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Shoreline Hometown Credit Union’s membership with Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago (FHLBC) allows Shoreline to offer the Accelerate Grant. The Accelerate grant is designed to help small businesses grow and develop. Many quality applicants applied for this round of the Accelerate Grants, and Moving Forward Adult Day Services rose to the top. The grant invests $25,000 towards a project of the recipient’s choice. Moving Forward Adult Day Services used the grant to purchase a van.

In 2015, Nichole Lembke began envisioning a place where her son and his peers could go once they aged out of the extended high school program (designed for cognitively disabled adults ages 18-21). “The day services that were in our area didn’t seem to fit the needs of my son and many of his friends,” commented Nichole. “I partnered up with a couple who also had a child with disabilities. We started a day service in Manitowoc in April 2016. After 4 years, we decided to part ways.”

Moving Forward Adult Day Services opened its doors in August of 2021. They welcome adults ages 18 and older to join our program, which runs Monday – Friday, from 10-4. It is located in Two Rivers, in a nice sized house that was previously used as a group home. They provide their clients with a place to go to during the day where they can socialize with their peers. For many of them, it gets them out of their own home, where they would quite often just be on their devices and watching TV all day.

“Our clients participate in many activities during the days,” commented Nichole. “They LOVE going out into the community – we take field trips, go to the movies, out for lunch, hiking, the beach/aquatic center, playgrounds, sledding, shopping, the library, and the local community center for exercise during the winter months. While at Moving Forward, they engage in a huge variety of activities: crafts, board and card games, puzzles, cooking, baking, exercising, reading, academic activities, musical activities, playing in the game room, and just socializing with one another. Our clients are truly our extended family!”

The house is handicap accessible, which is wonderful. However, they did not have a vehicle that can transport any clients in wheelchairs. Moving Forward knew a number of individuals who would like to attend, but have been limited so far because of the transportation issue.

“I am so so grateful to have been awarded the Grant from Shoreline Credit Union,” exclaimed Nichole. “This money helped purchase a handicap accessible van, that will provide more physically handicapped individuals the opportunity to socialize with their peers at Moving Forward!”

“Our client, who uses a walker to get around, absolutely LOVES it! She wanted to take it for another ride as soon as we returned from taking a trip in it! We look forward to being able to accommodate new clients in the future.”

“Shoreline is proud to have the resources to help local businesses grow our communities,” commented Andrea Schmitt, Shoreline’s Vice President of Mortgage and Business. “Beyond the Accelerate Grant, we also participated in the Community Small Business Advance program.”

The Community Small Business Advance (CSBA) program increases the access to and affordability of housing in low-income districts in our communities. “To date, we have issued nearly $2,000,000 in CSBA loans, which will save those members nearly $500,000 in interest payments over the life of the loan. The CSBA loans support properties in Manitowoc, Brown, Calumet, and Sheboygan counties.