Credit Unions Kick Off the Holiday Charitable Giving Season
CUs deliver Thanksgiving meals, donate books and support health care workers, among other activities.
On Oct. 9, the $15.5 billion, Sacramento-based Golden 1 Credit Union made a special delivery of flowers, balloons and coffee to staff at Enloe Medical Center in Chico, Calif., to show gratitude and appreciation for all they do to keep California’s Butte County community safe. Pictured from left to right in front of the Enloe Medical Center are Joe Page, marketing manager for the medical center; Roseanna Galindo, director volunteer and guest services for the medical center; Traci Hunt, director of comprehensive cancer services for the medical center; Cesar Alfaro, branch operations manager for Golden 1; and Tammy Carter-Ellis, market area manager for Golden 1.
The $3 billion American Heritage Credit Union in Philadelphia recently donated over 5,300 new books to local hospitals, community centers and special care facilities through its Books for Kids program. The program collected over $11,000 in donations throughout the summer and fall to purchase and distribute the books. Now in its 11th year, the program invites members to become “Book Buddies” by donating $3 to purchase a new book that will be donated to local hospitals and organizations in American Heritage’s field of membership. When a member purchases a book donation, a label is included with the donor’s name and affixed inside the book. The credit union also made a special donation to the “Reach Out and Read” program at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Pictured from left to right are William Quinn, Gina Pelbano and Caitlin Kane with American Heritage; Kirsten Rogers with the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s Reach Out and Read Program; and Donna Handel with American Heritage.
From left to right, Leah Bowen, marketing project lead for the $3 billion, Tullahoma, Tenn.-based Ascend Federal Credit Union; Jeff Parsley, executive director for the Tennessee Chapter of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS); Ascend President/CEO Caren Gabriel and Ascend Assistant Vice President of Business Development Erin Spence pose with a check donation. Ascend recently donated $10,000 to LLS’s Children’s Initiative, a global program supporting critical childhood care and cancer research. The contribution helps cancer patients have access to quality, affordable and coordinated care, and makes Ascend one of LLS’s top corporate donors in Tennessee.
Chris McKenna (right), president/CEO for the $2 billion, Albany, N.Y.-based CAP COM Federal Credit Union, delivers Thanksgiving meals with CAP COM volunteers to the Franklin Community Center in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. As part of their ninth annual “Sharing the Harvest” program, CAP COM and its charitable giving arm, the CAP COM Cares Foundation, packed and delivered more than 400 Thanksgiving meals to families in need around New York’s Capital Region. Thanks to the logistical support of 65 socially-distant CAP COM employee volunteers and Hannaford Supermarkets, and in-kind donations from Albany’s Freihofer’s Bakery, local nonprofits and public schools received nonperishable items the week of Nov. 16 and fresh turkeys the week of Nov. 23.
The Hanscom FCU Charitable Foundation, the charitable arm of the $1.6 billion, Hanscom Air Force Base, Mass.-based Hanscom Federal Credit Union, awarded Bruce Blake of Bedford, Mass., a $10,000 prize in its cash raffle to benefit the Cooperative Credit Union Association’s support of the Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless. Ticket sales raised $20,000 for the A Bed for Every Child initiative, which the coalition expanded this year to provide desks for children in need learning from home. Pictured from left to right are Hanscom FCU Chairman Ray Phillips, Hanscom FCU Charitable Foundation Chairman Paul Marotta, Blake and Hanscom FCU President/CEO David Sprague.
Tricia Daley (right), director of marketing and membership for Ocean Financial Federal Credit Union ($349.5 million, Oceanside, N.Y.) helps to deliver Thanksgiving food donations collected at OFFCU branches to Father Chuck Romano (third from left) and volunteers at St. Raymond’s Parish Food Bank in East Rockaway, N.Y. Every year, OFFCU collects non-perishable food, household and personal care items for donation to local Catholic Parishes across its South Shore service area. Donations were accepted in OFFCU branch lobbies in Seaford, N.Y., and Oceanside, as well as at drive-up windows.
Please send your Community news items to Natasha Chilingerian at nchilingerian@cutimes.com.