Credit unions are invested in their communities. Stride Credit Union’s Portage la Prairie branch recently donated $1,200 to the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Plains.

The funds were the proceeds from Stride's community barbeque held on Sept. 26. The fundraiser was a lunch event offering meals in support of the local non-profit that serves Portage and surrounding communities in the region. Each year, Stride chooses different organizations in need to support with various charitable initiatives.

The donation will help the organization to do its work, such as giving opportunities for the youth of their community such as finding mentors for children on the waitlist and ensuring the resulting matches are safe and positive.

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Source: Penticton Herald

Big Brothers Big Sisters receives $1,200 boost from Stride Credit Union

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Plains recently received a $1,200 donation from Stride Credit Union in Portage la Prairie.

The funds were the proceeds from Stride's community barbeque held on Sept. 26. The fundraiser was a lunch event offering meals in support of the local non-profit that serves Portage and surrounding communities in the region. Each year, Stride chooses different organizations in need to support with various charitable initiatives.

Dawn Froese, executive director of BBBS of Central Plains, said the money will be used to support the organization's general mentoring programs.

"We're very thrilled," Froese said Wednesday. "It just reinforces that people see what we do is needed within our community."

Froese said the donation helps the organization do its work, which includes finding mentors for children on the waitlist and ensuring the resulting matches are safe and positive.

"(It helps us) to provide the training that's needed for the volunteers and the families, and just give opportunities for the youth of our community," she said. "It allows us to continue doing that work."

The organization is also preparing for its "Winter Wonderland" fundraising event, which is scheduled for Nov. 28-30. Froese said more details on the event will be released on Nov. 1.

Despite the financial support, Froese noted that the organization is still in great need of volunteers.

"Right now, I'm looking for a mentor for a girl in Oakville," she said, adding they are also looking for "some men or a couple who would be willing to mentor some of the young guys that we've got."

More information on volunteering can be found on the organization's website: centralplains.bigbrothersbigsisters.ca. You can also check out their Facebook and Instagram pages. You can also reach them by phone at 204-857-4397.

— Renée Lilley is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter who works out of the Portage Graphic. The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada.