DONATIONS

Boeing Employees' CU, Tukwila, Wash., has donated $1,000 to Foothills Youth Association, a small nonprofit organization in Bonney Lake that seeks to provide a safe environment for the youths to gather and interact. The check was awarded on behalf of BECU employee Neale Duren as part of the credit union's Employee Volunteer of the Year program. Electro Savings CU, St. Louis, Mo., raised funds and collected gifts for a needy family within the community. The family, with a single mother who did not speak English fluently and three children, had requested coats for the winter season, said ESCU staff. However, enough was raised at the CU that the coats were provided and other things as well. Staff members who delivered the gifts to the family included Rhonda Zalaudek, Julie Foulks and Lisa Campbell. Postal CU of Los Angeles, Calif., hosted its 2nd annual Youth Express Club open house during the holidays. Santa Claus (aka Rodger Smock and William Brinkley) and Santa's Elf (aka Georgina Duenas) interacted with the many children who attended. Children received lunch courtesy of McDonalds, cookies and gifts. CEO William Harris comforted one distraught little girl who hadn't received the skateboard she'd had her heart set on by going straight out and buying one for her. During the open house that was for both members and non-members, PCULA opened 378 new youth accounts, with deposits totaling $72,000. RCU, Eau Claire, Wis., has contributed to a cans & quarters drive to support the "Feed My People" Food Bank. RCU staff in March lent a hand to a community effort calling for donations of non-perishable food or "extra" change to help people in need through food pantries in 13 counties throughout Western Wisconsin, at this time of year when supplies generally are low. Melinda North, (715) 833-8106, is coordinating the effort. United Heritage CU, Austin, Texas, in cooperation with the American Football Coaches Association, has raised more than $14,000 on behalf of the Texas Child Identification Program. These funds will provide more than 8,800 Texas parents with free identification kits. Ohio CU League, Dublin, asked Ohio CU leaders to help out during a recent phone-a-thon and received $11,500 in pledges for CU political action in just four hours. Ohio's PAC trustees "dialed for dollar"s from the offices of the OCUL, during the System's 2nd annual fund-raising campaign. OCUL's goal for this year is $120,000. In addition, OCUL Summit Chapter members and the Lorain & Avon Lake branches of GenFed FCU, Akron, collected more than 31 pairs of shoes and $1,000 to help the needy during the holidays during their "Warm the Soles of Kids" project.