adminPen Air FCU Employees Celebrate Giving $200k to Local Charities
The employees of Pen Air Federal Credit Union celebrated giving more than $200,000 to local nonprofits since 2013, when the Jeans for Communerosity (J4C) program began. Employees celebrated the milestone though “I Wear Because I Care” week, which took place Feb. 12 – 16 through various events and activities including a puppy kissing booth with SouthBARK Animal Rescue on Valentine’s Day, an entire week of jeans, an ice cream social, a “200 Reasons Why We Love Our Community” cards display at the corporate location, a thank you video from impacted charities, and employee videos sharing why they give.
The favorite activity amongst the employees was the “Pay It Forward for a $1,000 Surprises.” Each day of the week an employee who participated in the J4C payroll deduction program was selected to be surprised with a presentation check made out for $1,000 and left blank for the employee to choose a local nonprofit to pay it forward. The five nonprofits that were selected to receive $1,000 were: Autism Pensacola, CanHOPE Pensacola, Council on Aging of NWFL, Gulf Coast Kids’ House, and SouthBARK Animal Rescue.
A social media contest was also held throughout the week, allowing followers to comment a local nonprofit they would pay it forward to for $200. The five nonprofits that were selected to receive $200 each were: Autism Pensacola, Pensacola High School IB Program: Buddy Bench Project, Phoenix Rising Rescue, Rally Pensacola, and Supporting Educational Enrichment in Daphne’s Schools.
“I Wear Because I Care” week was specifically selected during the Valentine’s holiday to allow the employees to show their Communerosity spirit and love for their community. At the end of the week more than $211,000 has been given to date through J4C.
J4C is an employee-driven fundraising effort to give back to those in need in the community. Each year, Pen Air employees nominate local, nonprofit organizations to be voted on as recipients of this philanthropic program. Funds are raised through payroll deductions and J4C days. The funds raised by the employees are matched by Pen Air and divided equally among the voted charities for the year.
The 2018 J4C Charities who will each receive $5,000 are: Baldwin County Child Advocacy, Covenant Care, Magic Moments of Alabama, myBELONGINGS, Prodisee Pantry, Ronald McDonald House Charities of NWFL, and SouthBARK Animal Rescue. By the end of 2018, more than $246,000 will be given back to the community through the program.
Helping Hands Foundation Donates $10,000 to Local Organizations
The Helping Hands Foundation, a non-profit organization founded in 2016 by Army Aviation Center Federal Credit Union, recently donated $10,000 to 19 different organizations in the Wiregrass communities, as well as Mobile, AL, and Walton County, FL. The donations come from AACFCU employee contributions to the Helping Hands Foundation. On designated work days, AACFCU employees donated to the foundation in exchange for wearing jeans to work in 2017.
Donations were given to the following organizations in AACFCU service areas, including : Bethesda House in Opp, AL; Boys and Girls Club of the Emerald Coast in Santa Rosa Beach, FL; Boys and Girls Club of Pike County in Troy, AL; Caring and Sharing of South Walton in Santa Rosa Beach, FL; Coffee County Family Services Center in Enterprise, AL; Dale County Rescue Mission in Ozark, AL; Dothan Rescue Mission in Dothan, AL; Emerald Coast Children’s Advocacy Center in DeFuniak Springs, FL; Enterprise Christian Mission in Enterprise, AL; Hand Up Enterprise in Enterprise, AL; Home of Grace in Mobile, AL; House of Ruth in Dothan, Luke’s Legacy in Enterprise, AL; Mary Hill Family Services in Ozark, AL; Penelope House in Mobile, AL; Pike Regional Child Advocacy Center in Troy, AL; Sav-A-Life in Ozark, AL; The Harbor in Dothan, AL; and Wiregrass Children’s Home in Dothan, AL.
