Banking is what we do, people is who we are. It might be our mission here, but for Johnny Allen Junior, founder of the JK Movement and member at Affinity Plus, he says, he’s a living testament of that.

Affinity Plus recently donated and surprised Allen with a $2,000 check to the JK Movement, which is a 501(c)(3) youth organization that began serving youth from underprivileged homes in the St. Paul metro area in 2012.

“We are so proud of Johnny and his efforts in our community and it is an honor to support him,” said Jim Thies, Lafayette Branch Manager, Affinity Plus Federal Credit Union. “We love giving back to our members and to our community. We know that the JK Movement is a program that’s shaping young people and setting them up for future success.”

Allen and the JK Movement were recently featured on a Communities that KARE television segment, which he says, was a wonderful opportunity and one that he's grateful for. 

“Hard work, great rewards is my motto,” said Allen. “We believe in our youth and we want to see our youth be successful. Through the good, the bad, the ugly, and the very dark, we’re still here. The opportunity to bring awareness to our organization continues to show that we are who we are – those who are here to empower our young people.”

Their mission is to “empower and inspire effective change in the minds, bodies and spirits of young people.” The JK Movement Program is broke down into five essential elements: life skills and career development; healthy living; sports team leadership training; and the JK Movement mentoring program (school based/group mentoring). The program is designed to help young people:

• Develop proactive leadership skills
• Promote positive attitudes
• Develop interpersonal skills
• Gain interest in nurturing their bodies through healthy cooking and exercise
• Develop and implement community service projects of their own choosing to benefit the communities in which they serve

“You practice your mission and vision and I can testify to that. You’re a people’s credit union,” said Allen. “It’s a great bond that I have with Affinity Plus and it’s a blessing to be acknowledged for the consistency of what we do in the community.” 

The JK Movement is currently preparing for virtual summer programs. If you’d like to get involved with the JK Movement or give back to the organization, please visit www.thejkm.org or reach out directly via their social media channels (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn).