CUs Step Up to Donate Time & Funds to Charitable Organizations

Employees from the $3.7 billion, Tullahoma, Tenn.-based Ascend Federal Credit Union wear red to support the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women campaign. Ascend and its employees recently raised $1,270 to support the AHA’s efforts to increase women’s heart health awareness. Employees gave a total of $635 by donating at least $5 to the Go Red for Women program to wear blue jeans and a red shirt on National Wear Red Day Feb. 4, and Ascend matched each employee contribution, dollar-for-dollar.

First Financial Federal Credit Union ($1.2 billion, Sparks, Md.) recently provided a $25,000 sponsorship to support Baltimore County Public School students through the Outstanding Young Women Leaders program at Towson University. This program allows select young women from Baltimore County high schools to develop leadership skills and gain experience throughout their academic and professional lives while networking with professional women in the area. Some First Financial employees also volunteer and serve as mentors to the young women. From left to right are FFFCU Chairman of the Board Bob Brenneman, FFFCU President/CEO Eric Church, Towson University Presidential Scholar Dr. Nancy Grasmick and a participant of the program.

Hikers participate in the American Cancer Society’s annual five-mile Climb to Conquer Cancer event in Phoenix on Feb. 26. Leading up to the event, Arizona- and New Mexico-based employees and members of Mountain America Credit Union ($14 billion, Sandy, Utah) donated $4,500 to the American Cancer Society. Money raised from the climb will allow the organization to continue providing free services like cancer treatment, rides to and from doctor appointments, and a toll-free information number.

The Security Service Charitable Foundation, the charitable arm of the $10 billion Security Service Federal Credit Union in San Antonio, recently donated $2,500 to the San Antonio-based non-profit DaisyCares, which partners with the San Antonio Food Bank to provide free pet food to community members and their four-legged companions in need. This donation will help provide 25,000 pounds of food to approximately 1,250 needy pets. From left to right are San Antonio Food Bank COO Erika Borrego, DaisyCares Program Manager Saskia Herbst and Security Service SVP of Corporate Communications Brandy Ralston-Lint.

On March 1, Vibe Credit Union ($1.1 billion, Novi, Mich.) awarded $6,000 to six Novi-based organizations. The donations were the culmination of the credit union’s VibeStrong Novi campaign, a social media-based promotion. A total of 2,851 votes were cast to determine the winning organizations. From left to right are Kaija Juszak, president of Novi Athletic Boosters, which received $800; Kat Dooley, trustee for the Novi Rotary Foundation ($1,200 award); Debbie Wertz, program director for the Novi Community Coalition ($800 award); Victoria Trudell, president of Zelphia’s Community Kitchen ($1,000 award) and Lisa Shields, caseworker for Novi Youth Assistance ($1,000 award). The sixth winner was the Novi Rotary Foundation’s Feed the Need, which received $1,200.

In response to December’s historic Marshall Fire in Colorado’s Boulder County, Westerra Credit Union ($1.9 billion, Denver) recently donated $90,500 to the Community Foundation Boulder County Wildfire Relief Fund through a $50,000 corporate match as well as employee, member and community support. In addition, members of the Westerra team donated 22 hours of employee time to sort 2,805 pounds of donations at local charitable organization A Precious Child on Feb. 4 and Feb. 10, which will directly benefit 225 children and caregivers impacted by the Marshall Fire. From left to right are Westerra volunteers Noemy Flamenco, Jennifer Powers, Maria Mendoza, Meghan Grall, Rochelle Tafoya and Arlene Delgado.

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