adminPen Air FCU announces Jeans for Communerosity charities for 2019
In celebration of Giving Tuesday, Pen Air Federal Credit Union announces the 2019 Jeans for Communerosity (J4C) charities. Each of the 10 charities will receive a gift of $5,000, along with a commitment from the credit union’s 350 employees to serve the charity through volunteer opportunities to further their missions.
Through the employee-driven, philanthropic program, a total of $240,000 has been given to local charities since J4C started in 2013. By the end of 2019, more than $290,000 will be given back to enhance lives in Baldwin, Escambia, and Santa Rosa Counties.
“Our mission at Pen Air is to enhance lives, and one of the ways in which we live this is through our spirit of Communerosity,” said Stewart Ramsey, president and CEO of Pen Air. “Our employees are passionate about helping people, so much that $145,000 of those funds came directly from the pockets of our employees. Together, we’re enhancing lives in our local community.”
The 2019 J4C charities include: Baldwin County Child Advocacy Center, Children’s Home Society, Council on Aging, Covenant Care, Escambia County Professional Firefighters Charity, Magic Moments of AL, Ronald McDonald House Charities of NWFL, Santa Rosa Kids’ House, The Light House of Baldwin County, and The Secret Place.
Five Star continues investment in Wiregrass with new branch in Georgia
In 1964, eight employees of the Great Southern Paper Company chipped in $5 apiece and started Cedar Springs Federal Credit Union out of a broom closet. Cedar Springs Federal Credit Union eventually expanded in southwest Georgia and southeast Alabama and changed its name to Five Star Credit Union in 1991. In the first quarter of 2019, a Five Star branch will open in Blakely, GA, bringing the total number of branches in Early County to two.
“We have a strong membership base in the Blakely and Cedar Springs communities,” said Robert A. Steensma, president/CEO, Five Star Credit Union. “Our members have been wanting an option in Blakely, and we have listened to them. The new branch will be in the perfect location to help our members get in and out quickly. Plus, the branch will be equipped with the newest technology to give them a smooth experience.”
The new Blakely branch will be one of the most technologically advanced branches Five Star operates. It will be equipped with interactive teller machines (ITMs) in both the lobby and in the drive-up lanes. The ITMs will give Five Star members the ability to withdraw cash, make deposits with cash and checks, research Five Star account balances, and make Five Star loan payments. The ITMs will also offer on-demand live remote video assistance during business hours.
The new Blakely branch will be in the former Mike’s Pharmacy location – 11189 Columbia Street, Blakely, GA 39823. As part of the building remodel, Five Star donated all of the inside materials to the Dothan Rotary “Outlaw Club.” They harvested 2,000 square feet of ceiling tiles, 2,000 square feet of fiberglass insulation, 30 lighting fixtures, and 10 doors from the building. All of these materials were donated to the Habitat for Humanity Restore in Dothan, AL.
Buckeye FCU holds 13th annual Thanksgiving Cake Auction benefit
Buckeye Community FCU of Perry, FL, held its 13th annual Cake Auction for the United Way of the Big Bend on Nov. 16. BCFCU holds the annual event the Friday before Thanksgiving every year, and it has become tradition for many to bid on their Thanksgiving desserts at the credit union.
The staff bakes all the cakes for the auction every year with the cake garnering the highest bid earning a paid day off for the baker. That reward always gets the bidding going up to the last minute. The winning cake this year was a carrot cake baked by Lynn Bennet, which brought in a winning bid of $95. The second place fundraiser was Sherry Strickland with a fruitcake that brought in $85. The third place was a pecan pie baked by Claire Lewis that earned $50 for the cause. Overall, the auction raised $650 for United Way.
