Sana C. and her husband have been credit union members for about 15 years, dating back to when Ellafi was known as Seasons. They were introduced to the credit union through Shiloh Baptist Church in Middletown, where Sana’s father-in-law is pastor and where Seasons once had a branch.
"We’ve had car loans, personal loans, and credit cards for years,” says Sana.
When she first saw Seasons’ new name and a logo that looked like a woman, she admits she didn’t know what to make of it. But she knew that she wanted to learn more.
I saw that the focus was really going to be on women and empowering women; I loved it. I thought, ‘This is amazing.’
Ellafi’s mission aligned with Sana’s work through Unashamed, Inc., the Middletown-based nonprofit organization she founded to help young people facing challenges like she did. Sana entered foster care at age four after her birth mother was incarcerated and was adopted at nine. She also became a mother as a teenager.
Initially, Sana says that Unashamed wasn’t a nonprofit. She simply wanted to give back to families, especially women who were single parents or coming out of incarceration.
“Everybody that we were helping were people that shared the same story that I had,” she says.
Over time, Unashamed’s work shifted to focus on foster youth. Today, the organization works with youth and young adults, ages 14 to 24, helping them develop the skills and support they need as they transition into adulthood.
In 2025, Unashamed was selected as one of five winners of Ellafi’s first-ever Local Nonprofit Giveaway and received $500. The giveaway recognizes Connecticut nonprofits supporting women and families.
Unashamed used the funds to support its work with teenage girls at Solnit, a mental health hospital in Middletown. Sana and her team hosted a Galentine’s Day event focused on connection and self-care, bringing in lunch, playing games, leading activities, and giving the girls gift baskets.
This year, Ellafi team members visited Shiloh Baptist Church for a financial education seminar, giving Sana an opportunity to get to know the people behind the credit union. Afterward, she decided to open a savings account at Ellafi for Unashamed. “When I left there, I said, ‘Okay, we have to open an account there,’” she remembers.
The savings account at Ellafi will help support Unashamed’s next major initiative: Rooted by Unashamed, a transitional housing program Sana hopes to open by the end of the first quarter of 2027.
Rooted comes at a time when Connecticut is experiencing a shortage of foster care placements, particularly for teenagers. The program will provide young people with a place to live for up to 18 months while helping them develop the skills and resources they need to eventually live independently.
There will be a house mom who will be there to guide the kids and a case manager to make sure they're meeting their goals. Different community partners will come in and teach on their specialty. Ellafi will do the financial piece, and a former foster youth, now a chef with her own company, will lead some cooking classes. The goal is to make sure it is community-oriented and that the kids are getting the best of the best.
Unashamed has identified a house it plans to rent and is working to raise $100,000 to open Rooted, with $20,000 raised so far.
To learn more about Unashamed or support Rooted, visit unashamedinc.org
Sana C.
Ellafi Member