- Omaha Cares and AKA Sorority each contributed $25 to give Wakonda Elementary fifth-graders $50 to open their first savings accounts at the Carver Legacy Center.
- The Carver Legacy Center, Omaha's first Black-owned financial institution, is once again serving as a launching pad for generational wealth this time starting with children.
- The program taught students not just how to save, but gave some families their first introduction to the historic significance of the institution in their own city.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
For the past few weeks, students at Wakanda Elementary School have been learning about bills and unexpected life expenses what they call "money out."
Now, they're getting a better understanding of "money in" as they set up accounts at the Carver Legacy Center.
Omaha Cares and AKA Sorority each contributed $25 to give each student a total of $50 to start their accounts.
Christie McDonald of AKA said the moment was memorable for everyone involved.
"To see them, the excitement of opening up that $50 account was amazing at the end of the journey," McDonald said.
It took a community effort to reach this point, teaming up to provide what could be the start of a lifetime of savings for these fifth-graders.
Karnetta Rushing, a business development officer at the Carver Legacy Center, said the program represents something long hoped for.
"This is kind of what we were all dreaming for," Rushing said.
Rushing said the center's work is about more than just this generation.
"Here we are in the 21st century, and we're starting out again to have this financial center in our community, to help those, to build wealth, starting with the young people, wealth starts right here with the children," Rushing said.
Rev. Portia Cavitt said the lessons extend beyond the classroom.
"In this economy in which we're living in, where people are always spending on what they want, that it's important to understand where money comes from, and how they can save it and have it for later years," Cavitt said.
For some families, the experience offered more than a financial lesson. Parent Leondra Middleton said she learned something new about her own city.
"I was born and raised here in Omaha, Nebraska, and I did not realize that this was the first Black-owned bank in Omaha. I am so thrilled just to be a part of this. It's wonderful," Middleton said.
Middleton said she was grateful her daughter, DeAndra, had the chance to take part.
"This experience have been absolutely fantastic. You know, growing up, I was not afforded these opportunities. So when Pastor P contacted me to allow DeAndra the opportunity to participate in this program, I was excited," Middleton said.
The Carver Legacy Center, near 24th and Lake, dates back to the 1950s and early 1960s, a time when many people in the Black community faced significant barriers to financial opportunities.
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