Charity remains credit union focus

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – As the one-month anniversary of the September 11 tragedy passes, credit union disaster relief efforts don’t seem to be showing any signs of slowing down. In fact, New York Credit Union Foundation contributions to the Disaster Relief Fund have exceeded $526,000. Here is another glimpse of how other credit unions are contributing: The Chicago Police Department has established a fund at the Chicago Patrolmen’s Federal Credit Union to assist the NYPD with mortgages, utilities, tuition and any immediate critical need for families whose spouses lives were lost are still missing. To date approximately $150,000 has been raised. Seven Riverside County-based credit unions have donated $25,050 to the American Red Cross to help the relief and recovery efforts. Bournes Employees CU; March Community CU; Palm Springs City Employees CU; Printing and Publishing Employees CU; RFECU and Riverside Campus FCU have joined with RCCU in the fund drive. Steel Works Community Federal Credit Union has Red Cross donation cans in all six of its offices and has raised $1,500 for the NYC Relief Fund. The Florida Credit Union League, along with its affiliated service organization FCUL Service Group, Inc., has contributed $10,000 to a pair of relief funds set up to assist credit unions, credit union members and families affected by the terrorist attacks of September 11. In addition, employees of the League and Service Group have personally contributed a total of $875 to the same funds. The FCUL and Service Group contributed $7,500 to the New York Credit Union Foundation and $2,500 to a fund established by Miami Firefighters Federal Credit Union that will be used to assist surviving family members of firefighters who lost their lives on September 11. The Philadelphia Federal Credit Union has raised over $4,000 for the American Red Cross Relief Fund. In addition PFCU has held several blood drives and will distribute commemorative flag ribbon pins during International Credit Union Week. In less than one week, Mutual Savings Credit Union members raised more than $2,000 at a single branch and almost $500 from corporate office employees. During a recent board meeting, the board voted to match the funds with a $2,500 donation to the relief efforts. The credit union also plans to host a canned food drive in November, and to assist local charities in December as they collect toys and gifts for families in need. St. Mary’s Bank Credit Union, the nation’s first credit union, has delivered a check for $100,000 to the New England Credit Union Disaster Relief Fund. The New England Credit Union Heritage Foundation is administering this fund and every dollar collected will go to aid relief agencies and the families of those affected by the tragedy. Whatcom Educational Credit Union has collected $20,000 so far for the American Red Cross. Two of the credit union’s sponsor elementary schools added $1,674 to the donation totals from coins collected in classrooms. University of Colorado Federal Credit Union has raised over $14,000 for the Disaster Relief Fund established by the New York Credit Union Foundation. General Electric Employees Federal Credit Union, has selected three charities the American Red Cross; September 11 Fund; and the New York Daily News Charities to help the victims and their families. GEEFCU has also provided links on their Web site to the specific charities and to locate a Red Cross blood donation site in their area. In addition the credit union is selling United We Stand t-shirts of which 70% of the proceeds will go to the Red Cross Disaster Fund. Greater Nevada Credit Union members have donated more than $18,000 to the American Red Cross disaster relief efforts. The credit union contributed an additional $10,000 bumping the total donation up to $28,490.53. In addition a charitable foundation with in its CUSO is collecting further donations. American Airlines Federal Credit Union has raised more than $115,000 for the American Red Cross and will be collecting donations for the American Heroes-Keep Our Airline Flying program. Twenty percent of each contribution will go toward helping the families of American Airlines employees who lost their lives and those who lost their jobs ads a result of workforce reductions. In addition, the credit union’s CARE Team Visa CheckCard program made funds immediately available to the families of those passengers on board Flights 11 and 77. U-Lane-O Credit Union and Cumulus Broadcasting raised money with T-shirt sales, auction items and more during “Operation Inspiration” a benefit drive for the Red Cross September 11th relief. Eighty-two teddy bears have been sent by the 18 credit unions that belong to the El Camino Chapter of the California Credit Union League to Mercy Corps’ `Comfort for Kids’ program in New York City. The teddy bears will be part of 10,000 “Comfort Kits” that will include materials to help children feel safe and to express their emotions while developing understanding and tolerance of different cultures. The John Deere Community Credit Union and Radio Group have raised $19,271.85 for the Cedar Valley Relief Fund. [email protected]