HERNDON, Va.– In a year full of hardship, uncertainty and change, the NWFCU Foundation, the charitable arm of Northwest FCU, said it worked diligently to meet the needs of the communities it serves, and surpassed previous years’ donations, in come case even doubling the number of items collected.
“Helping kids in need is what we do—no matter what. It has been a tough year for everyone, and I’m so proud of the way our team continued to pivot, regroup and figure out new ways to lend support,” said Jeff Bentley, president and CEO of Northwest Federal Credit Union and chairman of NWFCU Foundation. “It is a privilege to give back to those who need it most, especially in these difficult and uncertain times.”
NWFCU said consistent needs, such as weekend meals for children on school meal plans or winter coats for low-income families, became much more urgent with school closures, increased unemployment and a decrease in resources and in-person volunteering. The NWFCU Foundation met these challenges head-on, providing for emergency needs while continuing their yearly drives and scholarship program.
This year, the annual Scholarship Program awarded $110,000 in scholarships through merit and needs-based undergraduate and CTE scholarship programs. Additionally, the Foundation donated $20,000 to the Loudoun, Manassas and Alexandria campuses of ern Virginia Community College to support their Helping Hands and Lifeline programs.
The year included donation drives and monetary contributions benefitting a wide variety of local organizations that align with the Foundation’s mission, including:
- Weekend Meal Drive (February-March): nearly 3,000 food items collected and delivered to Loudoun and Fairfax nonprofits and Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS)
- Diaper Drive (April-May): more than 50,000 diapers delivered to NOVA Diaper Bank, then distributed throughout Northern Virginia to nonprofits and local area schools
- Food for Kids Drive (June-August): more than 33,000 food items collected for FCPS and Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS), as well as after-school programs for at-promise children in Loudoun and Fairfax Counties
- $10,000 donation to Inova Cares Clinic for Children (August): helped to provide much-needed pediatric services to children of mothers on Medicaid or without insurance
- Week of Giving (December): launched the 2021 Scholarship Program; delivered coats to FCPS, LCPS and Prince William County Public Schools (PWCPS) and to the Reston Police Department Special Victims Unit for children; delivered $6,600 in Giant Food gift certificates to FCPS, LCPS and PWCPS for distribution to at-promise students and their families
- Kids in Crisis Drive (December): currently collecting new stuffed animals and blankets through the end of the year. The toys and blankets will be passed along to first responders to hand out to help provide comfort to children in crisis situations.
“All of our drives saw exponentially higher numbers this year than in years past, which speaks to the resilience and giving nature of our community members. We absolutely could not have accomplished as much as we did this year without the support of our team members and our amazing corporate partners,” said Executive Director of the NWFCU Foundation Kaycee Childress.