TAMPA, Fla.-Card Services for Credit Unions has named the winners of its Community Outreach Scholarship program, which recognizes and rewards credit unions that are building relationships and giving back in their own communities.
This year, 94 credit unions submitted applications, and that group was then narrowed to 12 that were selected to receive scholarships totaling $14,000. New this year was a "fans favorite" winner, where CSCU encouraged credit union members to vote for their favorites using CSCU's various social media channels.
While many organizations work to send troops care packages, few can attest to sending Santa or stuffing a bus. CSCU's first place winner and recipient of a $5,000 scholarship was Saginaw Medical FCU, Saginaw, Mich. In partnership with the Yellow Ribbon Guard, SMFCU hosted a "Send Santa to the Troops" stuff-a-bus event that raised more than 600 pounds of Halloween candy, three buses full of gifts, and more than $1,600 in cash donations.
SMFCU said winning the scholarship will allow it to expand its outreach efforts in 2012 and make the next stuff-a-bus event an even bigger success. Other winners include:
* ELGA Credit Union and Carriage Town Ministries, for their assistance to the Finley House project in Flint, Mich., which provides troubled women transition housing and the professional development needed to get back on their feet. Not only did ELGA CU donate $4,000 for a new roof for the house, 25 employees donated their time to help with the project.
* Delta County CU, which assisted The Clothes Closet, an Escanaba, Mich., store that provides free clothing to homeless or less-fortunate high school students. To further extend their outreach, DCCU employees cancelled their company gift exchange and in its place donated enough money for more than 30 students to receive gift certificates to local stores. Teachers then took students to local stores to purchase items that were not available in their size at the Clothes Closet.
Funds from DCCU's CSCU Community Outreach Scholarship allowed the credit union to provide four more gift certificates for students to buy warm winter clothes.
A complete list of winners can be found at www.CSCU.net. All 2011 Community Outreach Scholarship winners will be recognized at the CSCU 2012 Annual Conference, April 25- 29 in St. Petersburg, Fla.
Credit unions across the country are encouraged to submit their application for the 2012 Community Outreach Scholarship program beginning in October 2012 at www.cscu.net/communityoutreach.
