Honoring Heroes and Fighting ID Theft: Community News

Brian Best (left), president/CEO of the $2 billion GTE Financial in Tampa, Fla., presents a $32,900 check donation to Chris Letsos (right), president/CEO of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Tampa Bay. The employees of GTE Financial worked together during the month of July to support one of Tampa Bay’s most enduring and significant charitable organizations. The donation was part of the credit union’s monthly charity program. The donation will assist The Boys and Girls Clubs of Tampa in its continuing efforts to help keep important programs and services available to Tampa Bay’s youth.

Two members of the scholarship review committee from the $750 million LAFCU in Lansing, Mich., present Ericka González, center, with a ceremonial check for winning one of three 2019 LAFCU Women Helping Educate Every Lady Scholarships. Each scholarship recipient received a $1,000 scholarship to attend Lansing Community College. This is the fifth year W.H.E.E.L. scholarships have been awarded, providing a total of $15,000 in scholarships to 15 women. The scholarship was founded in response to stories of women who needed higher education for re-employment or to move into new careers to improve their lives and those of their families. This year’s winners are all pursuing a common passion of caring for others through a nursing vocation. Winners were determined by a one-page essay submission about their career choice and inspiration behind it.

Gail Enda, Karol Johnson, Kendall Rowden and Tish Pruitt from the $7.4 billion American Airlines Federal Credit Union in Fort Worth, Texas pose for a photo with this year’s $55,000 check donation to Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. The donation was a result of the 23rd Annual American Airlines Credit Union Golf Tournament, which took place on May 3, 2019, at Cowboys Golf Club in Grapevine, Texas. The total donation will be split between Cook Children’s Medical Center Foundation and Children’s Medical Center Foundation.

Employees from the $4.7 billion Redwood Credit Union in Santa Rosa, Calif., volunteer at one of RCU’s free Shred-a-Thons. More than 3,600 residents in Marin, Napa, Sonoma and Mendocino counties took action to protect themselves from fraud and identity theft by shredding old financial records and other paperwork at free annual Shred-a-Thons held over the summer. Trucks from Shred-IT were onsite at the events to help the communities safely dispose of and recycle 150,550 lbs. of documents.

Additionally, Conservation Corps of the North Bay collected more than 18,220 lbs. of e-waste on site at the Marin, Sonoma and Mendocino events, including old televisions, printers, monitors, computers and other personal electronics for secure recycling. At each shred event, attendees were also able to make voluntary donations to local nonprofits onsite. In total, more than $10,000 was raised through the events to support SchoolsRule Marin, Puertas Abiertas Community Resource Center in Napa, Redwood Empire Food Bank in Sonoma County, and the Humane Society of Inland Mendocino County.

Vietnam veteran Jim Keys holds up a baseball at LeLacheur Park in Lowell, Mass., on Aug. 19, when he was honored as Hanscom Federal Credit Union’s latest “Hero Among Us.” The $1.4 billion, Hanscom Air Force Base, Mass.-based Hanscom FCU honored the veteran by providing him with a BBQ in a private suite with his friends and family at the baseball game. He was also able to meet with the players and throw the first pitch of the game. Keys joined the Army at 18, just at the start of U.S. involvement in Vietnam. He served then as a combat photographer, documenting many aspects of the war from the point of view of those closest to it. In all, he spent 25 years serving the country. He spent the next 20 years working as a mail carrier for the United States Postal Service. He continued to exemplify the Army’s core values by truly caring for his customers, helping them beyond the scope of his postal duties, and getting to know them on a personal level. Keys is now fully retired and spending his time enjoying the company of his family, the city of Lowell and the Lowell Spinners.

Employees from the $616 million Belco Community Credit Union in Harrisburg, Penn., present a $3,000 donation to Children’s Miracle Network. The money was raised from a hot dog eating contest hosted by Vizo Financial. Two Belco employees, Bob Keener and Liz Bridgeman, participated in the contest. To help raise additional funds, Belco also held a hot dog sale at its operations center, and many Belco branches held bake sales.

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