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Financial Literacy Program Begins with Kansas City Credit Union and Royals Nicky Lopez

YMCA of Greater Kansas City
Junio 8, 2022
Nicky Lopez presents a check to Andre Sigler, Associate Executive Director of the Linwood YMCA, to fund financial literacy programs

Kansas City Credit Union launched the “Catch Success” campaign for financial literacy along with Kansas City Royals infielder, Nicky Lopez, with a $10,000 donation to the Y. The check was presented at an event at the Linwood YMCA/James B. Nutter, Sr. Community Center, on Friday, June 3, 2022.

"Today, now more than ever, financial literacy is a requirement for success in life," said Nick Richmond, CEO of Kansas City Credit Union and former UMKC basketball standout. "It’s important that we, as a credit union and financial institution with 80-plus years of history in this community, step forward to help put the youth of Kansas City in a greater position to build generational wealth. After talking to Nicky Lopez and learning of his previous work with the Y and his commitment to helping KC kids, we knew that ‘Catch Success’ was going to be a great partnership.”

"Catch Success" is part of the Linwood YMCA’s 12-week Launch Pad program, in which students in grades 6 through 12 spend their summer in an environment of academic support, enrichment and recreational activities. As part of 5-day-a-week enrichment activities, KCCU staff members will visit the Linwood Y weekly and interactively teach the kids about managing money.

Through the program kids will learn how to budget their money for both short and long-term purchases, how interest is accrued by saving over time, how to plan for future financial success and much more. Nicky Lopez will join the weekly program several times, working with the kids to help them get excited about financial success – and he might even bring along a friend or two to share more than just how to hit financial goals out of the park!

“I am excited to be working on this program with KCCU and the Y,” said Lopez. “Financial Literacy isn’t an accident. If no one teaches you how to open a savings account or how to balance a checkbook, the odds of having success with money and staying out of debt are long. Even as pro ballplayers many of us have a huge learning curve learning how to manage our money for the long term. There aren’t many pro ballplayers that play the game forever – choices we make now have an effect on future opportunities. And baseball is a game of numbers – like batting averages and slash lines – so we’re just applying some of those examples to make Catch Success more interesting to kids at the Y.”

To add even more excitement to this new program, each youth who successfully completes the Catch Success program at the Y will receive a $25 savings account at Kansas City Credit Union – as a head start toward a lifetime of positive financial experiences. Throughout the summer kids will learn about money, receive paychecks, buy goods and snacks in the Catch Success store with pretend money they earn, and learn the benefit to saving money for longer-term purchases and unexpected expenses.

The real home run of the Catch Success campaign is for every 200 new member accounts opened at Kansas City Credit Union this summer, Lopez and Kansas City Credit Union will donate an additional $10,000 – up to an expected total of $50,000 for Launch Pad and other enrichment programs at the Linwood Y.

“The YMCA is both grateful and hopeful about Catch Success,” said Andre Sigler, Associate Executive Director of the Linwood YMCA. “When athletes like Nicky Lopez and organizations like Kansas City Credit Union step up to help influence the future success of young people in Kansas City, we all win. ‘Catch Success’ is not just a name, it is a hands-on part of our weekly Launch Pad programming at the Linwood Y. The KCCU team has worked with the YMCA team to design a program that is both fun and interesting to kids – one that we think will have real results. And the fact that Nicky Lopez has agreed to join us for several sessions is another huge win, the kids will love it.”

About Kansas City Credit Union
Kansas City Credit Union opened their doors in 1940 to serve the employees of the City of Kansas City, Missouri. Today, if you live, work, or worship in Jackson, Cass or Clay County, Missouri, you are eligible for membership. You are also eligible if you are an employee of the City of Kansas City Missouri, Truman Medical Center, or the KCATA (The Metro). Once qualified, family members are also eligible to become members. Members can open a My KC Savings Account with a minimum $25 balance. Kansas City Credit Union exists solely to serve our members in the Kansas City metropolitan area. Every dollar you invest in Kansas City Credit Union is reinvested in you in the form of high deposit interest rates and low loan rates.

About YMCA of Greater Kansas City
Driven by its founding mission, the YMCA of Greater Kansas City has served as a leading nonprofit committed to strengthening community since 1860. The Y empowers everyone, no matter who they are or where they’re from, by ensuring access to resources, relationships and opportunities for all to learn, grow and thrive. By bringing together people from different backgrounds, perspectives and generations, the Y’s goal is to improve overall health and well-being, ignite youth empowerment and demonstrate the importance of connections in and across communities. The Y has the long-standing relationships and physical presence not just to promise, but to deliver, lasting personal and social change.