Great Lakes makes dual donations to United Way and Moreland Arts & Health Sciences Magnet School

Local employer Great Lakes Higher Education Corporation & Affiliates believes education has the power to change lives for the better. This fall, Great Lakes’ 1,800 employees united across the company’s eight offices to generously make pledges and donations to support local chapters of the United Way, and help improve education in local communities.

The 270 employees in the Eagan office raised $4,757 to benefit the Greater Twin Cities United Way. A corporate match of $4,757 will aid learning and growth at the Eagan office’s adopted school, Moreland Arts & Health Sciences Magnet School.

Principal Eric Bradley was thrilled to receive the unexpected check.

“The donation came as a complete surprise to our school community,” Bradley said. “We are very grateful to the Great Lakes staff for their ongoing generosity and support of our school.”

“Employee donations and the Great Lakes match combined raised $9,514 for the Eagan community,” said Kristi Looze, coordinator of the employee giving program Great Lakes Gives. “We are proud to partner with the United Way and our adopted schools to help improve education in all of the communities where our employees live and work.”

Moreland Arts & Health Sciences Magnet School will use the Great Lakes funds to purchase new library books for all of the kindergarten through 4th grade classrooms.

“This very generous donation will make a real difference in all of our classrooms by increasing the number of exciting and engaging books that our students have access to,” Bradley said.

Great Lakes is a nonprofit group that provides customer service to help borrowers nationwide repay their student loans. Earnings support a corporate philanthropy program that makes grants to colleges and community-based organizations to help students get into and through college. Headquartered in Madison, Wis., Great lakes has additional operating centers in Eagan; Rocky Hill, Conn.; Aberdeen, S.D.; Plano, Texas; and Boscobel, Eau Claire and Stevens Point, Wis. Each location has adopted a neighborhood school that serves a high percentage of students from low-income households. An annual United Way campaign also supports education initiatives in each of these local communities. In 2014, employee donations and the corporate match combined to raise nearly $215,000 for the United Way and Great Lakes’ adopted schools. For more information, visit home.mygreatlakes.org.