Make an Impact This Women’s History Month
In recognition of Women’s History Month, First Federal Lakewood will match every donation to YWCA Greater Cleveland made between March 8th and March 27th, up to $1,000.
WHAT YOUR GIFT MEANS:
YWCA Greater Cleveland is dedicated to building community, empowerment and promoting peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all. Founded in 1868, we are the seventh-oldest YWCA in the country and one of the oldest continuously operating nonprofits in Cleveland.
YOUR GIFT HELPS US PROVIDE:
Supportive housing for youth
Low-barrier emergency shelter
Permanent housing for elderly adults
Gold Star rated early childhood education
Who is Maggie Lena Walker?
Maggie Lena Walker (1864-1934) became the first woman in the U.S. to charter a bank, St. Luke’s Penny Savings Bank in 1903, and served as the bank’s president until her death in 1934. Walker was a leading advocate for women and African Americans in the segregated south, and founded St. Luke’s as a way to encourage them to harness their economic power by saving their money.
By 1920, St. Luke’s had helped more than 600 people buy homes. Walker’s vision and leadership set the standard for community lending institutions. Her bravery and trailblazing business spirit, at a time when women didn’t yet have the right to vote, is truly commendable. St. Luke’s included more than 50,000 members by 1924, and by 1930, St. Luke’s remained one of few banks to survive the Stock Market Crash of 1929.
St. Luke’s Penny Savings Bank eventually merged with two other banks to become The Consolidated Bank and Trust Company – still operating today in Richmond, Virginia.