SECU Foundation board members and staff, and SECU representatives, present a check to Caring House leaders. (Credit/SECU)
The Memorial Day holiday week brought two announcements of large charitable contributions from credit unions – a $3 million challenge grant by the SECU Foundation, the charitable arm of SECU ($55.8 billion, Raleigh, N.C.), and a $600,000 donation by Teachers Federal Credit Union ($9.8 billion, Hauppauge, N.Y.).
The recipient of the SECU Foundation's $3 million grant is the Caring House, a Durham, N.C., housing facility for patients and their caregivers traveling to the area to receive care at Duke Cancer Institute. The funds will be used for the construction of an addition that will double the capacity of the facility, which currently hosts more than 700 patients annually.
"Duke Cancer Institute patients have needed more housing for years, and Caring House is excited to finally be able to expand our facility to meet that need," Caring House Executive Director Sasha Zarzour stated.
The SECU Foundation has previously helped pay for the construction of similar facilities in Chapel Hill, Winston-Salem and Wilmington, N.C., including the SECU Family House at UNC Hospitals in Chapel Hill in 2013.
"This project holds great significance for SECU Foundation, taking us back to our first brick and mortar project that has led us on a remarkable journey that continues today," SECU Foundation Board Chair Chris Ayers stated. "We are so pleased to be a part of the effort that is helping Caring House take the important next steps to expand and meet the growing demand for their much-needed services."
Teachers' $600,000 contribution, which went to Children's Miracle Network Hospitals, was raised during its Second Annual Teachers Federal Credit Union Golf Tournament May 16 at Westhampton Country Club in Westhampton Beach, N.Y. The total donation amount included sponsorships from partners including TruStage and Fiserv, as well as donations from Teachers employees and members, the credit union said.
According to Teachers, the event drew more than 150 attendees, making it the largest of its kind in the Northeast benefitting CMN Hospitals. The credit union's first annual golf tournament in 2023 brought in $400,000 for the charity.
"We are proud to support Children's Miracle Network Hospitals and their essential role in providing critical care to children across the country," Teachers President/CEO Brad Calhoun stated. "We are thankful to our partners, members and teammates for playing a role in raising over $600,000 for Children's Miracle Network Hospitals. We look forward to continuing these efforts for many years to come."
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Natasha Chilingerian
Natasha Chilingerian has been immersed in the credit union industry for over a decade. She first joined CU Times in 2011 as a freelance writer, and following a two-year hiatus from 2013-2015, during which time she served as a communications specialist for Xceed Financial Credit Union (now Kinecta Federal Credit Union), she re-joined the CU Times team full-time as managing editor. She was promoted to executive editor in 2019. In the earlier days of her career, Chilingerian focused on news and lifestyle journalism, serving as a writer and editor for numerous regional publications in Oregon, Louisiana, South Carolina and the San Francisco Bay Area. In addition, she holds experience in marketing copywriting for companies in the finance and technology space. At CU Times, she covers People and Community news, cybersecurity, fintech partnerships, marketing, workplace culture, leadership, DEI, branch strategies, digital banking and more. She currently works remotely and splits her time between Southern California and Portland, Ore.
