SOUTH PORTLAND — Building upon the spirit of “love” shared on Valentine’s Day and underscoring its commitment to “local helping local,” Town & Country Federal Credit Union announced a significant contribution of $2,000 to the South Portland School Department to help support the learning needs of the Department’s nearly 350 students who do not have permanent housing. The contribution was formally accepted by the South Portland School Board at its meeting last night (Monday, Feb. 14). In the 2021-22 school year, South Portland Schools have seen a huge increase in students meeting the definition of “housing vulnerable.”
In his recent “State of the Schools” address to the South Portland School Board, Superintendent Tim Matheney, spoke of the large uptick in students enrolled in the school system this year “who are housing vulnerable this year.” Matheney said many of the students who do not have permanent housing are from other countries and are new to speaking English, which brings additional learning challenges. The South Portland School Department is very grateful for Town & Country’s generosity and collaboration in supporting the learning experience of these students who are so important to our community.”
Upon learning of the issues, Town & Country, which has two branches in South Portland, connected with South Portland Schools to determine ways in which it could make a difference and “make a positive impact on helping students have school supplies necessary for learning.” Jon Paradise, SVP of communications, marketing, and community outreach at Town & Country, explained, “Our philosophy of ‘local helping local’ runs much deeper than just finances – it is a commitment to helping individuals and communities thrive. We have a long history of identifying issues in the communities we serve and working to find solutions. Town & Country believes strongly in the importance of education, especially with our youth, and ensuring that students in K-12 have access to tools and resources to help them succeed in the classroom is an essential part of the learning process.”
Gretchen McCloy, director of community partnerships at South Portland Schools, said that the contribution will be used to purchase supplies ranging from notebooks and pencils to highlighters and backpacks, as well as headphones and earbuds, so students can access the online learning tools both at school and when doing their homework. “Some of these items will go to school with the children, and some will stay at home to help assist them with the projects they are doing at home. We are deeply appreciative of this amazingly wonderful contribution. We will certainly put it to good use to help our students.”
David Libby, president and CEO of Town & Country, added, “Our roots in South Portland date back to our beginning, so we certainly feel a deep connection to this community. Whether it’s people’s finances or making a difference in people’s lives in other ways, helping is who we are and what we do. It’s a core part of how our credit union approaches our members and all of the communities we serve. We work hard to make a positive impact every day.”
As Maine’s second largest credit union with 40,000 members, Town & Country is a full-service financial institution offering a wide range of financial products and services to people who live, work, go to school or worship in Cumberland and York counties. Designated as one of Maine’s ‘Best Credit Unions’ by Forbes in 2021 and 2020, the credit union has $510 million in assets, and is part of the second largest branch network in the country. To learn more, visit http://www.tcfcu.com.