CUs Stand Up for Wildfire Relief, Cancer Research & Families in Need

TopLine Federal Credit Union employees (back row, left to right) Colleen Jakes, Patti Gagnon, Chantal Galvan, Ashley Nyberg, Meredith Engman and (front) Alan Sonnenburg celebrate CU Forward Day, an effort to spread kindness coordinated by the Minnesota Credit Union Network on Oct. 12. The $538 million, Maple Grove, Minn.-based TopLine was one of the 53 credit unions and partner organizations in Minnesota that participated in CU Forward Day. Over 45 TopLine participants volunteered 180 hours and impacted nearly 1,000 Minnesotans at local community partner non-profits including Avenues for Homeless Youth, Community Emergency Assistance Programs, Keystone Community Services, Express Bike Shop and Family Alternatives.

Jamie S. with Kitsap Credit Union fills a snack pack for a child at Alta Apartments in Tacoma, Wash., assisting Pierce County United Way. Staff from the $1.65 billion, Bremerton, Wash.-based KCU recently joined the United Way in assembling and donating 1,000 snack packs, which include nutritious snacks and treats, crayons and an activity book, for local children at meal distribution sites. This included a day of partnering with the Communities in Schools and the Puyallup School District to distribute snack packs to over 400 children at the district’s Wildwood and Sunrise Elementary Schools. In addition, KCU recently sponsored the Puyallup Food Bank’s “Night at the Movies” at the Washington State Fairgrounds to celebrate the 35th anniversary of “The Goonies” through a food drive. Admission to the movie was free with a food donation, and over $800 and 2,300 pounds of food was collected onsite. Earlier this year, a KCU team also spent a day volunteering for Bonney Lake Food Bank in Bonney Lake, Wash., by packing enough bags of food to fill a shipping container.

Volunteers with Visions Federal Credit Union take a break during the $5 billion credit union’s Mini Strides Day at its Endicott, N.Y., headquarters. Visions raised over $12,600 for breast cancer research in October, Breast Cancer Awareness Month, as part of its annual Making Strides Campaign benefitting the American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer. Aside from the Mini Strides Day, Visions held three other events throughout the month: “Stride Your City” Virtual & In-Person Events, presented by Making Strides Against Breast Cancer; a Making Strides Face Mask Sale, held in partnership with Worldwide Sports Supply and Making Strides Binghamton; and a Pink Doughnut Day in partnership with The Cider Mill in Endicott.

Throughout October, in honor of International Credit Union Day (Oct. 15) and as part of the United Way of Central West Virginia’s Day of Caring, the $101.6 million, Nitro, W.V.-based Peoples Federal Credit Union collected diapers, toddler training pants, baby wipes and baby toiletries for Gabriel Project of West Virginia, which assists needy pregnant women and families with children age two and younger. On Nov. 5, Peoples President/CEO Andrew Myers presented a $5,000 check (matching the in-kind donations) to the Gabriel Project of WV. Pictured from left to right are Community Impact Director Kerri Cooper, Resource Development Director Kristi Wheeler, President Margaret O’Neal and Community Services Director Lisa Hudnall of the United Way of Central WV; Gabriel Project of WV State Executive Director Donna Hawkins; Myers; and Peoples Vice President of Marketing Anna Campbell.

Mortgage servicing and closing department team members at the $3 billion, Tullahoma, Tenn.-based Ascend Federal Credit Union show off their rock star attire on Halloween. Participating in the annual Costumed for a Cure fundraiser to benefit The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Ascend employees dressed up in their most creative Halloween costumes and decorated pumpkins. Anyone who visited an Ascend branch could vote for their favorite costume or pumpkin with a donation. This year, donations were also accepted though a custom fundraising website. The event raised $3,749 from employee and member donations – $1,500 more than 2019 and bringing the 14-year total to $37,103. Pictured in the back row from left to right are Kelly Price, Sarah Lee, Tiffany Hill, Krystal Carpenter, Tori Williams, Sarah Teal and Teri Romano; in the front from left to right are Stephanie Haley and Savannah Haddon.

From left to right, Allison Hines, SVP of resource development for Colorado’s United Way of Larimer County; Deirdre Sullivan, President/CEO for United Way of Larimer County; Tatiana Hernandez, CEO for Community Foundation Serving Boulder County; and Dennis Paul, vice president of community affairs for Elevations Credit Union present wildfire relief donations. The $2.59 billion, Boulder, Colo.-based Elevations matched $100,000 recently donated by the community to Elevations Foundation’s Wildfire Relief Fund. Community members donated an additional $82,000, bringing the total to $282,000, which will be given those displaced in Boulder and Larimer counties in partnership with the two local organizations.

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