Belvoir Federal Credit Union, Woodbridge, Va., adopted two families this holiday season through the Operation Snowflake program run by Army Community Services on Fort Belvoir. Employees raised funds by paying to dress down and holding 50-50 raffles. Both families received an American Express Gift Card along with toys, clothes, and other requested items. Employees wrapped the presents and delivered them on Dec. 14th. “The families were extremely happy, grateful, and overwhelmed by the generosity of the credit union employees,” said Judy MacDonald, branch administrator for BFCU.

State Employees' Credit Union, Raleigh, N.C., members participated in two statewide projects that benefited patients of North Carolina's State Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Substance Abuse programs, and North Carolina's schools for the hearing and visually impaired. The first project was the sale of stuffed baby FAT CATs, modeled after SECU's popular youth mascot. The FAT CATs were sold at $5.00 each. The second project was the sale of North Carolina Highway Historical Marker books. The books were sold for $8.00 each through a partnership with the Archives and History Division of the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources. The donations totaled nearly $38,000 and were delivered in mid-December.

Clearview Federal Credit Union, Moon Township, Pa., employees donated 35 gifts to children of the Holy Family Institute. The Holy Family Institute is a residential care program that serves children ages 6-18 who have been removed from their homes due to abuse, neglect, or other special circumstances. Clearview also donated $500 to the institute to support its programs. “This is the sixth year that Clearview has participated in this particular drive,” said Deborah Connolly, Clearview's community affairs coordinator. “This truly demonstrates the commitment of Clearview employees to support the children of our community.”

Power Financial Credit Union, Weston, Fla., collected hundreds of toys and cash donations for Voices with Children, a local organization that donates toys to sheltered or foster children up to age 18 in Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach Counties. This year, Poinciana Day School in Palm Beach assisted with the drive.

Georgia Federal Credit Union, Duluth, Ga., members and employees teamed up with students, faculty, and staff from area schools to grant wishes for foster children in need for the credit union's Annual Holiday Wish Tree Program. This year marks the seventeenth year that GFCU has worked with the local departments of Family & Children's Services to provide Christmas gifts for children. Each branch had a Wish Tree on display with star ornaments that listed a child's Christmas wish. Monetary donations were also given to purchase gifts. The gifts were delivered to the children the week of Christmas.

Fox Communities Credit Union, Appleton, Wis., volunteers heard there was a lack of Christmas gifts for teenagers from the Salvation Army Red Kettles and used funds from a scheduled dress down day to purchase 18 -$40 gift cards from Best Buy for them. One employee purchased an MP3 player to donate as well.

Service Plus Credit Union, Riverside, Calif., raised over $2,000 for the United Way of the Inland Valleys during its annual employee drive. A silent auction raised the largest amount of money with everything from home-made cheesecakes to holiday baskets being donated and auctioned off by the staff. Personal Banker, Jo Duesler won the highest bid to throw a pie in the face of Josh Troesh, vice president of marketing and business development. “Sometimes you have to be willing to do something a little embarrassing. It adds to the fun and keeps people interested and engaged,” Troesh said. Football pools, payroll deductions, and selling of Avon products were other ways that the staff raised the money to donate.