Election Watch 2008

Lending Two Heroes a Helping Hand:
Homes for Our Troops Project a Centerpiece of CUs' Convention Presence

For many attendees of this year's Democratic and Republican National Conventions, in Denver and Minneapolis-St. Paul, respectively, the conventions will serve merely as an opportunity to politic and party with political elites. For credit unions, it will be the culmination of an almost year-long community service project, aimed at helping two American heroes.

The centerpiece of the America's Credit Unions' presence at this summer's conventions is the partnership with the Massachusetts-based charity Homes for Our Troops to build a specially adapted home for two wounded Iraq war vets, one in Golden, Colorado and the other in Woodbury, Minnesota. Also partnering with credit unions and Homes for Our Troops are the two convention committees - The Democratic National Convention Committee (DNCC) and the Republican National Committee (RNC) - as well as media publishing company National Journal Group.

Travis - Click for larger view

Marcus - Click for larger view

The Golden recipient is SSG Travis Strong, who had both legs amputated due to injuries sustained in a rocket-propelled grenade attack in Iraq in November, 2006. SGT Marcus Kuboy, the recipient of the Woodbury home, sustained serious injuries in March, 2007 when the truck he was driving in Iraq ran over an Improvised Explosive Device (IED).

Beginning with a national fundraising launch at CUNA's GAC in March and groundbreaking at both sites in April, credit union volunteers in Colorado and Minnesota have worked along side convention committee staff and labor from the building and construction trades to build and landscape each house. Each veteran will receive the keys to his completed home during ceremonies planned during the conventions.

Nationally, credit unions have embraced the effort by raising well over the $300,000 goal to defray the costs of the two houses. The homes will be donated at no cost to the veterans.

The project is unique in that it is the only service project jointly embraced by both convention committees - a rare feat in today's partisan world. For credit unions, though, it is just another example of the "people helping people" philosophy by which credit unions operate every day.

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