre, which had to have their main play structure removed due to licensing requirements, said Quail.
This has been a significant loss for the children who attend the centre, she said.
The Osoyoos Child Care Centre is a non-profit organization that has been serving families in the community since 1997. Today, they offer infant/toddler care, daycare services, pre-learning and Kids Klub after school programs.
The organization currently supports 52 families with many more families on their waiting list.
After receiving 77 applications from credit unions across Canada, an employee-driven selection committee choose the Osoyoos Credit Union’s application.
Thanks to the support from Concentra, the Osoyoos Credit Union was able to provide $10,000 to the child care centre towards the new play structure, which will cost approximately $30,000 to build, said Osoyoos Child Care Centre general manager Karen Greig.
Sol said he, along with staff and the credit union’s board of directors, are very pleased to continue the tradition of supporting yet another of the many worthy organizations within the Osoyoos community.
Greig said the $10,000 donation is very much appreciated and came as a complete surprise.
“We thought the credit union was engaging in a random act of kindness and were bringing over cake and balloons,” she said. “When they showed up today and announced the $10,000 donation to go towards our new play structure, we were all blindsided. Mind you, it was very nice to be blindsided in such a way.”
The child care centre has filed an application to the national Tire Stewardship Program that recycles old tires to help build the rubberized base for play structures like the one being built in Osoyoos and they hope to hear good news from that organization in the very near future, said Greig.
The Osoyoos Credit Union has been giving back to the community for decades and deserve credit for doing so, she said.
“There are many good things about credit unions, but the biggest in my opinion is they have community investment, they care about their community and they give back to their community,” she said. “Most of their members live right here in town and they have a vested interest in trying to improve their community.”
The children who attend the Osoyoos Child Care Centre are very excited that they will soon be playing on the new outdoor play structure, she said.
“We’re hoping to have the entire structure built and in place by September,” she said. “There’s incredible value in getting kids outside to play as it improves fitness, builds self confidence, teaches them how to play with others and generally improves mental health,” she said. “We’re all really looking forward to having our new play structure in the very near future.”
