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What started as a campaign to help five local teachers has grown into something much bigger at Dirigo FCU.
Dirigo launched its “Nominate a Teacher” campaign on social media, asking community members to nominate deserving teachers who could use some extra help purchasing classroom supplies. The original plan was to select five teachers and award each $500 for their classroom.
The response was overwhelming. Parents, students, friends, and community members shared stories about teachers who go above and beyond, often spending their own money to make sure their students have what they need.
After reading so many deserving nominations, the credit union decided five simply wasn’t enough. The campaign was expanded to nine teachers, each receiving $500, for a total of $4,500.
But it didn’t stop there.
After hearing the stories and seeing the need, employees throughout Dirigo’s branches and operations centers wanted to help, too. Each location selected a teacher to support and began collecting classroom supplies and other items specifically needed by that teacher.
What began as a $2,500 giveaway grew into a credit union-wide effort to support local educators and their students.
For Dirigo, it’s a wonderful example of what can happen when a community comes together: five teachers became nine, and nine awards inspired an entire credit union to do even more. This makes for a bright start for the upcoming school year!