CUs Bring Warmth & Good Health to Their Communities

From left to right, Laura Galeski, social responsibility manager at the $1.3 billion Hanscom Federal Credit Union in Hanscom Air Force Base, Mass.; Diana Burrell, communications specialist for Hanscom FCU; Paul Marotta, chairman of the board for Hanscom FCU; and David Sprague, president/CEO for Hanscom FCU, hold donated blankets and knitted hats for the Cooperative Credit Union Association’s annual blanket drive to support the Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless. The credit union collected a total of 244 blankets to donate to families experiencing homelessness. Eighty-nine of the blankets were purchased through a grant made by the Enterprise Holdings Foundation to the Hanscom FCU Charitable Foundation, and the remaining 155 blankets were either donated or purchased by Hanscom FCU.

Employees from the $250 million Sperry Associates Federal Credit Union in Garden City Park, N.Y., participate in the Maurer Foundation’s annual Pink Bowl event, which supports breast cancer education and preventive efforts. For the fifth year in a row, the credit union was the lead sponsor of the event, which raised more than $13,000 for the cause. Sperry Associates FCU staffers were part of 26 teams that engaged in friendly competition on the lanes with other organizations from the New York City metro area.

Employees from the $2.4 billion American Heritage Credit Union in Philadelphia, Penn., present a $25,000 donation to representatives from Abington-Jefferson Health to support their Safe Harbor Program on Feb. 5, 2019. The Safe Harbor Program provides ongoing grief support groups for children, teens, and their parents or caregivers. The program, free to the community, offers many support sessions, including children and teen groups for ages four to 18, a young adult group for ages 19 to 29, parent/caregiver groups, as well as a “Moving On” group. Safe Harbor believes that it is a natural process to grieve after a loss, and the duration and intensity of grief is unique for each individual.

Employees from the $2.2 billion TruMark Financial Credit Union in Fort Washington, Penn., wear red and present a $600 check donation to the American Heart Association’s Go Red For Women initiative to help raise awareness about cardiovascular disease among women. The initiative empowers women to take charge of their own heart heath and raises awareness about cardiovascular disease, the number one killer among women.

Employees from the $9.5 billion Security Service Federal Credit Union present a $5,500 check donation to representatives from the Children’s Hospital Colorado Foundation to purchase 50 portable heart rate monitors for patients with concussions. The money was provided by Security Service Charitable Foundation, the charitable arm of the credit union. By monitoring patients post-concussion, doctors are able to determine the amount of exercise they can safely endure following the diagnosis. Since 1908, Children’s Hospital Colorado has been caring for kids of all ages. They see more, treat more and heal more children than any hospital in their seven-state region. The Children’s Hospital Colorado Foundation improves the health of children through the provision of high-quality, coordinated programs of patient care, education, research and advocacy.

Members and staff from the $875 million RTN Federal Credit Union in Waltham, Mass., collect blankets for the Massachusetts Cooperative Credit Union Association’s annual Blanket Drive held in January at RTN branches. The credit union collected 70 blankets, including 50 blankets for infants and children, which were knitted by Blankets for Kids volunteers from the Amesbury Senior Community Center. Community involvement is a core value of RTN as a credit union. RTN supports local community projects and initiatives, and works collaboratively with members, sponsor groups, and surrounding communities through financial support and volunteer participation.

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