As part of their 75th Anniversary Celebration, Bank Independent gave away $75,000 in community grants to organizations that make a positive difference in the communities they serve. The Athens State University Foundation was one of only 11 organizations across the Tennessee Valley to be awarded one of the $5,000 grants. Athens State was the only university to receive a community grant.
The community grant will be used to support the University’s Men of Kennis program, which is actively working to support men of color on their path to becoming teachers in Alabama. Created to increase the number of Black and Hispanic male teachers in classrooms across the state, the program currently has 26 members actively pursuing degrees in education. These men are not only engaging with each other and their education, but also with children and teachers across North Alabama.
“There are many organizations that make a positive difference in the lives of thousands of the Valley’s citizens,” Bank Independent President Macke Mauldin said. “In honor of our 75th Anniversary we are contributing $75,000 to many of these important groups that do so much good every day. We received 147 requests for more than $2.1 million. Every request was important, and we are honored to assist these 11 organizations that epitomize our mission of making a positive difference in the lives of others.”