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During the 2017-18 school year, OC Federal Credit Union (OCFCU) partnered with eight Catholic elementary schools across the Diocese of Cleveland for the Catholic School Challenge Grant Program. Participating schools agreed to have the students listen to a presentation on The Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30), which served as the basis for the grant program. At the end of the presentation, students were presented with $500 from OCFCU with the following parameters:

• The students must agree to develop a plan to use their God-given gifts and talents to multiply this gift from God.
• The students needed to select a non-profit organization to receive all of the proceeds from the Catholic School Challenge Grant.
• The students needed to present their results back to OCFCU and demonstrate they had been good stewards of the money.

Collectively, the eight schools turned the initial $4,000 grant awards into $21,160.14 in donations for local non-profit organizations. In The Parable of the Talents, the good and faithful servants doubled their master’s talents. The schools and students participating in the program multiplied the amount they were originally given fivefold.

The response to the Catholic School Challenge Grant Program from teachers, administrators, students, and participating non-profit organizations has been overwhelming and OC Federal Credit Union has committed to continue the program for a third straight year with ten Catholic schools in the fall of 2018.