HELENA, Mont.–Members and staff from credit unions around Montana donated 2,285 hours of their time during the first 19 days of October as part of the Keep the Change, Give Your Time campaign.
The goal of the effort had been 2,017 hours of volunteer time.
The campaign was created by the state’s credit unions and the Montana Credit Union Network to highlight the “ongoing volunteer work that all credit unions do and to showcase just how many hours they invest in Montana’s towns on a regular basis,” according to the MCUN.
“Investing in and having concern for the residents of the areas they serve is part of credit unions’ core philosophy, as they believe in investing locally to build local economies and, in turn, build the financial wellness of the local population,” the association said.
Karen Smith, VP of Advocacy MCUN, said she and the association are thrilled with the involvement from credit unions and results of the campaign.
“I am so proud of our credit union staff and members,” Smith said in a statement. “Not only did we reach our goal of 2,017 hours of service in 19 days, but exceeded it – it just shows how much they believe in the cooperative spirit we strive to embody. We all know how hard our credit unions work to make an impact and a difference in the lives of their members and their community, so to see their efforts displayed so tangibly in these 2,285 hours is incredible. What a feat!”
During the campaign, which ran from Oct. 1 through Oct. 19, in celebration of International Credit Union Day, credit union employees and members that volunteered in any way — be it running a food drive for a school district food pantry, building with Habitat for Humanity, cleaning up a local landmark or running a sponsored race, logged their volunteer time on the Give Your Time website, which tracked their progress to the goal.