Credit Unions Raise Over $2 Million for Community COVID-19 Relief

Branch Manager Larysa Goryelova and Business Development Officer Laurie Morano, both with Visions Federal Credit Union, show off boxes of custom apron donations. The $4.9 billion, Endwell, N.Y.-based Visions donated 75 custom aprons to the Academy of Hospitality and the Culinary Arts program at Leonia High School in Leonia, N.J. The aprons went to students of the school's onsite culinary class, where students have the opportunity to learn about the culinary and hospitality industry while sharpening their skills and knowledge about the field as a potential post-high school venture.

The Travis Credit Union Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the $3.9 billion Travis Credit Union in Vacaville, Calif., raised over $1 million for its COVID-19 Relief Initiative. This amount was matched by the credit union for a total of $2 million, which will be distributed to 83 local community organizations, many of which are providing resources and services to individuals and families impacted by the pandemic. Travis matched every dollar raised by the foundation up to $20,000, for a maximum of $40,000 total per agency. The campaign culminated on Sept. 30. Empower Yolo, a shelter and crisis intervention center in Woodland, Calif., was one of the grant recipients and is using the funding to help prevent eviction for families hit hardest by the pandemic. Pictured shopping for toiletry donations are Susan Starkweather Stone (left) and Terri Russell of Empower Yolo.

The Security Service Charitable Foundation, the charitable arm of the $10.16 billion Security Service Federal Credit Union in San Antonio, Texas, helped the Autism Treatment Center in San Antonio welcome students back to campus through a $2,000 donation to enhance social distancing measures. The donation will provide mobile partitions in classrooms as well as glider swings and basketballs for enhanced outdoor play. Also included in the donation is funding for a new laminator, which will help the center reuse classroom tools and preserve printed materials. Staff at the 44-year-old Autism Treatment Center (pictured) have assisted people with autism and related disorders throughout their lives as they learn, play, work and live in the community. In past years, the center has served nearly 400 children and adults annually with direct care programs, and assisted more than 1,000 families with information and referrals for community services.

As part of its "Empower – a Community Connection" initiative, the $532 million, Fitchburg, Mass.-based IC Federal Credit Union made two donations to food banks. The credit union gifted $4,000 to Ginny's Helping Hand & Food Pantry of Leominster, Mass., and another $4,000 to the Marlborough Community Cupboard in Marlborough, Mass. Pictured from left to right in front of Ginny's Helping Hand & Food Pantry are Brandon Robbins, manager of Ginny's; Jennifer Maguy, community coordinator for IC; Sue Chalifoux Zephir, executive director of Ginny's; Beth Slattery, senior solutions manager for IC; and Holly Sanchez, SVP of HR for IC.

From left to right, Becky Ates, EVP for Abound Credit Union; Marcus Rodgers, business/marketing teacher at Taylor County High School; and Sara Tucker, the high school's principal, show off a check donation. The $1.8 billion, Radcliff, Ky.-based Abound presented $500 to Taylor County High School in Campbellsville, Ky., to support its personal finance class, an elective course open to any student in grades 9-12. The funds will be used to assist with the purchase of Dave Ramsey's Foundations in Personal Finance curriculum that Rodgers utilizes for the class. Abound is also providing financial education to students at Taylor County Intermediate School in Campbellsville.

Place of Promise Founder Elizabeth "Beth" Kidd holds her award check from Jeanne D'Arc Credit Union's We Share a Common Thread Foundation. Place of Promise is the latest non-profit organization to be awarded a $1,500 donation as part of the $1.58 billion, Lowell, Mass.-based credit union's third-quarter (June through September) Give-a-Click program. The Give-A-Click program runs quarterly on the foundation's website. Community members visit the site, learn about the worthy non-profit contestants and cast their vote for the one they would like to support. The organization with the most votes at the end of the quarter is awarded $1,500 from the foundation. Place of Promise, located in Lowell and founded in 1994, serves people dealing with homelessness, incarceration, neglected medical conditions, mental disorders, abuse, trauma, and alcohol and opioid drug addictions. The $1,500 prize winnings will be put toward its long-term adult residential program to help fund those with no financial resources or housing.

Please send your Community News items to Natasha Chilingerian at [email protected].

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Natasha Chilingerian has been immersed in the credit union industry for over a decade. She first joined CU Times in 2011 as a freelance writer, and following a two-year hiatus from 2013-2015, during which time she served as a communications specialist for Xceed Financial Credit Union (now Kinecta Federal Credit Union), she re-joined the CU Times team full-time as managing editor. She was promoted to executive editor in 2019. In the earlier days of her career, Chilingerian focused on news and lifestyle journalism, serving as a writer and editor for numerous regional publications in Oregon, Louisiana, South Carolina and the San Francisco Bay Area. In addition, she holds experience in marketing copywriting for companies in the finance and technology space. At CU Times, she covers People and Community news, cybersecurity, fintech partnerships, marketing, workplace culture, leadership, DEI, branch strategies, digital banking and more. She currently works remotely and splits her time between Southern California and Portland, Ore.