Diversity Projects Get CUBacking

DES MOINES, Iowa - (10/20/04) -- John Deere Community CU said it hasawarded a total of $25,000 in small grants to seven localnon-profit organizations promoting community diversity. The grants,ranging in size from $1,000 to $10,000, went to: Family YMCA ofBlack Hawk County to fund its aquatic program for disabled people;Quota International of Waterloo for its 'Cops n' Kids' programpurchasing Hispanic, Bosnian and African-American-focused books togive to at-risk kids; United Sisters of Black Hawk County for its2005 Fall Freedom Fest promoting racial harmony in the area;Sturgis Youth Theatre, Cedar Falls, for its play, 'The MusicLesson,' about challenges faced by immigrants, especially Bosnians;Cedar Valley Diversity Appreciation Team, for its Youth StudyCircle program to improve race relations; National Alliance for theMentally lll. Of Black Hawk County to fund educational classes onmental illness; and Rotary Club of Des Moines for its 'Earn toLearn,' which provides mentors and reading partners for the diversestudent population at Wallace Elementary School. The credit unionhas awarded about $100,000 in diversity grants since starting theprogram in 1999.