CU Donations Support First Responders & Community Health

From left to right, Cheryl Sclater, public relations manager for the $983 million, Burton, Mich.-based ELGA Credit Union; Major Randy Hellstrom of the Salvation Army; ELGA CEO Karen Church and Trooper Steven Kramer of the Michigan State Police pose with a check benefitting the Salvation Army’s Toy Shoppe. ELGA and the Michigan State Police hosted the eighth annual Stuff a Blue Goose toy drive, raising $16,020 and collecting 1,469 toys that will help provide Christmas for children in Michigan’s Genesee and Lapeer counties. Donations were collected at 13 ELGA locations by local police and fire departments, along with ELGA associates and Salvation Army representatives. Monetary donations were also made online.

Employees from the $6.2 million, Hunstville, Ala.-based Redstone Federal Credit Union and local first responders attend the credit union’s fourth annual First Responders Appreciation Luncheon, which became a drive-thru event this year due to COVID-19 restrictions. Each year, Redstone team members barbeque savory meats and pair them with all the fixings as a way to acknowledge the service that first responders in North Alabama provide. This year, more than 750 meals were preordered, representing eight different agencies. Meals and lots of appreciation were given out in the special pickup area.

On Oct. 10, Sara Hackett (left), assistant vice president of corporate partnerships at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA), receives a $15,000 donation to her hospital’s COVID-19 Relief Fund from Richard Lie (right), president/CEO of the $1.1 billion, Glendale, Calif.-based Los Angeles Federal Credit Union and other LAFCU executives. LAFCU raised $12,000 in donations for CHLA during September through online contributions, in-person branch donations and a raffle of CHLA-themed backpacks for LAFCU staff and their families. For every dollar raised, LAFCU also matched up to $5,000 for CHLA through LAFCU’s charity, the Los Angeles Charitable Association. One hundred percent of donations will support CHLA’s COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund, which helps pay for:

• 5,000 daily health screenings for patients, families, guests and team members at CHLA;
• COVID-19 tests for all inpatients and patients undergoing procedures;
• TeleHealth resources and artificial intelligence health screening bots; and
• Personal protective equipment and sanitation supplies for team members.

Additionally, a previous donation of $3,000 was presented to CHLA in March, raising the total donated in 2020 to $15,000.

David Dupere (left), social responsibility committee chair for Credit Unions of Rhode Island and EVP/COO for the $129 million Wave Federal Credit Union in Warwick, R.I., presents Special Olympics Rhode Island Executive Director Dennis DeJesus with a check for $95,000 on behalf of all the credit unions in the state. Special Olympics Rhode Island provides over 1,600 year-round sports training and athletic competition opportunities to over 4,000 children and adults with intellectual disabilities as a means to achieve physical fitness, self-esteem and the life skills necessary to be productive, respected and contributing members of their communities. The amount raised marks a 23-year total of more than $1.3 million raised by the state’s credit unions, members of the Cooperative Credit Union Association.

The $758 million Leominster Credit Union based in Leominster, Mass., recently donated $15,000 to the United Way of North Central Massachusetts to benefit its 2021 Workplace Campaign. The United Way of North Central Massachusetts has continued to work tirelessly to improve lives in local communities by providing services focused on health, education and financial wellness. Pictured from left to right is Rachel Terrell, executive assistant for LCU; Kelli Rooney, SVP of community engagement and marketing for LCU; Kory Eng, president/CEO for the United Way of North Central Massachusetts and Barbara Mahoney, LCU’s president/CEO.

In October, members, staff and the board of directors of Worcester Credit Union ($102 million, Worcester, Mass.) worked together to raise funds to support Worcester’s University of Massachusetts Medical School Foundation and its affiliate, UMass Memorial Medical Center.  Overall, the credit union collected $1,516 in contributions, which were divided evenly to support breast cancer research at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, and patient care and treatment at UMass Memorial Healthcare. Patient care funds will provide comfort items such as Chap Stick, eye masks and blankets, and continuing education for caregivers who support patients in treatment. Pictured from left to right are Jessica Ramirez, assistant branch manager for Worcester CU; Brittany Higgins, branch operations coordinator for Worcester CU; Julie Bowditch, advancement officer, community fundraising for the University of Massachusetts Medical School; Lisa A. Perrin, president/CEO for Worcester CU; Beth Dumas, assistant vice president of operations, technology and BSA for Worcester CU; and Katelyn Kender, universal banker for Worcester CU.

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