San Antonio federal credit union's charitable arm donates $5K to local women, children’s shelter

The Security Service Charitable Foundation, the charitable arm of San Antonio-based Security Service Federal Credit Union, announced Nov. 25 it was donating $5,000 to The Battered Women and Children’s Shelter, also known as the Family Violence Prevention Services Inc. in San Antonio.

The donation will help with food and kitchen supplies, according to a news release. Marta Pelaez, Battered Women and Children’s Shelter president and CEO, said it costs her organization $385,000 a year to provide food for client families.

“This generous donation from the Security Service Charitable Foundation will allow us to provide our residents with the meals and snacks they need on a daily basis,” Pelaez said in a statement.

The release said the charitable foundation’s donation will help the shelter serve its residents three meals a day, plus snacks and fruit. It costs about $7.50 per day to provide food for one person; the shelter serves food to roughly 140 clients daily.

Mark Jimenez, SSFCU’s vice president of solution analysis and design, said it is vital to support people’s life necessities, such as food and shelter, especially for families who have experienced domestic violence.

According to the release, the shelter serves thousands of women and children each year with a mission to break the cycle of family violence.

Additionally, FVPS strives to strengthen families by providing the necessary tools for self-sufficiency through the delivery of emergency shelter, transitional housing, education, effective parenting and early intervention with children, youth and the elderly, the release said.

“This donation will allow the shelter to provide those necessities and feed the women and children in our community,” Jimenez said.