American Heritage CU, NWCUA, Philadelphia FCU Support Communities

Brave sliders take the plunge into 1,000 gallons of gelatin at the 25th Annual Gelatin Olympics, which raised $45,000 to support the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and other local area hospitals. The $2.2 billion American Heritage Credit Union in Philadelphia and its Kids-N-Hope Foundation raised $45,000 through its 25th Annual Gelatin Olympics on Wednesday, June 13, 2018. More than ­100 sliders gathered pledges from sponsors in the weeks leading up to the event, dressed up in their wildest costumes and took the plunge into a pool full of 1,000 gallons of bright red gelatin to support the foundation. In addition to the ultimate gelatin slide, children of all ages participated in the gelatin eating contest, balloon toss contest, gelatin seek and find, and other fun games. The Kids-N-Hope Foundation raises money to support child life services, specifically music therapy at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and other local hospitals within American Heritage’s Workplace Partnership Program.

The $2.6 billion United Federal Credit Union in St. Joseph, Mich., hosts a tent at the Alex Mandarino Foundation’s 6th Annual Duck Duck Run 1K and 5K for childhood cancer research on Saturday, June 16, 2018 at Margaret Upton Arboretum in St. Joseph. Approximately 1,000 people attended the event. UFCU helped raise $20,000 during the event. The fundraiser encouraged children of all ages and adults to run or walk to support the cause. UFCU hosted a pre-race packet pick-up on behalf of the foundation at its St. Joseph. branch the day before the event. The Alex Mandarino Foundation was founded in 2013 by Tony and Katie Mandarino to honor the courage and strength of their son, Alex. The non-profit’s goal is to help save the lives of children with cancer.

The $919 million One Nevada Credit Union in Las Vegas presents a $2,000 check to Washoe County School District Family Resource Center. Recently, the Washoe County School District’s central Reno Family Resource Center was broken into and vandalized. The vandals took bus passes, taxi vouchers, Walmart gift cards, quarters and savers vouchers along with electronics and computer equipment. One Nevada donated $2,000 to the Family Resource Center to help them recover from the robbery. One Nevada is challenging other businesses and community leaders to also step up and donate. The Family Resource Center serves children, teens, parents, single adults and seniors. The center offers food programs, employment assistance, parenting education, adult literacy and English classes, financial literacy and credit counseling, utility assistance, help with finding housing, medical, dental and mental health services. The center houses many other organizations including the Women, Infants and Children Food and Nutrition Service office, Head Start Program, early childhood education classes and the care center for teen moms’ babies that allows the moms to focus on school.

Employees from the $3.3 billion Service Credit Union in Portsmouth, N.H., present a $2,000 check to the Pease Development Authority. From left to right: SCU Vice President of Marketing Wendy Beswick, PDA Board of Directors Chairman Kevin Smith, Portsmouth International Airport Director Paul Brean, PDA Executive Director David Mullen and SCU Pease Branch Manager Michele Saccoccia. The Pease Development Authority will use the contribution to build the Pease Greeters, a communications room for military landing at the Portsmouth International Airport. The PDA oversees the airport, where the Pease Greeters have been welcoming returning troops home since 2005. The non-profit organization greeted its 1,500th flight on June 9, 2018. The volunteer greeters gather at the airport to offer military members a warm reception as they walk off and on the plane. The communications room will add to this heartfelt welcome by giving the troops access to phones, laptops and other devices to let their loved ones know that they have reached U.S. soil safely.

Primary Children’s Hospital receives a $21,068 check from the Northwest Credit Union Association. Eight Northwest Children’s Miracle Network hospitals received wagons full of good cheer and substantial cash contributions totaling $334,421 from the region’s credit unions.  The money was raised at the October “Run for the Roses” auction held at the NWCUA’s MAXX Convention last fall. Since early spring, credit unions in each region fanned out to distribute the checks and wagons. Credit Unions for Kids originated in the Northwest in 1986, when a group of Oregon and Southwest Washington credit unions began raising money for local children’s hospitals. Their model was adopted nationally 10 years later, and Credit Unions for Kids has since donated more than $170 million to Children’s Miracle Network hospitals. The NWCUA is the not-for-profit trade association representing more than 180 credit unions in Idaho, Oregon and Washington, and their 6.5 million consumer members.

The $433 million Nutmeg State Financial Credit Union in Rocky Hill, Conn., holds a shredding event. For the past decade, the credit union has established a tradition the Saturday before Father’s Day of holding a free community paper-shredding event. Hundreds of cars lined up at branch locations in Rocky Hill and Glastonbury on Saturday, June 16 packed full of paper in need of secure disposal. In conjunction with Shred It, more than 44,000 pounds of paper was shredded at the two locations. This is an increase from 36,000 pounds the year prior. The event was open to all community members, not just those who belong to Nutmeg State.

TowerCares Foundation, the charitable organization of the $3 billion Tower Federal Credit Union, in Laurel, Md., presents a check to Johns Hopkins Children’s Center in Baltimore, Md. The 36th Annual Tower Classic Golf Tournament raised more than $40,000 for Johns Hopkins Children’s Center, a Children’s Miracle Network Hospital. The tournament was held June 8, 2018 at Renditions Golf Club in Davidsonville, Md. Special guests included eight-year-old Olivia Cooper, the 2018 Children’s Miracle Network Champion for Maryland, and her family. Diagnosed at age four with advanced kidney cancer and now in remission, Olivia returns to the Children’s Center every six months for checkups. During lunch at the tournament, Olivia’s mom spoke to the more than 100 golfers about how thankful her family is to JHCC for the world-class care her daughter has received there, and for supporters like the TowerCares Foundation that allow the hospital to continue to help critically ill children and their families. Tournament proceeds from players, sponsors and donations from the business community totaled $19,378. An additional $10,000 was provided through CO-OP Financial Services’ Miracle Match program, a philanthropic matching program that encourages credit unions to create and participate in local Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals’ fundraisers. Tower donated $10,872, bringing the day’s total donation to $40,250.

Erin Ellis, accredited financial counselor at the $1 billion Philadelphia Federal Credit Union in Philadelphia, presents a seminar on scams, fraud and online security at Center in the Park, a non-profit organization in Northwest Philadelphia that promotes positive aging and fosters community connections, on Friday, June 15, 2018. To better equip seniors with the necessary skills to protect themselves against financial scams, Ellis spoke to more than 70 seniors during the most recent installation of the day-long series, Balancing Dollars and $en$e. The free workshop provides individuals 55 years and older with housing and financial tips to succeed later in life. Sessions include interactive workshops on managing money, investments, cybersecurity, entrepreneurship and personal business, community involvement, housing, rentals and reverse mortgages. Ellis participates in the financial seminars on an ongoing basis.