Hello!

My name is Shiranthi Goonathilaka, and I am asking for your support as a potential nominee for Affinity Plus Credit Union’s Board of Directors. The application requires at least 500 signatures from members of the credit union and I need your help! Sign the petition and share within your personal networks (family/friends, workplace, places of worship etc.,) on social media to help me reach the goal!

If you’re not a member of a credit union, I would encourage you to consider moving your money from your traditional bank/s into a credit union that also mirrors your community values. Credit Unions are member-owned, they intentionally cater to the financial needs of their membership and have great customer care!

Thanks in advance!

With Revolutionary Love,

Shiranthi Goonathilaka

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Shiranthi Goonathilaka's Bio:

Shiranthi has been a member at Affinity Plus since 2012 as a 13 year old. She occupies two main roles. She’s the KAYSC’s Community Organizer for Strategic Partnerships at the Science Museum of Minnesota and in her latest role as the Association for Black Economic Power’s Membership and Communications Manager.

In late 2016, Blexit, an activist group centered around economic resistance, was created after the murder of Philando Castile. Blexit created ABEP to execute one of the banking strategies. ABEP will be opening a Black-led Credit Union on the Northside of Minneapolis in 2019!

Prior to her work at ABEP, she served as a community organizer on numerous campaigns in the Twin Cities at the Science Museum of Minnesota and Neighborhoods Organizing for Change. Attending Spelman College, in Atlanta, Georgia, as a Biology student, she continued organizing both on campus and within the broader Atlanta metropolitan area.

Upon receiving an email about the current nominations for the Board of Directors, Shiranthi was extremely excited at the opportunity to take this opportunity to utilize her economic organizing and base building background to expand Affinity Plus’ already great work as a community-based organization. She also hopes to learn best practices from Affinity Plus to bring back to ABEP to strengthen their community presence as a financial institution. Within the nominated position she aims to accomplish the following:

• Expand membership into communities that have been historically and systemically financially underserved.
• Aid in curation of national Economic Invest/Divest dialogue that will encourage community members to move their accounts from banks to credit unions.
• Host financial literacy workshops, across age ranges and demographics, for our membership that aids in cultivating healthy and sustainable financial practices for individuals and families.