Arkansas Federal Credit Union, Jacksonville,Ark., presented an $80,560 check to Arkansas Children's HospitalFoundation President Fred Scarborough. Since 1998, Arkansas Federalhas contributed over $680,000 to Arkansas Children's Hospital. Themoney donated by Arkansas Federal over the past four years helpedfund the ENT Clinic waiting room. Arkansas Federal employees andmembers raised $70,560 this past year through several fundraisingevents, including the 7th annual Arkansas Federal Golf Classic,Painting with a Purpose, candy and cardstock sales and severalBunko Bash events. CO-OP, the electronic funds transfer network andprocessor, contributed the additional $10,000 for ArkansasFederal's fundraising efforts through its Miracle Match program.Arkansas FCU is part of Credit Unions for Kids, a national sponsorof Children's Miracle Network Hospitals.

Charter Oak Federal Credit Union, Groton,Conn., donated $6,300 to local food pantries, soup kitchens andshelters. Recipients included the New London Community Meal CenterInc.; the Gemma E. Moran United Way/Labor Food Center; Mystic AreaShelter & Hospitality Inc.; Norwich Human Services; CovenantSoup Kitchen; Care & Share of East Lyme Inc.; and Friends ofAssisi Food Pantry. The Gemma E. Moran United Way/Labor Food Centerserves as the primary food bank for Southeastern Connecticut, andis one of only three food banks in Connecticut. The Food Center isresponsible for donating more than two million pounds of food to 96pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, day care centers, and seniorcitizen homes in New London County each year. Charter Oak donatedmore than $191,000 to the community in 2012 and will continue togive in 2013.

Crescent Credit Union, Brockton, Mass. onceagain partnered with local cleaners to collect and clean wintercoats, which were then delivered to nonprofit organizations fordistribution to those in need. This year's collection brought inapproximately 300 coats for the community. In Brockton and Norwell,Crescent branches collected coat donations in partnership withAnton's Cleaners, who cleaned the coats at no charge anddistributed them via BU Medical Center's Outreach Van, CatholicCharities, Community Giving Tree, Cradles to Crayons, MA Coalitionfor the Homeless, MASSCAP, The Salvation Army, and otherorganizations. In Taunton, Crescent branches collected coatdonations in partnership with Dermody's Cleaners, who cleaned thecoats free of charge and delivered them to the St. Vincent de PaulSociety Center for distribution to the needy.

Members Advantage Credit Union, Michigan City,Ind., donated $2,500 to the Michigan City Salvation's Army holidayfundraising campaign. Through this donation, the Michigan CitySalvation Army can continue to feed 800 area families, whichtranslates to 3,000–4,000 individuals each month; in addition, ithelped make 2,000 Christmas food baskets possible, said DeNita Ton,community services director.

Meritrust Credit Union, Wichita, Kan, said twolocal charities each received a $30,000 donation made generouslypossible by its members. The credit union's skip-a-pay programallowed members to defer their loan payments by paying a $25processing fee per loan, a portion of which was donated to localcharities. Meritrust chose the Envision Foundation of Wichita andSunlight Children's Advocacy & Rights Foundation (SCARF) of ElDorado to each receive $30,000, which equates to over 90% of themoney generated from the loan deferment program. The EnvisionFoundation provides resources to enhance the personal independenceof individuals with blindness or low vision. SCARF's mission is toprovide resources and facilities that support and protect abusedand neglected children and their families.

MidSouth Community Federal Credit Union, Macon,Ga., presented a sponsorship donation to the Ronald McDonald HouseCharities of Central Georgia. The donation will assist insponsoring its truck pull fundraising event scheduled for March 16in downtown Macon's Cherry Street Plaza. The Ronald McDonald HouseCharities of Central Georgia provides care and comfort for thefamilies of seriously ill, critically injured or medically fragilechildren being treated at area medical facilities.

Scient Federal Credit Union, Groton, Conn.,gave back to New London's homeless by collecting 50 pieces ofwinter wear for the New London Homeless Hospitality Center. Thecredit union displayed a “Tree of Warmth” in their service centerthroughout the month of December. Credit union members and membersof the community came in and helped Scient decorate the tree with atotal of 16 winter coats, 6 hats, 14 pairs of gloves, and 14scarves to help keep the homeless warm this season. Scientdelivered all donations to the New London Homeless HospitalityCenter.

Service Credit Union, Portsmouth, N.H., and theDaniel Webster Council Boy Scouts of America officials presented a$3,000 contribution to America's Credit Union Museum ExecutiveDirector Peggy Powell. The donation was part of the proceeds fromthe 2012 Service Credit Union Boston-Portsmouth Air Show featuringthe United States Navy Blue Angels. Proceeds from the air show alsohelped support two organizations, Brain Injury Association of NewHampshire and the Daniel Webster Council Boy Scouts of America, aswell as a multitude of other New Hampshire nonprofit organizations,including Make-A-Wish Foundation. Service Credit Union VicePresident of Marketing Karen Benedetti and Daniel Webster CouncilBoy Scouts of America Marketing and Public Relations Director GregOsborn presented the check to Powell. America's Credit Union Museumis located in Manchester, N.H., on the site of the first creditunion founded in the United States. The museum is housed at theoriginal location for St. Mary's Cooperative Credit Association.The museum pays tribute to the importance of the credit unionmovement in the past, present and future.

Left, SECU Board Chair McKinley Wooten announcing Prize forInnovation grant at Emerging Issues Forum.

State Employees' Credit Union, Raleigh, N.C.,announced that its foundation, SECU Foundation, has provided thisyear the first of four planned $200,000 annual grants in support ofthe newly named State Employees' Credit Union Emerging Issues Prizefor Innovation through the Institute for Emerging Issues at NorthCarolina State University. The 2014 Prize for Innovationcompetition will engage college level students to collaborate andrespond to challenges facing their communities and state,specifically in the areas of education, health, natural and builtenvironments and the economy. SECU Foundation's gift will allow IEIto expand on its Prize for Innovation competition, offering $50,000in prizes to winning college teams in each issue area. McKinleyWooten, State Employees' Credit Union board of directors chairmanpresented the grant at the Emerging Issues Forum on behalf of SECUmembers, who fund the foundation. IEI developed the Emerging IssuesPrize for Innovation in 2010. The Prize for Innovation engages andenergizes North Carolina's young people about the role they canplay in policy and economic development, and highlights thecollaborative spirit, talent, and initiative it takes to put ideasinto action.

Suffolk Federal Credit Union, Medford, N.Y.,recently provided a $1,000 grant to the Little Flower EducationalFoundation in support of the Little Flower Union Free SchoolDistrict, a Special Act public school in Wading River for studentswith special educational needs. Little Flower provides bothresidential and day placements for young people in grades 3-12 thatlive with learning and emotional disabilities. George Grigg,superintendant of Little Flower UFSD, said the contribution willhelp pay for student field trips and other incentives we are unableto afford due to financialconstraints.

United Federal Credit Union, Berrien Springs,Mich., gave a gift of $105,000 to the Berrien County Youth FairAssociation's Expo Arena project. The funds will help sponsor oneof 18 classroom/skyboxes that will overlook the arena floor fromthe mezzanine level. When completed, the Expo Arena will offer ayear-round, climate-controlled facility that will be a landmarkshowcase for energy conservation and sustainable design. Themulti-function building will attract equestrian events, circuses,rodeos, farm shows, boat and auto shows, home and garden shows,conventions, concerts, wedding receptions, and proms. The proposedExpo Arena will cover 6.1 acres under one roof and will include a500-stall stable and a unique indoor warm-up ring, a main arenathat will seat 4,000 for show events and 7,000 seats for concertevents, and a hospitality center that will feature a 14,000 squarefoot all-purpose exhibition hall with a full-service kitchen,offices, and access to the mezzanine level where the 18 classroomswill be located. The classrooms will featured large picture windowsoverlooking the arena floor and will be used by young people forfair-sponsored classes, as well as meeting space for non-profitsand other groups. United Federal Credit Union separately announcedthat it donated $10,000 to the United Way of Southwest Michigan forits Girls on the Run program as its presenting sponsor. The programin its fifth year is for 3rd through 8th grade girls in BerrienCounty. Girls on the Run combines training for a 5K running eventwith lessons that inspire girls to become independent thinkers,enhance their problem-solving skills and make healthy decisions.Approximately 800 girls will participate in the 2013season.

Whitefish Credit Union, Whitefish, Mont., haspledged to donate one dollar to local food banks in need for everypound of food collected by their branches during their annual Cashand Cans Food Drive. A local food bank from each of the CreditUnion's six operating areas will receive both the food collected byWhitefish Credit Union and the Credit Union's cash donations basedon need. The food banks receiving the donations are the NorthValley Food Bank in Whitefish, the Columbia Falls Food Bank inColumbia Falls, the Tobacco Valley Food Bank in Eureka, the NWMontana Veteran's Food Pantry in Kalispell, in Polson the Loavesand Fish Food Pantry, Ronan Bread Basket and Mission Valley FoodBasket, and the Thompson Falls donations will be divided betweenthe Community Harvest Food Bank of Thompson Falls and the CommunityServices Fellowship Food Bank of Noxon.