CU Donations Benefit Veterans, Nursing Home Workers & Children Facing Hunger

From left to right, Mike Carroll, owner of Hub City Smokehouse and Grill; Greg Wise, security guard for North Okaloosa Medical Center; and Hannah Wilburn, Business Development Officer for All In Credit Union, show off food purchased from Carroll’s restaurant. As part of the Credit Union Cares Challenge, the Southeastern Credit Union Foundation and employees from the $1.7 billion, Daleville, Ala.-based All In thanked essential workers by donating money that was used to purchase food, merchandise or other items from their favorite local businesses. All In donated a total of $8,750 to 14 local organizations.

The $193 million, Northfield, N.J.-based Jersey Shore Federal Credit Union, along with other New Jersey credit unions, collected 650 pounds of donated kid-friendly food for the Southern Branch of the Community Food Bank of New Jersey. With many parents out of work due to the COVID-19 pandemic, some children in the community no longer have access to enough food. Pictured from left to right are Jersey Shore FCU staff and social action committee members Garrett Garcia, Jeannie Straub and Amanda Shiko.

From left to right, Retired Brigadier General and Veteran’s Life Center (VLC) Executive Director Thomas Gorry, SECU Foundation Executive Director Jama Campbell and VLC Founder and Senior Advisor John Turner hold a ceremonial check during a presentation by SECU President/CEO Mike Lord at the opening of the SECU Veterans Residence in Butner, N.C., on Aug. 1. The SECU Foundation, a charitable organization funded by the members of the $45 billion, Raleigh, N.C.-based SECU provided a $1 million capital grant to complete fundraising efforts for the construction of the SECU Veterans Residence. Veterans Life Center provides a residential program offering physical, mental and spiritual therapy necessary to help veterans reintegrate into civilian life with success. Participating veterans will be housed at the 100-bed SECU Veterans Residence.

From left to right, Vincent Hardalo, Southampton Branch manager for the $1.3 billion, Medford, N.Y.-based Suffolk Federal Credit Union presents a $1,000 contribution to Heart of the Hamptons Executive Director Hilton Crosby, Heart of the Hamptons Food Pantry Manager Maribel Ramos and Heart of the Hamptons Food Pantry Assistant Francisco Zhiminaicela. Heart of the Hamptons provides food and emergency assistance to over 1,500 people every year in the Southampton, N.Y., community.

Staff members at Roosevelt Rehabilitation and Nursing in Northeast Philadelphia receive a surprise breakfast treat from the $2.4 billion, Fort Washington, Pa.-based TruMark Financial Credit Union. As part of the nursing home project it created in July, TruMark Financial sent trays of breakfast goodies from local bakeries and eateries to nursing facilities in Pennsylvania’s Philadelphia, Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery counties. The credit union launched the project to recognize the health care professionals in nursing home facilities, who not only care for patients’ medical needs but are their link to the outside world, as many facilities’ doors still remain closed to visitors.

The nine contestants in Vizo Financial Corporate Credit Union’s Seventh Annual Hot Dog Eating Contest for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals compete virtually from their homes and offices on July 23 to see who can eat the most hot dogs in five minutes. Twenty-two credit unions and CUSOs, including the $7.6 billion, Greensboro, N.C.-based Vizo Financial raised $7,500 for CMN Hospitals at Penn State Children’s Hospital in Hershey, Pa. Justina Mikalik of Vizo Financial won the women’s competition, consuming six hot dogs, and Aaron Mowery of Belco Community Credit Union ($712 million, Harrisburg, Pa.) won the men’s competition, consuming 5.5 hot dogs.

Please send your Community news items to Natasha Chilingerian at nchilingerian@cutimes.com.