PORTLAND, Maine – The USO has singled out Maine credit unions for being the "fifth largest donor" group in the country to a phone card program supporting overseas troops by collecting more than 400,000 minutes on the cards. "We really had an overwhelming response from our credit unions to the `Operation Phone Home' program," said Jon Paradise, director of communications of the Maine Credit Union League which received notice from USO on the donation and praising the "remarkable generosity" of Maine CUs. Maine CUs, joined by scores of other CUs around the country which heard about the program, collected the phone cards from members during a two week period from March 28-April 10. The USO, the Washington-based service organization supporting servicemen and women and their families, said the Maine League ranked first as a contributor among all financial institution groups. The League's program received wide praise across New England with coverage "on every single TV station in the state as well as in all seven Maine newspapers," said Paradise.