LAWRENCEVILLE, GA (August 3, 2022) – The Peach State FCU C.A.R.E.S. Foundation announced a $330,000 pledge over the next 10 years to the Hooper Renwick Memorial Campaign on behalf of the Gwinnett County Public Library Foundation. The pledge will support the conversion of the existing Hooper Renwick building into a one-of-a-kind 25,000-square-foot themed library paying homage to the African American community of Gwinnett County.

The Gwinnett County Public Library and its Foundation is excited for the opportunity to work with the City of Lawrenceville, Gwinnett County, and so many other organizations to turn such an important piece of history such as the Hooper Renwick school, into the first themed library known in the Southeast.  With Gwinnett County being one of the most diverse counties in the United States, the Gwinnett County Public Library Foundation feels it is imperative to recognize the county’s history and highlight all of the challenges and ultimate successes that came out of such an integral time in our country.  

“We are very grateful for the partnership with Peach State Federal Credit Union and the C.A.R.E.S Foundation in recognizing the important part of history that Hooper Renwick not only played in our county, but also their commitment to increasing the understanding and empathy for all residents in Gwinnett County with the opportunity to further community-wide racial healing,” said Jason DiFranco, Director of Development and Community Relationships at Gwinnett County Public Library.

Peach State Federal Credit Union is honored to support this endeavor in part due to their affiliation with the Hooper Renwick School in their early beginnings. In September 1973, Peach State (formerly Gwinnett Federal Credit Union) relocated from operating out of a closet at Central Gwinnett Vocational School to office space at the Hooper Renwick Service Center – free of charge.

“The Hooper Renwick building will always be an important part of Peach State’s history. After our humble beginnings more than 60 years ago where we operated out of a cardboard box before moving to the space at Central Gwinnett Vocational School, we were given our first formal office space inside the service center,” said Marshall Boutwell, Peach State’s President/CEO. “We are grateful for their generosity and support all those years ago. This donation on behalf of the C.A.R.E.S. Foundation is an expression of our gratitude to a community that believed in what our founders were trying to build so much that they offered us space in which we could grow and flourish.” Today, Peach State has expanded to 24 locations throughout Georgia and South Carolina, and has grown to $832 million in assets, serving more than 75,000 members.

About the Peach State FCU C.A.R.E.S. Foundation

Peach State Federal Credit Union’s passion for helping their members and community guided them to create the Peach State FCU C.A.R.E.S. Foundation. The Foundation is funded by the credit union’s Visa Debit Card program and private donors. Since the inception of the Peach State C.A.R.E.S. Visa Debit Card program in July 2019, Peach State has donated more than $1.8 million to charitable organizations, school systems and the arts in the communities that we serve. The C.A.R.E.S. program was created to put these contributions on a sustainable path for the future. To learn more about how Peach State cares, visit peachstatefcu.org/CARES. Peach State is a $832 million not-for-profit financial with a mission to provide quality financial services that meet the needs and exceed the expectations of its member-owners. For more information about products and services, visit peachstatefcu.org.