Chamber partners with VyStar Credit Union to build lasting impact from event sponsorships
Prepared by Alan Byrd on behalf of the Seminole County Chamber:
LAKE MARY, Florida (May 15, 2025) – At most chamber luncheons, corporate sponsors fill goody bags with a wide range of promotional products in the hopes that attendees will use their pen, magnet or notebook to remember the brand.
However, last year, the Seminole County Chamber worked with VyStar on something very different – a program showing the credit union’s commitment to the community through a $2,500 donation to a non-profit chamber member.
At this week’s Professional Women’s Luncheon, the program reached $10,000 total, with the financial institution giving four non-profit donations over the past year as part of their sponsorship of the event.
“Our company is driven by our purpose to Do Good, as shown by the $7.2 million given to more than 400 nonprofit organizations in Florida and Georgia, including this effort,” said Dawn Ofodile, VyStar Assistant Vice President Regional Community Engagement. “Our partnership with the Seminole County Chamber has been instrumental in amplifying our community impact through this unique program.”
The giveaway started in May 2024 when VyStar’s SVP/Florida Market President Lysa Barbano spoke at the Seminole County Chamber’s Professional Women’s Luncheon. As someone who experienced homelessness as a child and shared that experience with the group, she knew she could make an impact at the event.
VyStar elected to give $2,500 to Rescue Outreach Mission, Seminole County’s only homeless shelter for all, in a surprise presentation to the organization instead of providing its traditional promotional gift.
Since then, each speaker at the lunch has followed suit and chosen one of the chamber’s non-profit organizations to receive the donation. Other recipients include The Sharing Center and Christian Tech Center, which provide computer equipment to other non-profits.
“We are grateful for the many relationships that have been facilitated through our long-standing membership in the Seminole County Chamber,” says Andre Klass, who founded and runs Christian Tech Center. “This grant award came as a complete surprise and serves as a visible recognition of the positive impacts that our programs have been making in the community, and gifts like these provide a much-needed boost to sustain and grow our operations. My board members and I are very appreciative to VyStar and everyone involved in this donation.”
At the May 15 luncheon, VyStar presented another $2,500 check to IMPOWER, a local non-profit that works on mental health and substance issues with youth in Seminole County. The speaker at the event, Seminole State College’s Dr. Georgia L. Lorenz, chose the organization.
“We’re so proud of the impact that VyStar has been able to make in our community through this unique way of giving back to our non-profits,” says Rebekah Arthur, president & CEO, Seminole County Chamber. “It is truly unique in our industry, and it sets the bar very high for other companies looking to make a difference.”
About the Seminole County Chamber: More than 100 years ago, the first chamber of commerce was formed in Seminole County and, today, it serves nearly 1,000 businesses in the region through networking, partnerships and much more. The chamber holds nearly 200 events per year and offers unique benefits, such as no-cost EV chargers and savings on services like cybersecurity, credit card processing and fingerprinting. Most recently, the chamber was accredited as a five-star chamber by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, one of only 10 chambers in Florida to accomplish this. To learn more, please visit SeminoleBuisness.org.
About VyStar Credit Union: VyStar Credit Union is the second-largest credit union headquartered in Florida, with 78 full-service branches across Florida and Georgia, 1 million members and assets of over $14 billion. VyStar is the top mortgage lender in Northeast Florida and a major employer in the region with over 2,300 employees across the communities it serves. VyStar membership is open to everyone who lives or works in the 49 contiguous counties of Central to North Florida, 29 Georgia counties, and past and present military members and their families all over the world. VyStar members have access to 55,000 surcharge free ATMs worldwide. For more information, visit vystarcu.org, and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, X (Twitter), and LinkedIn.
