ANAHEIM HILLS, Calif.–Credit Union of Southern California (CU SoCal) celebrated Giving Tuesday by donating $230,000 to 20 Whittier area charities and non-profit organizations. It also made a $100,000 donation to its employee-inspired charity, CU SoCal Helping Hands.
The credit union made the donations—ranging from $5,000 to $50,000—to the following organizations: La Serna High School OASIS Program Endowment, Whittier Host Lions Club-Sight for Kids, Soroptimist International of Whittier, WACC’s Welcome Home Project, Women's and Children's Crisis Shelter, Boys and Girls Club Whittier, Together We Rise, Tara's Chance, Whittier Community Foundations’ 5K Spooktacular, Whittier Chamber Hathaway Golf Tournament, Whittier Hearing Angel Foundation, Whittier Unified School District fundraisers-fall sports/activities, Frontier & Sierra Vista high school programs, CAPC Adult Services, Whittier Assistance League, Interfaith Food Center, Foster Teens Club, Rio Hondo College’s CARE Program, and Bridge of Faith.
For the $100,000 to Helping Hands, those funds are being used to help members, team members, and additional community members with COVID-19 support, including donations to the Orange County Rescue Mission to hold a graduation ceremony at its site since school graduations were cancelled or postponed; to Home Aid Essentials to purchase a pallet of diapers; donations to a team member to support the family when the spouse was laid off; and a donation to a member to purchase books and props to use to read lunchtime stories on Facebook live as part of the program she works for.
“We’re honored to help those in our community continue their good work to serve others, especially in this challenging time,” said CU SoCal President and CEO Dave Gunderson. “Credit unions were founded during the Great Depression as financial cooperatives specifically to help one another. And, in good times and bad, that purpose has not waivered. We continue to be committed to our ‘People Helping People’ philosophy. It feels good to do good.”