Windsor, ON – Libro Credit Union, a dedicated longtime local partner, has generously committed $250,000 to the ongoing effort to eliminate child poverty in the Windsor and Essex County region.

The ProsperUs collective launched the Investors Table earlier this year, tasked with leveraging funding to support the rollout of solutions designed to eliminate the barriers to success that local children face, also known as the community’s Cradle to Career strategy.

The Investors Table is a group of community partners and philanthropists working alongside residents and service providers to create catalytic change, and they are very happy to welcome Libro Credit Union to their ranks. This is the first time that a group of local funders has come together to tackle a community challenge, by implementing a collaborative, pooled investment approach.

As an Investors Table member, Libro Credit Union will generously contribute a minimum of
$50 thousand per year over five years in support of the Cradle to Career (C2C) strategy. The C2C strategy has been developed by a cross-section of 40+ community partners and residents, with the support of the Backbone Organization, United Way/Centraide Windsor-Essex County.

“At Libro we use our business as a force for good to solve some of the greatest challenges facing our region,” says Liz Arkinstall, Libro Credit Union Purpose Integration Manager. “We are thrilled to be part of a new, systems changing approach to driving community impact.  Partnering with ProsperUs and the Cradle to Career strategy has potential to significantly change outcomes for local youth and be a model for other regions to learn from. We’re thrilled to be ‘all in’.”

“Libro Credit Union is a dedicated longtime supporter of programs that help our local community succeed,” says Shelley Fellows, ProsperUs Leadership Council Co-Chair. “If we want to create systemic change, we need strong partners like Libro working with us to create solutions like Ignite Academy. We are very happy to welcome them to the Investors Table.”

Ignite Academy is the first locally designed solution of the Cradle to Career strategy and launched in September. This program aims to scale up to support up to 360 students across six program sites. Ignite Academy will be hosted within neighbourhood school communities in both Windsor and Leamington, including General Brock, Begley, Immaculate Conception, St. James, St. Louis and Queen Elizabeth elementary schools.

“We are thankful for Libro Credit Union’s generous financial commitment and grateful they have come to the table,” says Jessica Sartori, ProsperUs Leadership Council Co-Chair. “We couldn’t implement these important solutions without the generous partners on the Investors Table, like Libro.


 

Libro Media Contact:

Mike Donachie
Communications Manager
Libro Credit Union
P: 519-672-0130 ext. 4344   M: 226-926-4068 | mike.donachie@libro.ca

Media Contact:

Dina Misur
Manager, Marketing & Communications
United Way/Centraide Windsor-Essex County, ProsperUs Backbone Team
M: 519-567-8735  |  dmisur@weareunited.com


 

About ProsperUs

ProsperUs is a collective of non-profit, government, health care, education, labour, business, and inspired residents with a shared vision of a prosperous Windsor-Essex County where every young person has the opportunity and support to succeed from Cradle to Career.

About Libro Credit Union

Libro Credit Union is a full-service financial institution serving more than 108,000 member-Owners through a network of digital services and 36 physical locations. As a trusted financial partner for more than 75 years, our passionate staff and commitment to our communities sets Libro apart.

Libro invests 100% of profits back into the people, businesses, and communities we serve. One of the ways we do this is by supporting organizations that are making a positive local impact helping to address some of the most challenging issues in southwestern Ontario in Employment, Financial Resilience, Local Food Accessibility and Housing. Libro is also proudly committed to making positive social and environmental impact as a certified B Corporation®, as an associate member of the Responsible Investment Association, and as Living Wage employer. To learn about becoming an Owner and what it means to bank with purpose, visit libro.ca.

About United Way/Centraide Windsor-Essex County

As the Backbone Organization, United Way took on the role of fiscal agent for the ProsperUs Collective. Financial contributions for the Cradle to Career strategy are directed through the non-profit organization. United Way also maintains oversight on the strategy’s impact through evaluation and continuous improvement, strategic and administrative support, and by working with the community to elevate the voices of residents in solution design