Better Together receives $5,000 donation from Suncoast Credit Union Foundation

Better Together, a nonprofit dedicated to families and children, has received a $5,000 donation from Suncoast Credit Union Foundation to support its programs.

These funds will support Better Together’s Better Families program in Hillsborough County, which builds strong families and prevents the need for foster care by empowering parents with meaningful connections, work opportunities, mentoring and short-term care for children.

“We are so grateful to Suncoast Credit Union Foundation for their generous support and belief in our mission,” said Megan Rose, CEO of Better Together. “These funds empower us to continue providing vital resources to families in crisis in Tampa, keeping families together and preventing the need for foster care.”

Suncoast Credit Union, Florida’s largest credit union, founded the Suncoast Credit Union Foundation to promote the education, health and emotional well-being of children in the community. Each time a Suncoast member uses their debit or credit card, the credit union donates four cents to the Foundation to fund local initiatives. Since its inception in 1990, the Foundation has raised and donated over $55 million.

“We want to help families reach their potential and that is the goal of Better Together and the mission of Suncoast Credit Union,” said Jeff Kunberger, executive director of Suncoast Foundations. “Children need stability, functional parenting and safe homes because that is the basis of strong communities. We are proud to support this meaningful work.”

Better Together works to prevent the need for foster care by building strong families and communities. When a parent needs support – due to homelessness, a medical emergency, or other crisis – Better Together volunteer host families provide a safe, loving home for the children short term, while staff and mentors empower the parents to secure employment, housing and other needs. Because job loss is at the root of most family crises, the Better Together workforce program provides opportunities for all job seekers through relational job fairs and volunteer job coaches.

To date, Better Together has served more than 15,000 children, and 98% of children served through mentoring and hosting remain out of foster care. The nonprofit has also connected more than 45,600 job seekers to employment opportunities through church-based job fairs across 24 states.

To learn more about Better Together and its mission, visit BetterTogetherUS.org.

ABOUT BETTER TOGETHER

Better Together is a nonprofit organization that helps parents going through a hard time keep their kids out of foster care, find work and address the root causes of their struggle so that they can reunite as a family with the tools and support system to thrive. A privately funded and professionally supported organization, Better Together is made up of volunteers who believe helping people help themselves is the best way to restore dignity and bring families together. Through the Better Families program, families are offered a preventive alternative to foster care while they get the help they need. To date, the program has kept 98% of children served out of foster care. The Better Jobs program was created to address the 76% of families that come to Better Together because of economic hardship tied to unemployment. In addition to community job fairs, the program offers job seekers coaching, guidance, support and encouragement through local church partners. For more information, visit BetterTogetherUS.org.

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 10th largest in the United States based on its $19.0 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 1.3 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 $55 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 Suncoast.com or follow us on social media: Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram.