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Giving
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Full hearts. Full stomachs.

As we continue to see the economic and social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, food banks across the state are seeing a large influx in the number of families who struggle with food insecurity—or the ability to provide enough food for everyone in the household.

According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, about 11% of adults with children in Michigan reported that their household sometimes or often didn’t have enough to eat from February 17-March 15, 2021. For comparison, only 3.4% of adults made this statement at some point in 2019.1

To help, the Lake Trust Foundation launched Meals for Michigan—a virtual food drive—in November 2020. With a goal of providing 100,000 meals to Michigan residents by the end of the year, we reached out to our members, community partners, and social media followers and asked them to partner with us in this effort. We found that a donation of just $10 can provide 30 meals for someone in need.

The launch of the campaign was a success, and we greatly exceeded our initial goal. By December 31, just seven weeks after starting the campaign, we raised enough funds to provide 146,878 meals to our neighbors in need. So far, the Lake Trust Foundation has distributed donations to Food Gatherers and Gleaner’s as a result of Meals for Michigan. The donations were greatly appreciated, as nonprofits (like many small businesses), have seen a decrease in funding since the onset of the pandemic.

Fundraising continues throughout 2021, with the goal of providing another 250,000 meals to Michigan food banks by year-end.

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The Lake Trust Latest

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Moved By Good volunteer

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Men golfing

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Lake Trust Facebook page2

After a dam break caused by heavy rains in Midland, the Lake Trust Foundation contributed $5,000 to the Midland Area Community Foundation to aid in relief efforts for the city.

Golfing for good.

On Monday, September 21, we hosted the eighth annual Lake Trust Foundation Invitational at Barton Hills Country Club in Ann Arbor. This yearly fundraising event provides an opportunity for Lake Trust supporters to connect with a shared passion for giving back to the Lake Trust Foundation, which enables generous donations to Michigan communities. The event this year brought in more direct donations and net proceeds from auction items than any previous golf outing, as we raised nearly $95,000.

This year, the Foundation earmarked a portion of the net proceeds from the event to aid students and families directly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. As a direct result of the funds raised at the golf invitational, we were able to support organizations like:

  • American Red Cross: We awarded a $5,000 grant to provide free COVID-19 antibody testing for every person giving blood.
  • Fair Food Network: We provided a $10,000 grant to Double Up Food Bucks program. This program provides a dollar-for-dollar match on fruit and vegetable purchases with SNAP benefits, giving families more access to healthy food.
  • Eastside Community Action Center: Our $6,000 grant helped this Lansing nonprofit upgrade their technology and replace their food pantry freezer. This organization provides meals for families and allows nearby residents to use the computer lab for employment needs.

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Lake Trust Facebook page2

After a dam break caused by heavy rains in Midland, the Lake Trust Foundation contributed $5,000 to the Midland Area Community Foundation to aid in relief efforts for the city.

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The power of an education.

We believe when each of us has power, we all have power. That’s why we’re passionate about education, offering unique scholarship programs through the Lake Trust Foundation that can help individuals get from where they are to wherever they want to go. Since 2013, the Lake Trust Foundation has awarded 39 scholarships to individuals in Michigan. Through a strategic partnership with Cleary University, five additional full-tuition scholarships with a total worth of $432,600 were awarded to individuals who plan to study at the university this year. With our partnership and the Foundation scholarship program, we’ve awarded a cumulative total of $779,160 to providing access to education throughout Michigan.

New Beginnings Scholarship

Between uniforms, tools, and tuition, starting a skilled trade career can be expensive, and scholarship opportunities can be hard to find. To support these in-demand careers in Michigan, we offered the New Beginnings Scholarship (worth up to $5,000) for the third consecutive year. Many of our recipients shared that the additional funding would make it possible for them to focus on schoolwork and complete their education rather than worrying about their finances.

The following individuals each received a New Beginnings Scholarship of $5,000 to put toward their education for a career in a skilled trade:

  • Trevonne Beacham – Hazel Park
  • Leena Bekkala – Howell
  • Charles Haller – Saginaw
  • Remy Hoelbl – Milford
  • Derek Maier – Grand Blanc
  • Matthew Kramer – Holland
Michigan Impact Scholarship

Through our partnership with Cleary University, we once again offered full-tuition scholarships to individuals looking to enter impactful careers in Michigan — focused on the needs of tomorrow. Our Michigan Impact Scholarship supports economic growth in our state by encouraging recipients to remain in Michigan after graduation, make a difference in the community, and contribute to the local workforce.

Our scholarship recipients had the option to choose an online or in-person learning environment, and the funds could be used for an undergraduate or graduate degree program. Each full-tuition scholarship was valued at $86,520 and could be used toward an in-person or online undergraduate or graduate degree program.3 Our Michigan Impact Scholarships were awarded to the following recipients:

  • James Bell – Howell
  • Kennedy Connolly – Brighton
  • Austin Farah – Flint
  • Brendyn Galloner – Bay City
  • Hunter Geisenhaver – Potterville

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The Livingston Post2

“I cannot simply put into words what Lake Trust has done for me. Lake trust has provided me with the opportunity to reach a level of education that was not accessible to myself. Without the support of Lake Trust Credit Union, I would be met with two options: Ask my Dad to give up his life savings, or not pursue my master's degree. The decision, of course, would have been simply to not pursue the degree.

Therefore, I owe this ability to pursue this degree to Lake Trust and its scholarship. When I leave Cleary University, I intend to pursue my dreams of establishing a multinational business, and the connections I have made at Cleary University, as a result of my scholarship, will support me.

Lake Trust has given me the tools to pursue my dreams and ambitions, and therefore enrich the lives of those who I'll employ and those in the local area.”

—James Bell, Michigan Impact Scholarship recipient

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James Bell

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The Livingston Post2

“I cannot simply put into words what Lake Trust has done for me. Lake trust has provided me with the opportunity to reach a level of education that was not accessible to myself. Without the support of Lake Trust Credit Union, I would be met with two options: Ask my Dad to give up his life savings, or not pursue my master's degree. The decision, of course, would have been simply to not pursue the degree.

Therefore, I owe this ability to pursue this degree to Lake Trust and its scholarship. When I leave Cleary University, I intend to pursue my dreams of establishing a multinational business, and the connections I have made at Cleary University, as a result of my scholarship, will support me.

Lake Trust has given me the tools to pursue my dreams and ambitions, and therefore enrich the lives of those who I'll employ and those in the local area.”

—James Bell, Michigan Impact Scholarship recipient

Lake Trust Team Members volunteering

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Our Team Member Volunteer Day volunteer time was valued at over $27,000 in savings for Michigan nonprofits.5

The positive impact of working together.

In Michigan alone, over 1.3 million people struggle with hunger each day.4 As the pandemic progresses, this issue is becoming more prevalent. Families are struggling with employment changes, the rising cost of groceries, and changes in schooling (where students can receive free or reduced-price meals).

Knowing that food insecurity is a pain point for many Michigan families, we decided to dedicate our third annual Team Member Volunteer Day toward hunger relief efforts. On October 12, 2020, 350 team members volunteered over 1,000 hours on their day off to give back to local nonprofits.

From processing non-perishable food donations to assembling meal kits for students, our team stayed busy throughout the day supporting Michigan communities. At five area food banks, we helped with the last harvest of vegetables and prepared garden beds for a new season. To support the high demand for personal protective equipment (PPE), several team members also volunteered from home to make face masks that were later donated to LACASA in Howell.

There’s power in working together. In accomplishing tasks both big and small. And in fulfilling unmet needs. Together, we can make sure that our neighbors are recognized and that no one goes to bed hungry.

Team Volunteer Day Impact
  • Made over 3,000 weekend food kits for students in partnership with Blessings in a Backpack, Clinton County Regional Education Service Agency, Weekend Survival Kits, and the Full Bellies Program
  • Processed over 11,000 pounds of meat and 7 pallets of nonperishable food for families at the Eastern Michigan Food Bank
  • Packed 1,000 dinner kits for Kids’ Food Basket in Holland
  • Prepared 6,318 pounds of food, which provided 5,346 meals to families in the Detroit area
  • Made over 900 face masks for LACASA Center in Livingston County

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The Lake Trust Latest

Our Team Member Volunteer Day volunteer time was valued at over $27,000 in savings for Michigan nonprofits.5

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Volunteer impact.

Giving back to our communities in the form of volunteerism, sponsorships, and donations is an important part of our work. Hover over each area to learn more about how our team contributed to Michigan neighborhoods and nonprofits by volunteering.

Robot icon
Education
940 Hours

Our team enjoys supporting local education efforts by volunteering at Girl Scouts Heart of Michigan and supporting area robotics clubs.

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Food
1,240 Hours

Each distribution from Gleaner’s Mobile Food Pantry provides 100-150 families with up to 30 pounds of food, including fresh vegetables, fruit, whole grains, and lean protein.

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Clothing
270 Hours

LACASA Collection, a popular volunteer site for our team, sells gently used items to directly support LACASA. Clients of the nonprofit can shop for essentials at no cost.

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Health
560 Hours

Wearing a face mask can significantly reduce the spread of COVID-19. Our team made and donated over 900 face masks to LACASA in Howell.

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Shelter
210 Hours

In addition to volunteering at local shelters, we’ve also supported several organizations focused on housing during our home loan giveback campaigns.

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Other
1,502 Hours

Our team supports small businesses by volunteering with area economic development associations and Chambers of Commerce.

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Community Engagement
2,240 Hours

We supported 48 businesses in Michigan through our crowdfunding campaign, Great Lakes Giveback.

The estimated national value of each volunteer hour is $27.20/hour, meaning our total volunteer and community engagement hours are valued at over $189,366.5

6,962

Total Volunteer Hours

18%

1Tracking the COVID-19 Recession’s Effects on Food, Housing, and Employment Hardships. (2021, March 25). Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. Retrieved from https://www.cbpp.org/research/poverty-and-inequality/tracking-the-covid-19-recessions-effects-on-food-housing-and

2Third party website. Lake Trust Credit Union is not responsible for the content, availability, security or compliance of any linked third party websites. In addition, the site's privacy policies may differ from those of Lake Trust.

3Based on 2021-2022 traditional, undergraduate tuition estimate at Cleary University for a 4-year, undergraduate program. Retrieved from https://cleary.edu/admissions/financial-aid/tuition-fees/

4Hunger in Michigan. (2021, March 17). Feeding America. Retrieved from https://www.feedingamerica.org/hunger-in-america/michigan

5Value of Volunteer Time. (2021, March 17). Independent Sector. Retrieved from https://independentsector.org/value-of-volunteer-time-2020/