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At Last! Toledo Urban Federal Credit Union Groundbreaking
Ceremony
Sojourner’s Truth Staff
Finally! After years of
fundraising, the Toledo Urban Federal Credit Union has at
long last broken ground for a new facility on the corner of
Dorr Street and Detroit Avenue. On Sunday, May 3, 2015, as
hundreds of credit union members, neighbors, elected
officials and supporters gathered to place shovels in the
ground and turn a dream into reality.
The new 3,200 square-foot
building will take TUFCU out of its cramped quarters in a
nearby strip mall and offer members three times the amount
of space in which to conduct their financial affairs.
In a ceremony befitting
the faith-based credit union, Bishop Brehon Hall opened with
a prayer and Board President Frances Smith took the
attendees through a brief tour of the history of TUFCU. The
shoebox start and the early period of wandering from
building to building until the present site was offered.
Bishop Duane Tisdale of
Friendship Baptist Church, who conceived the notion of a
central city financial institution, spoke of the reasons for
that inspiration and U.S. Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur
congratulated TUFCU CEO Suzette Cowell, the staff and board
of the credit union for the hard work that has kept the
dream alive and indeed thriving in recent years. Today the
credit union has well over 3,000 members.
Kaptur also presented a
U.S. flag to Richard La Valley, president of the Toledo
Urban Foundation, Inc. which has been so instrumental over
the past several years in raising the funds for the new
facility.
Also speaking at Sunday’s
groundbreaking were Toledo Mayor Paula Hicks-Hudson, herself
a TUFCU member; Lucas County Administration Laura
Lloyd-Jenkins, Lucas County Commissioner Carol Contrada and
Pastor Cordell Jenkins of Abundant Life Ministries. |
