February 26, 2008 2007 was another banner year for giving by Maine credit unions to their communities, according to recently-complied calculations by the Maine Credit Union League. Last year, Maine credit unions contributed an estimated $850,000+ to community projects ranging from ending hunger and providing special funds to help Maine families purchase fuel and stay warm to countless other, smaller causes.
"Credit unions are about helping the communities they serve and that is not just providing financial services and products to people in those communities but also providing resources and contributions to improve and enhance the quality of life for people living in those communities," explained Jon Paradise, spokesperson for the Maine Credit Union League.
Paradise also noted that credit unions contribute to their communities because "it's the right thing to do, not because of a mandate like other financial institutions. 'People helping people' is a credit union philosophy and it means not only financially but also from the social responsibility perspective, too."
Among the biggest contributions to community-service by Maine's credit unions in the past year were: a record-setting $366,000 to help end hunger in Maine, nearly $80,000 for Maine Special Olympics, nearly $50,000 in no-interest fuel loans to Maine consumers, more than $130,000 in scholarships to help students of all ages pursue higher education, more than $50,000 to youth financial education in Maine, and thousands more to countless other causes in Maine communities.
Barbara Fernald, Executive Director of Footprints Food Pantry in Kittery, one of the hundreds of hunger organizations that received assistance through the Maine Credit Unions' Campaign for Ending Hunger, remarked, "Credit unions are wonderful, caring organizations that keep organizations like ours serving those that need a helping hand in our community. Thank you for all you do for Maine people."
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