Central One Federal Credit Union donates $50,000 to African Community Education

Central One Federal Credit Union (COFCU) recently donated $50,000 to African Community Education (ACE), a Worcester community organization dedicated to assisting African refugees and immigrant youth and families in achieving educational and social stability. The donation is in support of ACE’s Living Together Campaign, a comprehensive fundraising campaign to help ACE renovate its new facility at 51 Gage St in Worcester, expand its programs and services, and increase its long-term sustainability.

ACE’s programs include out-of-school-time and family education programs, mentorship opportunities, community outreach, and more. Since moving to their new facility in 2023, ACE’s programs and services have rapidly expanded. They now serve over 200 local families with outreach services and provide educational programs for over 120 adult learners and over 100 youth. 

The gift will help ACE to renovate their family education programming classrooms, which will provide space for COFCU to partner with ACE to provide a series of financial education workshops to ACE high school students and adults. 

“At Central One, we don’t just offer financial services; we invest in the financial futures of those we serve,” said COFCU’s President/CEO, Devon Lyon. “We firmly believe that empowering our members with financial education is not just a service – it’s our duty. ACE’s programs have done an outstanding job of building stronger communities. When like-minded organizations come together to create an impact, everyone benefits. It is a privilege to support the tremendous work of ACE.”

“We are extremely grateful for Central One’s generous contribution to our campaign and partnership,” said Kaska Yawo, ACE Executive Director & Co-Founder. “This gift will have a tremendous impact as we renovate the new ACE Center and expand access to education, outreach, and workforce development programs for thousands of African refugees and immigrants in the Central Massachusetts community. We look forward to partnering with them to provide much-needed financial education services for the ACE community.” 

To learn more about ACE’s mission and programs, please visit https://www.africancommunityeducation.org/. To learn more about Central One Federal Credit Union, please visit www.centralfcu.com.