Credit Unions Raise Funds for Toys, Winter Coats & Hospitals

The $163 million Allegius Federal Credit Union in Burns Harbor, Ind., partnered again with the Porter County Toys for Tots program for the holiday season. From left to right, Reggie Hess, Toys for Tots local director; Courtney Evans, Toys for Tots Organizer; and Ashley Vance, Allegius Burns Harbor Lead Teller. Between member donations, credit union staff jeans day donations and the credit union’s monetary donation, $2,500 was raised in a short six-week timeframe. Allegius’ donated toys helped more than 2,000 area children enjoy the holiday season.

Employees from the $1 billion Mid-Hudson Valley Federal Credit Union in Kingston, N.Y., celebrate their fundraising victory. The credit union raised $13,593 in 2019 with its Jeans for Charity program, $1,000 more than the previous year. This employee-run program allows staff to purchase jeans passes every Friday, with all the proceeds supporting various local non-profits.

The $1 billion SAFE Credit Union in Sumter, Calif., provided a $20,000 grant to Sutter Medical Center Foundation to support the Pediatric Emergency Room and Child Life Program at Sutter Medical Center, Sacramento. From left to right, Sutter Medical Center Emergency Department Nursing Director Sheri Burns; SAFE Credit Union Community and Advocacy Engagement Manager Amanda Merz; Sutter Medical Center Foundation Executive Director Gregory Walaitis and Sutter Medical Center Child Life Program Manager Amy Medovoy stand in front of a mural funded by the SAFE Credit Union grant. The funds will help pay for equipment used in the program to benefit children and their families, as well as for environmental enhancements in the pediatric emergency room that will provide a cheerful environment and visual consistency with the pediatric unit in the Anderson Lucchetti Women’s & Children’s Center. The Child Life Program at Sutter is staffed by professionals with undergraduate and graduate degrees in child growth and development, specifically focusing on how hospitalization affects children. Child Life specialists work directly with patients and their families to create a warm, friendly environment for young patients and support their coping with their medical experiences.

Employees from the $397 million Pelican State Credit Union in Baton Rouge, La., present a check for $17,591.55 to Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Hospital. From left to right are Pelican State employees Matthew Gibson, Danielle Edmonson, Dena Mealey, Petey the Pelican, Caitlyn Phillips, Tara Moran, Jordan Wheeler and Senior Children’s Miracle Network Specialist Jamie Jones. The efforts of the credit union’s 16 locations across the state made this huge accomplishment possible. Pelican State held numerous fundraisers and employee events hosted by Beak Squad, the credit union’s volunteer and fundraising committee. Events including employee trivia night, team members getting to pie their managers in the face, family holiday portraits and putting extra change in 10-gallon buckets in “Coins for Kids” contributed to the total.

Employees from the $1.1 billion SPIRE Credit Union in Falcon Heights, Minn., drop off donated toys along with a $12,000 check for Gillette Children’s Specialty Healthcare. From left to right are Sarah Lehman from the SPIRE Roseville location, Shannon Wier from Gillette, Rochelle Fellman from the SPIRE Eagan location, Natalie Kinsky from Gillette, Bridget Petersen from SPIRE’s administrative offices and Megen Swenson from Gillette. SPIRE recently hosted its annual holiday toy drive, a 32-year tradition. More than 2,100 toys were collected at SPIRE’s 20 branches. The toys were donated to 16 local organizations throughout the SPIRE service area.

Sterling Nielsen, president/CEO for the $9 billion Mountain America Credit Union in Sandy, Utah, distributes coats to kids at Newman Elementary on Jan. 10. Mountain America, in partnership with Operation Warm, gifted 500 new winter coats to students at Utah Title 1 schools. In Utah, more than 10% of children are living in poverty. Operation Warm provides warmth, confidence and hope to children in need through the gift of brand new winter coats. The gift of a new coat has a multiplier effect, allowing children to get to school on cold days, and in turn, succeed at school.

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