EAST HARTFORD, Conn. – Employees of American Eagle Financial Credit Union (AEFCU) are supporting local efforts to combat the economic consequences of the ongoing pandemic by cashing in unused vacation time for donations to the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving’s COVID-19 Response Fund.
Recognizing the challenges the credit union’s employees faced in scheduling vacations in 2020, as well as the serious impact felt in members’ communities throughout the crisis, AEFCU’s Human Resources Department offered an option where employees could donate up to 10 hours of their earned personal time off (PTO) back to the CU, which would then donate the full, unpaid compensation to the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving.
In total, 20 AEFCU employees donated unused PTO, which was converted to a $9,475 donation to the Foundation’s COVID-19 Response Fund. Including this latest contribution, American Eagle employees donated over $58,400 to local community organizations in 2020.
“We are pleased that our employees have donated a portion of their PTO time to the COVID-19 Response Fund at the Hartford Foundation,” stated Susan Bushnik, SVP/chief talent officer of American Eagle Financial Credit Union. “It seems fitting that we found a great way to help others by donating some of their time. That’s what credit unions are all about—people helping people. Our employees feel good about their donation—it will make a difference in the lives of others at time when people need it most.”