Altura Credit Union, Riverside, Calif., decorated a tree for the “Festival of Trees,” an annual fundraiser held by the Riverside County Regional Medical Center. Funds raised at the event primarily go to the medical center's pediatric units. The credit union's tree was among 50 trees sold at the event. It was bought for $10,000 by the Riverside Medical Clinic and is now on display in its lobby. In addition to sponsoring its own tree, the credit union sponsored trees from 35 local schools for the “Elf's Forest” in the convention center.

Windsor Family Credit Union, Windsor, Ontario, contributed over $12,500 to assist community members in need during the holiday season. The credit union's “Joy of Giving” initiative included several events. The annual AM800 “Cans for a Cause” collected food items to benefit the St. Vincent De Paul Society. The credit union also helped provide Christmas presents to children and their families in need, $2,500 in toy purchases totalling 157 toys went to the Moose Lodge annual toy drive. Monetary donations were also made to St. Mary's Food Cupboard, Well-Come Centre for Human Potential, Windsor Homes Coalition Inc. and Family Services Windsor Essex.

MECU, Baltimore, selected toys and other gifts for the children of the Salvation Army Angel Tree. The credit union's team made Christmas special for 125 children in the Baltimore area by shopping for toys, clothes and other basics. The value of the presents donated totaled over $11,000.

Security Service Federal Credit Union, San Antonio, opted to honor military men and women this holiday season as a sponsor of more than 700 military greetings airing on local television stations. The credit union's sponsorship allowed military personnel and their families stationed around the world to extend greetings throughout the holidays to family members living in several Texas and Colorado cities.

Charter Oak Federal Credit Union Groton, Conn., donated to several organizations this holiday season through its Community Outreach Program. Donations were made to Books for Dreams, Kids for Christmas, Colectivo Mestizal, MALTA, Bethsaida Community Inc., Holy Family Shelter Inc., WARM, the Friends of Assisi Food Pantry and the March of Dimes. The program also donated $2,000 worth of turkeys to the Gemma Moran Food Center.

Option 1 Credit Union Grand Rapids, Mich., elected to forgo a staff holiday party and instead support area food pantries. The credit union helped kick off the Spartan Stores, D&W and Family Fare's Scan Away Hunger program with a monetary donation of $1,000.

Cabrillo Credit Union, San Diego, donated over $300 worth of nonperishable food items to benefit St. Vincent De Paul. After hearing that food donations were down this year, the credit union's staff rallied to hold a food drive before the traditional holiday season. The food items were collected from nearly 60 employees through an organization-wide donation drive.

Hawthorne Credit Union, Naperville, Ill., collected and donated 570 pounds of personal health and hygiene items, snacks and holiday keepsakes to Operation Support Our Troops of Illinois to be inserted into Christmas stockings and shipped to U.S. soldiers fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. In addition, the credit union raised $170 in cash donations from an employee jeans day and other donations, which will be used to ship the packages to the troops.

Saugus Federal Credit Union, donated food and other items for holiday baskets distributed to local families in need. Each basket contained a turkey and over 20 pounds of additional food items purchased by credit union staff. The credit union has held the event for the past 19 years.

Security Service Federal Credit Union, San Antonio, joined with former San Antonio Spurs and two-time NBA All-Star Sean Elliott and his wife, Claudia Zapata, to collect turkeys to put on the plates of hungry families in Southwest Texas. In addition to calling for support from the community, the couple donated 50 turkeys to the cause. In all, 500 turkeys were collected to benefit the San Antonio Food Bank.