Financial Center Partners with Mozel Sanders to Provide Scholarships and Bring Thanksgiving to Hungry Hoosiers
For the 17th year, Financial Center First Credit Union partnered with the Mozel Sanders Foundation and WISH-TV to provide scholarships to local students and sponsor fundraising efforts that led to more than 11,000 Hoosiers having a warm Thanksgiving dinner.
On Wednesday, November 15, nine middle and high school students were invited to the Indianapolis headquarters of Financial Center for the annual Rev. Roosevelt Sanders Scholarship presentation. The deserving students, nominated by local educators, were awarded a combined $4,300 to pursue higher education opportunities. During the ceremony, attendees heard from Stephen Sanders, CEO of the foundation, and Cam Minges, President and CEO of the Credit Union.
Sanders explained to attendees that the scholarship program honors the legacies of his father, Rev. Roosevelt Sanders, and his grandfather, Rev. Mozel Sanders. “When he passed, my father saw, ‘Hey, this is a way to build our legacy, this is a way to also help people,’ so it’s a big thing. It’s sustaining our family now and it’s sustaining the community of Indianapolis, so just having that vision. It’s up to me to keep that vision alive.”
Minges emphasized the importance of financial wellness to the students and provided them with the advice that “it’s never too early to start planning for your financial life ahead.” During his remarks, Minges shared that the Credit Union has provided over $80,000 in scholarship contributions to students since forming the alliance with the foundation. Students were welcomed to become members of Financial Center and begin receiving the financial education benefits and competitive products that the institution provides its to nearly 70,000 members.
At the conclusion of the ceremony, Financial Center provided a surprise contribution of $1,500 to the Mozel Sanders Foundation in support of their community initiatives.
In addition to the scholarship program, Financial Center served as the title sponsor for the annual donation drive alongside WISH-TV to raise funds for Mozel Sanders thanksgiving dinner program. Funded through contributions of local viewers, the foundation provided hot meals to 11,000 local residents on Thanksgiving Day. Hundreds of volunteers, including Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett and Governor Eric Holcomb, came together to cook and prepare traditional thanksgiving favorites on the campus of Butler University.
“We’re so thankful for what the Mozel Sanders Foundation does in our community and the partnership we have with WISH-TV to support this cause – and it’s going to continue for many years to come,” said Dusty Simmons, Executive Vice President of Financial Center.