Levo Credit Union Announces 10 Day Of Giving Recipients

A credit union is celebrating its opening in Sioux City by giving away $10,000 to Siouxland charities.

Levo Credit Union opened its first building in Sioux City, IA, January 21^st after purchasing its Singing Hills branch from Heritage Bank. To celebrate joining the Siouxland community, Levo’s foundation awarded 10 $1,000 donations to 501C3 non-profits in the Siouxland area.

“We learned about so many wonderful organizations in Siouxland through the Day of Giving,” says Jen McKeown, who leads the Levo Cares Foundation. “These charities have a lot in common with Levo, as we all believe in helping our communities.”

The non-profits selected to receive $1,000 donations were chosen through an application process and judged by a donations committee that included Singing Hills Branch employees. The committee selected non-profits based on IRS requirements, impact of the non-profit, and other factors. The charities were awarded their donations in an event at Levo’s Singing Hills Branch earlier today.

The 10 non-profits receiving donations were, in alphabetical order:

1. Boys & Girls Club of Siouxland
   The Boys & Girls Clubs of Siouxland offer safe, relevant, and quality programs and services for ALL youth and teens through community partnerships improving the well-being of youth, families, and communities. Funds will be used to supplement summer meals for in-need youth.
   
   
2. Martha’s Mission
   Martha’s Mission is a community collaboration designed to offset costs teachers spend on classroom supplies, including helping kids who can’t afford school supplies.

3. Mary J. Treglia Community House
   Founded in 1921, Mary J. Treglia Community House provides legal, education, and family services to help people who are new to the United States and Siouxland. Funds will be used to create a small culture-friendly food pantry.

4. Noah’s Hope Animal Rescue, Inc.
   Noah’s Hope has always had the motto to serve the “underdogs”. They try to rescue and rehabilitate dogs and cats who are no longer wanted – the old, the injured, and those left to fend for themselves. Funds will be used for supplies needed to rescue and care for animals, such as kennels, food, and rescue equipment.

5. Sioux City Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center
   The Sioux City Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center serves more than 35,000 guests per year with cultural and historical programming, working to preserve the history of the Siouxland area and educate guests about its cultural significance. Funds will be used to continue to provide free educational programming for the underprivileged.

6. Siouxland Habitat for Humanity
   Habitat for Humanity of Siouxland helps provides quality, affordable housing for hard-working, low-income families in the tri-state area. Funds will be used to purchase materials for a home built by the Sioux City Community School District’s Career Academy.

7. Sunnybrook Hope Center
   Sunnybrook Hope Center serves people in crisis by covering basic needs such as food assistance while working to prevent homelessness, including food pantries in both Sioux City and Le Mars and coaching to help get folks back on their feet after a setback. Funds will be used to purchase discounted food for the food pantry.

8. The Crittenton Center
   The Crittenton Center offers childcare and preschool programs, family resources, shelter for kids in foster care who are between homes, and child abuse prevention. Funds will be used to purchase items like hygiene necessities and first aid kits for homeless youth.

10. The Gospel Mission
    The Gospel Mission of Siouxland is a nonprofit, non-denominational Christian ministry dedicated to serving the homeless in Siouxland since 1938. It offers food, clothing, and shelter to those who need it. Funds will be used to buy mattresses and bedding to replace current inventory in the Gospel Mission’s three shelters.
    
    
11. United Way of Siouxland
    United Way of Siouxland supports dozens of organizations in the area. These funds are being used for the Dolly Parton Imagination Library, which gifts books free of charge to children from birth to age five.

“Just because an organization wasn’t chosen for a donation today doesn’t mean they will not receive one this year,” says McKeown. “We plan to continually evaluate our donation strategy in Siouxland so that we can be a valuable part of this community.”

Last year the Levo Cares Foundation – funded mostly by Levo and by Levo employee donations – gave more than $99,000 in goods and services to over 80 causes. Not only that, but its employees also volunteered more than 1300 hours for charitable organizations. Levo offers employees paid time during work hours to volunteer and gives credit towards vacation time to employees who volunteer during non-work hours. Levo also holds periodic charitable collections in its branches and offers bags of its own brand of coffee called “Perky” in exchange for donations to local non-profits.

In December 2023, Levo announced an expansion of its service area from 4 counties around Sioux Falls to 29 counties along the I-29 corridor in South Dakota, Iowa, North Dakota, and Minnesota. Levo already offers online financial services in all 29 counties, including several Iowa and South Dakota counties in the Siouxland area. To learn more, go to levo.org.