CUs Lend a Hand to Service Members & Aspiring Entrepreneurs

Staff members from the $268 million Sperry Associates Federal Credit Union in Garden City Park, N.Y., bowl at the Pink Bowl, a charity event in support of the Maurer Foundation, a breast health education foundation. The event, sponsored by the credit union for the sixth year in a row, featured teams engaging in friendly competition on the lanes.

John Howard (right), president/CEO for the $1 billion Merrimack Valley Credit Union in Lawrence, Mass., presents a $10,000 donation to David Parker (left), CEO at EforAll. For five years, Merrimack Valley will provide $10,000 each year to the organization’s South Coast region, which focuses on Fall River and New Bedford, Mass. EforAll seeks to accelerate economic and social impact through entrepreneurship in mid-sized cities. Partnering with the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth’s Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship, the organization offers several programs to help community members start and grow businesses, including its Business Accelerator program, a free, one-year program that provides a unique combination of immersive business training, mentorship, access to an extended professional network, and pitch contests to help early-stage entrepreneurs gain valuable exposure and feedback on a business idea.

Employees from the $2 billion American Eagle Financial Credit Union in East Hartford, Conn., present a $5,816 check donation to David O’Rourke (second from right), CEO at Hockanum Valley Community Council. Employees raised the money for the charity by wearing jeans to work. By making a weekly donation through payroll deduction, AEFCU employees can wear jeans to work each Friday. The Hockanum Valley Community Council provides residents of Vernon, Rockville and nearby towns with 1,000 holiday meals, 25,000 pounds of food per month, 2,000 rides to seniors and the disabled per month, counseling to 260 patients per week, recreational programs, and educational classes on parenting, wellness, nutrition and more.

John P. Buckley, Jr., president/CEO (pictured left) at the $162 million, Fremont, Mich.-based Gerber Federal Credit Union presents a $50,000 donation to Steven Radtke (right), the Newaygo County Museum and Heritage Center executive director for the organization’s “Your History, Our Legacy” capital campaign. The museum is an essential component of the education of Newaygo County residents.

Volunteers from the $1.5 billion Hanscom Federal Credit Union in Hanscom Air Force Base, Mass., and Fisher House Boston gather to prepare dinner for service members and their families at Fisher House Boston on Feb. 5. From left to right are Spencer Butterfield, assistant manager, remote support for Hanscom FCU; Beth St. Pierre, house manager for Fisher House Boston; Tish Stropes, vice president of strategic initiatives for Fisher House Foundation; Raymond A. Kahre, board member for Hanscom FCU; Melissa Lockett, business analyst for Hanscom FCU; and Hugh W. McNeil, board member for Hanscom FCU. Fisher House Boston is located at the VA Boston Healthcare System, West Roxbury Campus, and provides no-cost lodging and logistical support for family members caring for hospitalized U.S. veterans. Hanscom FCU has supported Fisher House Boston since the facility opened in 2010. Employees and board members from Hanscom FCU go to Fisher House four times a year to prepare meals for families and service members who are staying at the Fisher House during treatment at the VA.

Damian Carter (left), regional SVP at the $41.3 billion SECU in Raleigh, N.C., and Jama Campbell (right), executive director at the SECU Foundation, present a $500,000 challenge grant to Mary Boyles, executive director at The Shepherd’s House. The grant will assist the capital campaign of TSH for the construction of a 10,000-square-foot facility that will provide community space and emergency housing for up to 48 individuals per night. The Shepherd’s House, formerly known as the Greater Mount Airy Ministry of Hospitality, has been providing emergency shelter and supportive services to single women and families in Surry County and the surrounding region since 2003. To date, the non-profit has served more than 2,300 clients, providing nearly 67,000 nights of shelter for those in need. In the last three years, more than 1,400 people requesting assistance from TSH had to be turned away due to lack of space at the current facility. Once the new shelter is complete, the existing facility will be renovated to accommodate clients who are ready to transition from emergency housing to affordable long-term housing.

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