Central One Federal Credit Union Donates $5,000 to Eliminate Student Lunch Debt for Shrewsbury Families

Central One Federal Credit Union has stepped up to support local families by donating $5,000 to pay off outstanding student lunch debt for families in Shrewsbury Public Schools. The donation was announced during the School Committee’s March 26, meeting and will help families who accrued meal debt before the state introduced universal free meals in 2023.

Presenting the donation on behalf of Central One were President & CEO Devon Lyon and Senior Vice President Dave Kaiser, both of whom emphasized the credit union’s commitment to supporting students and the broader community.

“You never truly know the power of a school lunch,” said Lyon. “It’s impressive, the amount of work and the litany of things that educators have to take into account on a daily basis, and all the challenges and opportunities that students bring in every day. It’s an honor and a privilege to be a very small part of that.”

Lyon also highlighted Central One’s broader commitment to education and financial literacy, saying, “To be able to donate time, money, or knowledge – it’s not lost on us that when we’re able to come in and do financial literacy training, you’re giving us a small window into helping affect students' lives. We’re honored to be a partner for the school. Whenever and however, we can help, we’re more than willing to do that.”

The donation was met with gratitude from the Shrewsbury School Committee. Member Lynsey Heffernan acknowledged the financial hardship many families face, saying, “Their children needed to eat, and they couldn’t afford to pay for the meal. When I think about those families who got themselves into that place, what that means, and having that debt hang over their heads … you’re helping to clean that slate. I’m very much appreciative.”

This donation is just the latest in a long history of community support from Central One Federal Credit Union, which is headquartered in Shrewsbury. In 2017, the credit union donated $750,000 to help fund the Shrewsbury High School turf field, and it continues to provide free meeting space for student career exploration programs.

“Thank you so much for being such a strong community partner,” said School Committee member Sandra Fryc.

For more information about Central One Federal Credit Union and its community initiatives, visit centralfcu.com.