Credit Union 1 is honored to partner with Mike and Christine Golic and The Golic Family Foundation to support our local communities. Together, we are awarding grants to deserving nonprofits who are bringing about positive change in South Bend and beyond.
The CU1 x Golic Family Foundation grants will help to fund updates and renovation of the weight room at John Adams High School.
Tony Chelminiak, teacher and weight room instructor, has been running the weight room and teaching weights classes for three years—there was no program prior to him joining the school, so he has built the program from scratch with existing resources. The class has seen incredible growth and interest—in the first year 126 students were enrolled; this year there will be close to 300. Students during the school day take the class and use the weight room while athletes come in before and after school. Teachers are able to use the weight room as well, whenever they would like.
The grant will help purchase modern equipment and make improvements that keep the facilities on par with surrounding schools.
The South Bend Entrepreneurship and Adversity Program (SBEAP) offers an 11-month wrap-around solution for helping disadvantaged individuals start and grow businesses. Since 2000, they have trained and equipped 346 entrepreneurs in South Bend and have seen nearly 200 businesses launched.
To provide further support to these entrepreneurs and help them address unique challenges and problems that arise, The McKenna Center will be launching a drop-in center to facilitate ongoing support for entrepreneurs: The SBEAP Collaboration Hub. In addition to tailored support services, the site will offer expanded training, mentoring, and consulting on an ongoing basis. The CU1 x Golic Family Foundation grants will provide vital support to enable the optimal functioning of this Center.
Play Like a Champion Today provides leadership in a nationwide effort to change the culture of youth sports, partnering with sports organizations at the youth and high school levels to provide all children with an opportunity to play sports in a safe, fun, developmental and trauma-informed environment. They do this by educating ethically responsible sport leaders, working together with coaches, parents, athletic administrators and athletes to foster programs that promote both character development and athletic growth. Play Like a Champion Today locally runs the Michiana Athletic and Recreation Association (MARA) which collaborates with sport providers in the greater South Bend area providing sport and recreation opportunities to children regardless of their athletic ability or family’s income.
The CU1 x Golic Family Foundation grants will support Play Like a Champion’s work in the South Bend community to increase access for all children regardless of their athletic ability or family income and provide a safe, nurturing, fun and character-focused sport environment for our local youth.
Meow Mission was founded in 2011 to work towards lowering the community cat population through Trap/Neuter/Return, also known as "TNR".
The Meow Mission works with caretakers—those feeding outside cats—to help trap, neuter, vaccinate, eartip, and return the cats. The cats live out their lives free from the burdens of mating and reproducing. The colony (the group of cats) typically keeps new cats from moving in and the population eventually dies out through attrition. It is an effective and humane option for controlling the cat population.
Both the St. Joe Humane Society and South Bend Animal Resource center support TNR and often refer colony caretakers to The Meow Mission. Instead of impounding cats and euthanizing them, they allow The Meow Mission to TNR them. Neutered cats make much better neighbors by reducing the unwanted behaviors of mating, like yowling, fighting, and spraying. It's a win for residents, animal control, and the cats.
The Meow Mission, located in South Bend, is an all-volunteer nonprofit. The Meow Mission receives no funds from the city or government; we rely on donations from the public, grants, and fundraising events to operate—so the grant from CU1 and The Golic Family Foundation will support day-to-day operations. Since its inception in 2011, The Meow Mission has neutered over 11,000 community cats thereby preventing the births of tens of thousands of homeless kittens.
Know a nonprofit that you think would be a great fit for a grant from CU1 and The Golic Family Foundation? Nominate them!