BATON ROUGE, La. - Two credit union volunteers have won President Bush's "Call To Service Award" recognizing lifetime volunteer service.
NCUA Chairman JoAnn Johnson was on hand to present the awards to Kenneth Uffman and James Moore during a ceremony at the Credit Union Service Center, here.
Over the past several decades, Uffman and Moore, both from Baton Rouge, have demonstrated the "people-helping-people" philosophy by volunteering for several organizations. Uffman, a retired Air Force Captain, has volunteered with the Louisiana Jump$tart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy; Credit Bureau of Baton Rouge, Inc; Volunteer Baton Rouge; Consumer Credit Counseling Service; the Salvation Army; and Boy Scouts of America. Moore's volunteerism includes service with E-Federal Credit Union; AARP volunteer tax counseling; family debt counseling; and the Crisis Intervention Center, which established the Leaving a Legacy program. Both were nominated for the award by the Louisiana CUL.
"It was an honor to present these two deserving individuals with the President's Call to Service Award," said Chairman Johnson. "Their dedicated and selfless commitment to the credit union community and beyond can inspire us all to serve something greater than ourselves. America's credit unions remain vibrant institutions because of the countless hours given by their volunteers, most of which goes unnoticed. I commend all those throughout the credit union system who sacrificially give their time to make a difference in the lives of their members."
While in Louisiana, Johnson also traveled throughout areas of the New Orleans metropolitan area that were devastated by Hurricane Katrina, while visiting with officials from St. Bernard Parish School Board Employees Federal Credit Union and Barbers & Cosmetologists Credit Union, both of which suffered extensive damage from the storm. Johnson's visit was guided by Anne Cochran, Louisiana Credit Union League CEO, and covered nearly 80 miles.
"Even though more than a year has passed since Katrina devastated this area, the visible impact of the storm is still unimaginable," said Chairman Johnson. "Despite the great task of recovery that lies ahead, the spirit of the community is truly inspiring. Nowhere is the heroic and courageous spirit more evident than in the credit union community affected by the storm. I was honored to witness firsthand how credit union officials and volunteers are truly embodying the 'people-helping-people' philosophy by keeping their institutions operational so their members can continue to depend upon them. As these communities rebuild their lives, their credit unions have been by their side."
