Nickels can add up over time.
On May 18, SRP Federal Credit Union officials celebrated $3 million worth of nickels going back into local school systems with a reception at its North Augusta office.
“We were looking for a sustainable way to pour resources back into our schools. We believed that every swipe of a card could become something bigger than a transaction. It could become an investment in a child’s confidence, experience and future,” said Liz Ponder, SRP Federal Credit Union chief executive officer, about the Affinity Debit Card program which donates five cents per transaction to partner schools.
Started in August 2018 with Aiken County schools, it’s expanded to impact 46 high schools in the CSRA as well as Augusta Technical College. Representatives from several school districts attended the reception and spoke about its impact.
Richmond County is one of the newer districts to join. More than $100,000 has gone into Richmond County schools.
Shawnda Stovall, president of the Richmond County Board of Education, first learned about the program in 2019 when she noticed her mother’s debit card was no longer the familiar green plastic card but was blue with the image of a bulldog on it
“Every time I use my card, my money will go to the school,” Stovall recalled her mother saying at the time.
Skeptical about it, Stovall did her research to find it was true, got her own card and after being elected to the school board pushed for Richmond County to be part of the program.
Every few months, she gets a different card to support a different school in the county.
The funds given to students are unrestricted, meaning the school administration can determine the best place for the money to go. The program has funded computers, furniture, teacher training, travel to national competitions for students, band uniforms and in some cases student necessities.
“We started clothing closets, food pantries. We’ve helped kids wash their clothes,” said Stovall.
In McDuffie County, the money has gone to similar initiatives.
“We have students that don’t eat unless they are at school,” said Miranda Ramirez, Thomson High School assistant principal. “We provide snacks and meals and extra support for our students. Those unrestricted funds meet needs we truly have.”
The program reached its first $1 million in contributions in 2022 and hit $2 million in 2024.
Aiken County has received $1.6 million; Columbia County, $289,000; Edgefield County, $194,000, Barnwell County, $194,000; Richmond County, $117,000; and Williston County, $89,000.
Charmain Z. Brackett, the publisher of Augusta Good News and Inspiring: Women of Augusta, has covered Augusta’s news for more than 35 years. She’s won multiple Georgia Press Association awards, is the recipient of the 2018 Greater Augusta Arts Council’s media award and was named Augusta Magazine’s best local writer in 2024 and 2025. Reach her at charmain@augustagoodnews.com. Sign up for the newsletter here.
