Maine CU Reps Donate Nearly 20,000 Hours Of Time

WESTBROOK,Maine - Volunteers from Maine's credit unions donated nearly 20,000 hours of their time to various causes during 2006, according to the Maine league. The MCUL's five-year-old volunteer program, called Credit Unions Share for ME, documented 19,492.75 hours volunteered by credit union staff and directors last year. It calculated that based on figures from the Points of Light Foundation, which calculates the value of one hour volunteered at $18.77, the value of the time volunteered by Maine's credit unions equaled $366,015 in 2006.

According to the Maine Credit Union League, which coordinates the program, a total of 2,029 staff and volunteers (a 5% increase from 2005) representing Maine's credit unions participated in the program during the past year. In 2006, the top five credit unions donating the most volunteer hours were (location of main office and total hours listed in parentheses): Saco Valley CU in Saco (2,789); Five County CU in Bath (2,506.75); Rainbow FCU in Lewiston (2,299); Oxford FCU in Mexico (1,338); and Maine State CU in Augusta (1,245). The top five credit unions with the most total volunteers were: Rainbow FCU in Lewiston (201); Saco Valley CU in Saco (200); Midcoast FCU in Bath (178); Five County CU in Bath (159); and Maine State CU in Augusta (138).

Throughout the year, credit union representatives participated in community-related projects, such as school activities, ending hunger, serving on non-profit boards, organizing community fundraisers, donating blood, youth athletics, soup kitchens, walk-a-thons, and a host of other events and activities.

In 2006, the Program averaged 1,624 hours volunteered per month with an average of 169 volunteers participating. Credit Unions Share for ME tracks and updates the volunteer efforts of credit unions on a monthly basis. Since the program began in April 2002, Maine credit unions have volunteered a documented 83,600 hours for community-service projects.

For info: www.mainecul.org.