CUs making a difference during the holidays

MADISON, Wis. (11/27/06)--Although credit unions support their communities all year long, the holiday season gives them a chance to focus on groups such as food pantries, military personnel and children.

As part of International Credit Union Month, 27 Ohio credit unions and the Northeast, Northwest and Western Buckeye Chapters of the Ohio Credit Union League collected thousands of pounds of food for local food pantries in the third annual Ohio Credit Union Food Drive.

Maine Credit Unions' Campaign for Ending Hunger donated $1,000 to the Bangor area Good Shepherd Food Bank to buy 100 turkeys for needy families this Thanksgiving.

Staffers from America First FCU pack up the more than 4,000 pounds of food that was collected during the Ogden, Utah, credit union's five-week food drive. (Photo provided by America First FCU)
America First FCU, Ogden, Utah, kicked off its food drive on International Credit Union Day in October. During its five-week effort, the $3.5 billion asset credit union collected 4,099 pounds of food from members and purchased 5,104 pounds of turkey for the Utah Food Bank.

The 70th annual FirstLight FCU Sun Bowl Parade included a canned food drive for the West Texas Food Bank in El Paso, Texas, Thursday. Parade organizers said the inaugural event could end up being one of the biggest single-day food drives if it catches on (El Paso Times Nov. 21).

Veridian CU, Waterloo, Iowa, continued the 24-year tradition of its Thanksgiving meal, keeping true to the work of its founders, Mike and Leona Adams. Mike, a board director for the credit union, helped start the dinner when John Deere cut its workforce by nearly 10,000 in the early 1980s. Mike died in 2001; Leona passed away in February.

This year about 750 people are estimated to attend the Mike and Leona Adams Dinner with another 300 delivered by credit union volunteers and the Hawkeye Valley Area Agency on Aging (Waterloo Courier Nov. 17).

For those military personnel who are stationed overseas, a number of credit unions have stepped up to spread some holiday cheer.

Operation Best Wishes is once again collecting and sending holiday wishes to military personnel. WesCorp FCU, San Dimas, Calif., and the Defense Credit Union Council will bring the program to a number of military bases.

Family members can participate in live webcasts with their loved ones, and the messages are archived for six months (US Fed News Nov. 20).

The Texas Credit Union League--along with the Texas Credit Union Foundation, state credit unions and Operation Interdependence--wrapped up Operation Mailbag on Veterans' Day. According to Operation Interdependence founder Al Renteria, nearly 1 1/2 tons of donations were received--enough to create and send more than 4,400 C-Rats to an entire brigade. The donations included personal items, treats and letters. Credit unions and the foundation also donated more than $11,000 that will go to ship another 14,000 C-Rats overseas (LoneStar Leaguer Nov. 20).

Taleris CU, Cleveland, decorated a dozen two-foot-tall Christmas trees with candy, cookies and other personal items. The trees were shipped to Iraq in October, with a hoped-for arrival date of just in time for Christmas (eLeaguer Nov. 8).

Robins FCU, Warner Robins, Ga., donated $5,000 worth of base exchange cards to the Band of the Air Force Reserve to distribute during its Operation Seasons Greetings tour through the Middle East (The Macon Telegraph Nov. 15).

For every loan closed through Dec. 9, Central Macomb Community CU in Clinton Township, Mich., will donate $5 to help purchase phone cards for deployed military personnel (Detroit Free Press Nov. 12).

The Pennsylvania Credit Union Association will log in volunteer time at the WGAL-TV Coats for Kids telethon. Staffers will help process credit card donations for the Dec. 8 telethon that benefits the Salvation Army (Life is a Highway Nov. 21).

By signing up for direct deposit, members of CommonWealth One FCU can support their charity of choice. Through Dec. 31, the Alexandria, Va., credit union will donate $5 for every enrollment through its Gift of Giving program.

Toledo (Ohio) Area Community CU made a good first impression with Perrysburg High School with a $2,000 donation to its marching band. The credit union recently opened a branch in the school district and thought the donation would be a way to introduce itself to the community, said manager Kathleen James (eLeaguer Nov. 21).

A Zoofari for Kids auction will kick off the four-year, $2 million fund-raising campaign by Northwest Corporate FCU for the Credit Unions for Kids program. The Oregon Zoo was the location for the auction, which benefited Doernbecher Children's Hospital and pediatric units at Sacred Heart Medical Center and Rogue Valley Medical Center.

Utah Central CU, Salt Lake City, is sponsoring the Christmas Wishes program that aims to give every needy student at Lincoln Elementary at least two presents for Christmas. The "need" and "want" wish lists often include requests for family members, according to Shelley Thomson at the credit union (The Salt Lake Tribune Nov. 16). The school has nearly 65% of its students enrolled in English-as-a-second-language classes. Many students are from immigrant and refugee groups from Ethiopia, Tibet, Vietnam, Burma and Somalia.

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