CUs Support & Spread Kindness Throughout Their Communities

Staff members from the $2.4 billion Canvas Credit Union in Lone Tree, Colo., deliver socks to the Denver Rescue Mission in December 2018. Canvas delivered 6,450 pairs of donated socks to several Colorado homeless shelters throughout the month. According to the Salvation Army, socks are the most requested clothing item in homeless shelters. This is the third year Canvas has worked with local Colorado communities to warm the hearts and souls of the homeless during the credit union’s annual sock drive. In the last three years, the credit union gathered more than 16,680 pairs of socks and hand-delivered them to local homeless shelters.

Students from the Maryland School for the Blind attempt a Guinness World Record for the longest game of goalball. The $997 million First Financial Federal Credit Union in Lutherville, Md., provided a $1,000 sponsorship for the school’s special sporting event on Dec. 7 and 8, 2018. Goalball is a fast-paced contact sport developed especially for blind athletes. During play, two teams of three players use tactile markers on the floor to maintain their orientation as they attempt to roll a ball embedded with bells past the opposing team and across a goal line. The goal for the special event was to hold continuous play for more than 25 hours to set a new world record for the longest game of goalball – and they did it, playing 25 hours and 30 seconds. As a sponsor of the event, First Financial sought to promote the school’s mission and raise awareness for disability sports while showcasing the game of goalball.

Employees from the $135 million Advance Financial Federal Credit Union in Schererville, Ind., in tandem with Enterprise Holdings Foundation, present a $1,500 check to the Food Bank of Northwest Indiana. The donation will supply 4,500 meals to individuals in the community who are in need. Advance Financial has been making donations to the Food Bank of Northwest Indiana for more than 10 years; because of its partnership with Enterprise, it has been able to direct additional funds to the food bank.

Staff from the $157 million First Community Credit Union in Beloit, Wis., present a $917 check to the Rockford Rescue Mission. Each November, a bare holiday tree is put up at the four branch locations where members and credit union staff can purchase a bulb to decorate the trees. First Community’s annual Bulb Drive provides support for many local charities and is made possible by member and staff donations. Collections from the Bulb Drive are donated to a local charity of the branch’s choice. The Bulb Drive began shortly after Thanksgiving and resulted in a record amount in donations. After the credit union matched every dollar donated, the total came in at $7,836.24, part of which went to Rockford Rescue Mission.

Colin Anderson (right), president/CEO at the $2.1 billion ORNL Federal Credit Union in Oak Ridge, Tenn., and Missy Strickland, ORNL employee and United Way team representative (left) present a $95,178 check donation to Naomi Asher (center), executive director of the United Way of Anderson County during the credit union’s annual fundraising campaign. ORNL employees joined together to raise funds for the United Way and the 2018 campaign exceeded expectations as employees lived the credit union motto of “people helping people.” Almost 60% of ORNL employees participated in the 2018 internal giving campaign.

From left to right, Katie Harris, Lindsay Beaty, Teela Stanton, Kristina Potter, Julie Burkett, Lori Damon and Siobhan Curet from the $115 million Lincoln County Credit Union in Lincoln, Mont., show off their #KindIsTheNewCool T-shirts. After surviving the 2017 Route 91 Festival shooting in Las Vegas, Nev., Libby resident Teri Noble was determined not to let the core-shaking event catapult her life into turmoil, so she started a program in partnership with the Libby Elementary School’s ROAR program, which stands for “Respect, Organization, Attitude, Responsibility.” With $5,000 of her own money, Noble seeded #KindIsTheNewCool, a program to reward students for demonstrating kindness around the school. Teachers wear #KindIsTheNewCool T-shirts on Mondays, when students’ names are announced over the intercom to recognize them for kind acts they performed during the week. Lincoln County CU donated $500 to keep the program running at Libby Elementary in 2019.

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