Guadalupe Center receives $20,000 grant from Suncoast Credit Union
Suncoast Credit Union Foundation has awarded Guadalupe Center a $20,000 grant to improve instruction and provide tuition assistance for students in the Early Childhood Education Program.
Guadalupe Center’s Early Childhood Education Program, which is nationally accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), serves 535 students from 6 weeks to 5 years old across five educational campuses in Immokalee. The early learning program focuses on building academic, social, emotional and behavioral skills needed for success in elementary school and beyond.
“Suncoast has a goal of enhancing education and learning in the communities it serves, and that’s what Guadalupe Center has been doing for the past 40 years,” said Dawn Montecalvo, president and CEO of Guadalupe Center. “Partnerships with Suncoast and other community-minded philanthropic organizations allow us to provide academic programs that are both high-quality and affordable.”
The average cost for a student in Guadalupe Center’s Early Childhood Education Program is $54 per week, a rate based on household income. The remaining educational costs are covered through private philanthropy and grants. In addition to tuition assistance, grant funding from Suncoast will help Guadalupe Center purchase learning materials and classroom supplies.
Suncoast Credit Union founded the Suncoast Credit Union Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, to support educational initiatives, as well as benefit sick children and their families. The foundation is a vehicle for Suncoast to support the communities it serves and help the people who live there. Since its inception in 1990, the foundation has raised and donated over $40 million to help provide a better future for children.
“At Suncoast, we believe that education has the power to transform lives,” said Kourtney Berry, executive director of the Suncoast Credit Union Foundation. “This donation is an investment in our future leaders, as the work of the early learning program helps children build a strong foundation for success.”
About Guadalupe Center
Established in 1984, Guadalupe Center provides high-quality, lifechanging educational programs to more than 1,950 students annually. Recognized nationally as a model for nonprofits serving students from low-income, rural communities, Guadalupe Center is creating a cycle of prosperity through education for students and families in Immokalee. The organization offers three highly successful programs – the nationally accredited Early Childhood Education Program, After-school Tutoring & Summer Enrichment Program and college-preparatory Tutor Corps Program – that foster personal and academic success leading to economic independence. Platinum-rated by GuideStar, Guadalupe Center is generously supported by private donors, philanthropic organizations and community partners. For more information, please visit GuadalupeCenter.org or call 239-657-7711.
About Suncoast Credit Union
Suncoast Credit Union is the largest credit union in the state of Florida, the 8th largest in the United States based on membership and the 11th largest in the United States based on its $17.5 billion in assets. Chartered in 1934 as Hillsborough County Teachers Credit Union, Suncoast Credit Union currently operates 78 full-service branches and serves more than one million members across Florida. As a community credit union, anyone who lives, works, attends school or worships in Suncoast Credit Union’s service area is eligible for membership. In 2021, Suncoast Credit Union’s field of membership was expanded to include public K-12 teachers, college educators and educational support staff from all of Florida’s 67 counties. Suncoast is passionate about community support. Since its founding in 1990, the Suncoast Credit Union Foundation has raised and donated more than $40 million to organizations and initiatives that support the health, education and emotional well-being of children in the communities that the credit union serves. For more information, visit suncoastcreditunion.com or follow us on social media: Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram.
