Merry & Bright: How CUs Are Celebrating the Holiday Season
December 23, 2016 12:22 PM
Credit unions give back to their communities all year long, of course, but many have chosen to make the holiday season extra special by going the extra mile and giving back a little something extra. Heres a glimpse of how some CUs are making the just a little bit season sweeter.
Aventa
Aventa CU in Colorado Springs sponsored the 32nd Annual Holiday of Lights Parade in downtown Colorado Springs, with more than 20 Aventa associates and family members participating in the Home for the Holidays-themed parade.
Altura
Riverside, Calif.-based Altura CU sponsored Teddy Bear Tea Time at Riversides annual Festival of Trees. The event was part of a four-day festival to raise funds for the pediatric unit at the Riverside University Health System Medical Center, and credit union employees handed out more than 250 teddy bears to children participating in the event. Alturas team of tree decorators can be seen here showing off their creating for the Festival of Trees, Winter Under the Sea.
Inspire
Inspire FCU in Langhorne, Pa., hosted its second annual holiday food drive to support the local community, with staff, members and other residents donating more than 500 pounds of food to benefit pantries in Bucks County. Along with collecting donated items, staff held jeans day fundraisers, collecting more than $550 to purchase non-perishable items and provide a cash donation for the purchase of perishable items like ham and turkey for holiday dinners.
APGFCU
Aberdeen Proving Ground FCU in Aberdeen, Md., has partnered with the Salvation Army and its Angel Tree program for more than 25 years, and 2016 was no exception. The credit unions staff collected hundreds of new toys and gifts of clothing for children in Harford and Cecil counties. The credit union also gave each child a certificate valued at $25 so they can open a share account at the credit union.
American Heritage
Philadelphia-based American Heritage CU continued its Adopt-A-Family Program for the 2016 holiday season, which raised $13,700 through fundraisers such as a hoagie and pie sales, raffles and more enough to provide 15 families with a happy holiday season. The gifts and proceeds were donated to the Norristown Salvation Army, Northeast Family YMCA, CADCOM, Thea Bowman Womans Shelter and the Jewish Community Center of Greater Philadelphia.
Landings
Tempe, Ariz.-based Landings CU provided holiday cheer to the community by passing out free samples that is, crisp $1 bills. The credit union gave out free samples to more than 100 members of the Tempe Chamber of Commerce, and chamber members returned the favor by donating toys and non-perishable food items to local charities.
First New York
First New York FCU gave back for the holidays by collecting personal hygiene products and more than 1,000 rolls of toilet paper to share with the Catholic Charities Tri-County Services. The donations will go to area residents who receive SNAP benefits, which cannot be used to purchase such items.
Jetstream
JetStream FCU in Miami Lakes, Fla., once again partnered with the Early Development of Global Education (EDGE) Charitable Foundation to collect holiday toys for area children, a partnership that now celebrating its eighth year. This year EDGE expects to deliver toys to more than 3,000 local children, including those of immigrant families, victims of domestic abuse and children affected by human trafficking in South Florida.
HRCU
Holy Rosary CU of Rochester, N.H. recognized seven area non-profit organizations with holiday donations, including the Spaulding High School raider Station Student Pantry, Rochester Youth Reach, Dover Housing Authority, Dover Police Charities, Community Actin partnership of Strafford County, Friends of Hyder Family Hospice House and the Homeless Center of Strafford County.
Pen Air
Pen Air FCU in Pensacola, Fla. celebrated the holiday season with its second annual Give a Click for Communerosity Holiday Wreath Contest, inviting the community to give a click and vote online for their favorite holiday wreath on the credit unions Facebook page. The campaign intended to raise awareness for community nonprofits during a time of year when need is at its highest level.
Tower
Tower FCU collected more than $1,700 from employees in its Operations & Technology division to provide sheets, pajamas and more to Sarahs House, a local homeless shelter.
Numark
Numark CU of Joliet, Ill., collected donations throughout the year for Wreaths Across America, a nonprofit that lays holiday wreaths at Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery in Elwood, Ill. More than 15,000 wreaths were placed this year, with Numark raising $300 for the cause and sponsoring 300 wreaths.
LGE
LGE Community CU in Marietta, Ga. Hosted its annual Christmas breakfast for employees, where it donated $157,000 to local charities and individuals in need through the LGE Foundation. Since 2010, LGE has donated $575,000 to worthy causes in the community, along with more than 2,500 volunteer hours donated.
Redwood
Lower Lake, Calif.-based Redwood Credit Union, in partnership with the Press Democrat and Senator Mike McGuire, helped the Lower Lake community celebrate the holidays with a pasta feed and holiday event on Sunday, December 4th. The event was sponsored by RCUs Lake County Fire Victims Fund (part of Redwood Credit Union Community Fund, Inc.), which raised nearly $265,000 dollars, thanks to the generous contributions of more than 700 donors, to assist victims of the Clayton Fire which devastated much of the Lower Lake community in August of this year.
First Capital
First Capital FCU in York, Pa. once again adopted a family from the Bell Family Shelter, a 30-day emergency shelter for homeless families in York County.
Peach State
Peach State FCU in Lawrenceville, Ga., donated a truckload of toys to Toys for Tots thanks to generous donations from members and staff. The credit union collected gifts at its corporate headquarters and at all 14 branch locations.
GrooveCar
GrooveCar, an auto-buying resource for credit unions, took part in the annual Holiday Warehouse Program at the Long Island Cares Harry Chapin Food Bank in Hauppauge, N.Y., where the company is based. Eight members of the GrooveCar team spent the day separating donations and packing boxes to benefit needy members of the community.
