PenFed, SPIRE CU, Suffolk FCU Donate Time & Funds

Grant Recipient Danielle Farley of Ramtown School in Howell, N.J., holds a check for $109.95. Farley, a Ramtown Elementary School third grade reading teacher, was surprised by members of the First Financial Foundation, the charitable arm of the $177 million First Financial Federal Credit Union in Freehold, N.J., with an Erma Dorrer classroom grant for the 2018 to 2019 school year. Ramtown School is part of the Howell Township K-8 School District. Farley submitted a grant application to purchase a one-year license for the Raz-Kids reading program for her students. The program provides hundreds of eBooks offered at 29 different levels of reading difficulty. Kids access their level through an interactive learning portal designed to keep them motivated and engaged. Every eBook allows students to listen to, read at their own pace and record themselves reading. Because First Financial began with a group of Asbury Park schoolteachers back in 1936, the credit union has remained committed to its educational roots. That is why its foundation offered current Monmouth and Ocean County educators six classroom grants to use at their schools for the 2018 to 2019 school year.

David Libby, president/CEO (front row) of the $385 million Town & Country Federal Credit Union in Scarborough, Maine, and representatives from non-profits in Cumberland and York Counties gather at Town & Country Federal Credit Union’s Operations Center after receiving grants totaling $25,000. Eight non-profits received grants ranging from $2,000 to $5,000 through the credit union’s Better Neighbor Fund. For the eighth consecutive year, the credit union awarded a total of $25,000 to eight area non-profits based on the results of a month-long vote through the credit union’s Facebook page. The Better Neighbor Fund was introduced in 2010 by Town & Country to support the work local charitable organizations perform in communities throughout Cumberland and York Counties.

Nancy Aurora (right), a branch manager at the $1.1 billion Suffolk Federal Credit Union in Medford, N.Y., presents a check to Helene Gallagher (left) and Joan Crescitelli (middle) from the Central Islip Civic Council. In an effort to support the charitable work of local organizations that serve the areas of Suffolk Federal branch locations, the credit union has identified nonprofit organizations, including Central Islip Civic Council, to support. Established in 1966, The Central Islip Civic Council started their mission to improve the quality of life for all residents of Central Islip and neighboring communities. Efforts include sustainable homeownership, financial literacy education, job skills and stabilizing economic structure.

Employees of the $57 million Hudson River Financial Federal Credit Union in Mohegan Lake, N.Y., prepare 700 pounds of Halloween candy for donation to active military deployed overseas and military veterans as part of the Soldiers’ Angels Treats for Troops collection drive.

Staff from administrative offices at the $1 billion SPIRE Credit Union in Falcon Heights, Minn., pose with their Pinktober shirts and tumblers. Each October, SPIRE staff choose to wear pink during breast cancer awareness month to raise money for the American Cancer Society. Since 2015, SPIRE staff have raised more than $7,500 for the organization to help find cures and treatments for all types of cancer. This year, staff had the option to purchase shirts, polos or tumblers. The “Pinktober” shirts were worn Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays in October to help raise awareness of the continued need for research and treatments for cancer. In Minnesota alone, more than 31,000 new cancer cases were reported in 2018.

Dana Perino looks on as Veteran Caleb Davission meets his service dog Velvet’s volunteer puppy raiser, Susan Manuel, for the first time. Davission was one of the first veterans to volunteer as part of the Canine Companions’ and Veterans Administration’s joint post-traumatic stress disorder study that will be released next year. Canine Companions was so encouraged by the results that it launched its own PTSD program. PenFed Foundation, the charitable arm of the $24 billion Pentagon Federal Credit Union in Tysons Corner, Va., presented Canine Companions for Independence with a $50,000 donation to support the launch of Canine Companions’ PTSD program, which will change the lives of veterans with PTSD in the Northeast region. As part of the PTSD program, the highly-skilled assistance dogs are trained to create physical space in public for the handler, turn on lights and interrupt flashbacks, anxiety episodes and nightmares, helping to mitigate the veterans’ PTSD symptoms.

Please send your Community news items to Tahira Hayes at thayes@cutimes.com.