Farmers State Bank, LaGrange, donated $25,000 to the GO Foundation in August to support its GO Explore Childcare & Preschool initiative. The childcare center will be a full-time, year-round early learning center designed to increase access to high-quality childcare while strengthening the local workforce. The center will be located within the LaGrange County Economic Development Corporation’s Innovation Center, serving children from 6 weeks through 5 years old.
The GO Foundation was founded in 2024 by Jessica Downey and Jeannie Owsley in memory of Gwendolynn Owsley. It exists to ensure that every child has access to meaningful learning opportunities during the most important years of development.
Farmers State Bank has been heavily involved in LaGrange County childcare initiatives by donating to and serving on the Thrive by 5 steering committee. Thrive by 5 has assisted in increasing the capacity, affordability and quality of childcare and early learning programs in LaGrange and Noble counties.
“Farmers State Bank is thankful for the leadership in our community that continues to be focused on childcare and early learning programs. Rural communities across the country are struggling to meet childcare and early learning needs, which makes this initiative so important for our community. We are happy to support GO Foundation’s mission and look forward to the childcare opportunities Go Explore provides for LaGrange County,” said Joe Urbanski, the bank’s president and CEO.
