In honor of Pride month, the Wallet Watch hosts turn over the mic to two of the leaders of the CU Pride Employee Resource Group (ERG) to spotlight a non-profit close to their hearts: The Salus Center. CU Pride’s President, Taylor Moberg, and Melissa Emerson are joined by Mikaylah Heffernan, board member of the Salus Center, to celebrate together as they discuss the center’s impact on the community and the importance of their allies.

When asked about the mission of the Salus Center, Mikaylah says, “We want our community to feel whole in their identity and experiences. We really envision a community that is thriving without barriers. [One] that is connected and feels comfortable in their own skin and existence, which respects the diversity of experiences that we have here in Lansing.” She then goes on to explain how crucial partnerships are to the success of the center. “We can’t be a community center without the community. It’s not just fundraising, it’s actual awareness and getting our message out there.”

Later in the conversation, Taylor and Melissa ask how partners can best support the LGBTQIA+ community. Mikaylah urges allies, “Educate yourselves. Educate your friends and neighbors. The better educated you are about the issues that affect our community and the resources that are available to us, the easier it is to stand up for LGBT+ folks and be an actual ally. I will say that the next step is to donate. Getting funding is one of our top priorities. It is hard to be a non-profit. There is a lot of funding out there, but there are also a lot of non-profits out there and we are all competing for the same funds because we have the same community with the same issues.” She concludes by inviting people to volunteer time as a way to give back and support non-profit organizations.

To learn more about the Salus Center and what businesses and allies can do to support the LGBTQIA+ community, listen to the full episode by going to Spotify, Podbean, or Apple Podcast.

Do you want transcripts for any of our episodes? Email us a request at [email protected] Transcripts offer an excellent way to have a copy of the tips and topics we cover in each episode.

Also, we have a contest! All you have to do is comment under one of our podcast-related posts. Be sure to tag a friend and include the title of this episode, “Celebrating Pride Month with CU Pride and the Salus Center.”

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You may also enter by sending a 3-inch by 5-inch card with your first and last name, address, phone number, and email address to: MSU Federal Credit Union ATTN: Financial Education Department: Wallet Watch Contest Episode “Celebrating Pride Month with CU Pride and the Salus Center” 3777 West Road, East Lansing, MI 48823.

This contest runs from March 10, 2021 through August 27, 2021. The winner will be drawn on August 30, 2021, by the Financial Education department of MSU Federal Credit Union, whose decisions are final. The winner of the gift card must agree to sign a release form allowing MSU Federal Credit Union to use their name for promotional purposes for Financial 4.0 and any future MSUFCU promotional materials.

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