$200K-Plus CU Donations Support Physical & Financial Health
Oregon's Rogue CU gives big to a local hospital and FSCU partners with an Alabama university.
The $896 million Family Savings Credit Union of Rainbow City, Ala., made a commitment to college student financial wellness through a new partnership with Jacksonville State University, which included the presentation of a $250,000 check to the Jacksonville, Ala., university in November, FSCU said.
FSCU and JSU are leveraging the funds to launch the Family Savings Credit Union Financial Wellness Program, which is accessible to all JSU students and aims to raise their level of financial literacy. The program’s classes include presentations and hands-on experiences focused on topics such as budgeting, reading and improving credit reports and scores, paying student loans and filing taxes.
“Unfortunately, we see more and more students not having the financial knowledge they need to be successful,” JSU President Don Killingsworth stated. “Any of the broad knowledge that you need as a working adult, or any working person really, that they may not have been exposed to prior. Not in the classroom, not in textbooks. This is just working knowledge that you need to be a successful person.”
FSCU President/CEO Danny Varnon added, “We could not be prouder of the opportunity to work with the students at JSU. Improving financial literacy is our mission. In our line of work, we see every day the knowledge gap between knowing how to be financially secure in one’s future and being dependent on high-cost credit and long-term debt. Family Savings is proud to be a small part of the solution for these students.”
Also announcing a sizeable health-focused community donation was Rogue Credit Union ($3.3 billion, Medford, Ore.), which presented $205,000 and two ride-on vehicle toys to the Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center in Medford on Dec. 20. The donation included funds raised throughout 2023 by Rogue members and team members, and is part of the credit union’s long-term commitment to support the Pediatrics Unit in the Olsrud Family Women’s and Children’s Hospital at Asante Rogue Regional, which will open in February 2024. Rogue said the donation also included a $5,000 Miracle Match from Co-op Solutions (now PSCU/Co-op Solutions).
Rogue gifted the ride-on vehicle toys to pediatric patients Everleigh, 18 months, and Aeriana, 5, both of whom rely on Asante’s Pediatric Oncology & Infusion Department for regular care.
“Rogue Credit Union is a leader in our region – their efforts to engage the community and their members are vital to Asante’s ability to provide the highest level of care to kids from our region. It’s a values-driven strategic partnership,” Andrea Reeder, SVP and chief philanthropy officer for Asante, stated. “But seeing the joy on the faces of the patients and their siblings – this is the heart of the matter – making life better for kids and families facing illnesses that no one should have to face.”