On November 8, 2023, Sunrise Estates Elementary School received a very special guest. Pennsylvania’s Auditor General, Mr. Tim DeFoor visited the school to observe Pheple Federal Credit Union’s “Save Day” program in action.
Westmoreland County-based Pheple partnered with Penn-Trafford in 2013 to educate students of all ages on the importance of saving, money management, and developing healthy financial habits that they can use throughout their entire life. A credit union representative visits each of Penn-Trafford's seven schools on a regular schedule to assist the students with banking transactions.
Mr. DeFoor contacted Pheple’s CEO Maria LaVelle as part of his Statewide Financial Literacy Tour, and requested the Penn-Trafford visit. He is very passionate about financial literacy for students, especially kindergarten through twelfth grades.
Pheple’s Director of Financial Literacy, Kristi Harr, accepts credit union deposits from Sunrise Elementary students
Mr. DeFoor and Ms. Harr observe while third-grader Norah Barton (left) presents her deposit to the ‘student teller’ Jenna Donis (right)
Mrs. Susan Lawson (Pheple AVP Community Relations and Financial Literacy), Mr. DeFoor, Ms. Kristi Harr (Pheple Director of Financial Literacy), Jenna Donis, Dr. Karin Coiner (Sunrise Principal), and Maria LaVelle (Pheple CEO)