Recently, Mercer County Community Federal Credit Union staff had the privilege of volunteering at Junior Achievement of Western PA’s JA BizTown®. Sandi Carangi and Elaine Patton were joined by fellow members of the JA of Western PA board of directors, Brad Mantzell and Rob Studor.

JA BizTown, located in South Fayette Township, PA, is a fully interactive mock town that simulates the day-to-day functions of a thriving community and helps students connect what they learn in school with the realities of the business world and everyday life. Designed for elementary-age students, this program begins with in-class curriculum encompassing financial literacy, work readiness and entrepreneurship.

The students then spend a full day at this hands-on simulated community where they assume various roles within their business, learning about careers, budgeting, marketing and personal spending. Volunteers assist the students as they learn various things such as how to apply for a job, write checks, service customers and manage their business.

Mercer County Community FCU in partnership with JA of Western PA recently received a $10,000 grant from the CrossState Credit Union Foundation. Funds from the grant were presented to Ionta Elementary School in Hermitage, PA for JA lessons and a day at JA BizTown. A total of 167 fifth-grade students from Ionta Elementary traveled to JA Biztown on May 10^th and 11^th to take part in the hands-on simulated community.

In addition to the $10,000 presented to Ionta Elementary School, Mercer County Community FCU and JA will be presenting matching funds for another $10,000 to Farrell Elementary School. These additional funds will be used to assist six classes of students from Farrell Elementary to visit JA BizTown in the fall of 2023.

For more information about JA BizTown, visit www.juniorachievement.org.

On Friday, May 26, 2023, Mercer County Community Federal Credit Union held a groundbreaking ceremony for their new Hermitage branch office, located at 559 N. Hermitage Road. In June, the credit union will begin construction of a two-story, 10,000 square foot facility. The new office will feature wider, easier access full-service drive-thru lanes, an expanded lobby area and a fresh, modern atmosphere. Additional loan and member service offices, and state-of-the-art technology will support financial services for the nearly 12,000 members.

At the groundbreaking ceremony, Sandi Carangi, CEO of Mercer County Community FCU, was joined by the credit union’s Board of Directors and Supervisory Committee, along with other business representatives and community officials. “We’re excited to celebrate with the community as we begin construction of our new Hermitage branch,” said Ms. Carangi.

While the new office is under construction, members of the credit union are being served at the temporary Hermitage office located in the Kohl’s shopping plaza and the Sharon branch on Sharpsville Avenue.

Mercer County Community FCU is partnering with PWCampbell, a design-build firm specializing in financial institutions for over 100 years. The project is expected to be completed in early 2024.

Recently, Mercer County Community Federal Credit Union provided local fire departments with access to two of its facilities to conduct fire safety training. With plans to build a new Hermitage branch, Mercer County Community FCU recently moved its Hermitage operations into a temporary space in the Kohl’s shopping plaza. Prior to the demolition of the North Hermitage Road buildings, the credit union invited firefighters to conduct fire safety exercises in both buildings.

After filling the structures with fake smoke, members of the Hermitage, Patagonia, Sharpsville, Shenango, and Wheatland Fire Departments had the opportunity to practice maneuvering hose lines and conduct searches with zero visibility. Additional training included cutting holes in the roof for ventilation; breaching walls and ceilings to secure an escape route; and looking for concealed fires.

Mercer County Community FCU appreciates the support of area first responders and is proud to have been able to provide this opportunity for additional training. The buildings are set for demolition in the coming weeks making room for the construction of a new 10,000 square foot credit union office designed to serve its members more efficiently with spacious new offices and improved technology. 

Mercer County Community Federal Credit Union celebrated 66 years of service to its members at their Annual Meeting, held on April 15, 2023. This year, six Continuing Education Awards for local high school graduating seniors were announced.

The following students each received $1,000 Continuing Education Awards:

• Hannah Beighley, Hickory High School
• Ava Gargiulo, Hickory High School
• Alexa Graul, Mercer Area High School
• Ella Labbiento, Sharon High School
• Makayla Moose, Lakeview High School
• Tamera Slater, Farrell High School

Ten additional students received honorable mention awards in the amount of $100 each:

Jack Davis, Hickory High School; Kellen DeJulia, Sharpsville Area High School; Kaelyn Fustos, Hickory High School; Clare Howard, Sharon High School; Zac Lanshcak, Hickory High School; Alexa Meszaros, Hickory High School; Amaris Denise Newell, Sharon High School; Natalie Ostheimer, Sharon High School; Christian Saxe, Commodore Perry High School; and Lauren Taylor, Jamestown Area High School.

In support of continuing education for youth in our community, the Mercer County Community FCU scholarship awards began in 2000 and has since awarded over $110,000 to area students pursuing an academic, professional, or vocational post-high school education.

Congratulations to all the award winners!