Mission Fed Credit Union, the largest member-owned, not-for-profit, full-service financial institution exclusively serving San Diego County, received $25,000 in grant funding from the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco’s 2022 Access to Housing and Economic Assistance for Development (AHEAD) Program. Locally, the grant was awarded to Urban Corps of San Diego County (Urban Corps) to provide direct financial assistance to its Corpsmembers.

The AHEAD Program enables FHLBank San Francisco members, like Mission Fed, to give a critical boost to local programs and projects that target pressing community needs. The grants help create a brighter, more equitable future for underserved people, neighborhoods and communities.

Urban Corps is a certified local conservation corps whose mission is to provide young adults with the tools to expand their career opportunities through education, life skills training and paid work experience. The organization offers a work-learn program that allows Corpsmembers the opportunity to learn real-world job skills that enables them to give back to the community while earning their high school diploma and receiving a paycheck. Urban Corps also provides additional support services to its Corpsmembers related to childcare, housing and transportation. The AHEAD grant will fund direct financial assistance to Corpsmembers using these services allowing them to successfully complete the program.

“Many of our Corpsmembers have challenges in their lives that have prevented them from earning their high school diploma. Urban Corps provides them with a second chance for their diploma while giving them paid job training that encourages civic engagement, responsibility and self-sufficiency — these are game changing opportunities for young people in our community,” said Kyle Kennedy, CEO of Urban Corps. “We thank and applaud Mission Fed and FHLBank San Francisco for helping us provide these critical funds to our Corpsmembers.”

Urban Corps estimates that approximately 100 Corpsmembers will be served with this financial support. For more about the program or how to become a Corpsmember, visit www.urbancorpssd.org.

As part of the grant, Mission Fed will provide ongoing one-on-one financial education and counseling for Corpsmembers who utilize this funding to support their ongoing financial success.

“Urban Corps has given thousands of underserved, low-income young adults the opportunity to improve themselves while improving their own communities,” said Doug Wright, Chief Financial Officer at Mission Fed. “Mission Fed is honored to help support Urban Corps and provide critical financial literacy expertise to build resiliency throughout our most under-resourced communities. We’re grateful to FHLBank San Francisco’s partnership and the AHEAD grants they provide to our region.”

FHLBank San Francisco is a member-driven cooperative helping local lenders in Arizona, California, and Nevada build strong communities, create opportunity, and change lives for the better. This last year, FHLBank San Francisco awarded $1.5 million in grants to 55 projects that will boost economic development activity and promote financial stability in communities throughout Arizona, California and Nevada. 

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