M1 Awards $18,750 to New Dawn Shelter

Members First is proud to announce it will award $15,000 in grant funds to New Dawn Shelter via the Federal Home Loan Bank of Indianapolis’ Community Multiplier – Member Match program. By contributing $3,750, M1 unlocked a 4-to-1 match from FHLBank Indianapolis, resulting in a total investment of $18,750 to support New Dawn Shelter’s Powering Hope campaign to preserve affordable housing in rural Michigan.

Members First Credit Union CEO, Carrie Iafrate, celebrates this partnership, “We are proud to leverage our partnership with FHLBank Indianapolis to support New Dawn Shelter's Powering Hope campaign. This critical infrastructure upgrade ensures that when hazardous weather strikes, vulnerable families in our rural communities will have a warm, secure, and uninterrupted safe haven when they need it most. At M1, encouraging a better tomorrow means fostering safety & resiliency within our communities, no matter the circumstances.”

The shelter’s Powering Hope campaign will install a commercial backup generator and upgrades to its hot water heater and commercial appliances. Currently power outages pose an immediate threat to the refuge the shelter provides. Without power, the shelter faces emergency evacuations, loss of refrigerated medical supplies, food spoilage and the complete loss of heating or cooling.

“The Powering Hope campaign is more than a project—it's a promise to our entire community,” says Candace Pennell, New Dawn Shelter Program Director, “Every gift helps ensure that New Dawn Shelter stands ready to support not only our guests, but also our greater region in times of need. Together, we are building a stronger, more resilient community—one where no one is left without support, even in the darkest of times.”