Local Financial Cooperative Donates $275,000, Volunteers 2,300 hours in Communities in 2012
Scott Credit Union has made giving back to its communities a major priority.
The local credit union contributed about $275,000 and its employees volunteered more than 2,300 hours to a variety of local civic efforts throughout the region through the end of 2012.
“We realize that without our members and the communities in which we serve, we would not exist as a financial alternative,” said Scott Credit Union Community Relations Supervisor Ashleigh Deatherage. “Through the end of the year, we donated about $275,000 to a variety of fund-raising efforts, civic organizations and to sponsor sports teams and community events.”
The credit union has increased its community involvement in the past few years while also increasing its efforts to educate consumers of the value of doing their financial business with a not-for-profit credit union.
“We really want people in the area to know more about the value of doing business with a credit union,” Deatherage added. “That is why we have really focused our time on educating area residents about Scott Credit Union. One of the big ways we’ve done that is through our community involvement.”
“Conducting financial business with a credit union saves the consumer real money,” said Scott Credit Union President & CEO Frank Padak. “Many credit unions, like Scott Credit Union, offer similar products and services to what the conventional financial institutions have, but we do so with our members’ best interest in mind. Plus, we care about the community and we are committed to supporting local efforts through contributions and volunteerism.”
Scott Credit Union created a Community Volunteer Incentive (VIP) Program to show how important community involvement is to the organization and to encourage the staff to volunteer their time supporting local efforts, Deatherage said.
“The community VIP program has gone great. We simply offer our staff a chance to win prizes with every hour they volunteer increasing their chances to win,” she explained. “Our staff has logged 2,300 hours in community service at a variety of charitable or civic events or efforts. We’re extremely excited and proud of our staff for all that they do to give back to the community.”
Scott Credit Union has supported many regional and local projects in and around the 13 communities in which it has branches, Deatherage noted.
“We donated $10,000 as a regional sponsor of the American Cancer Society Relay for Life events again this year,” she added. “We also contributed $5,000 to the GlenEd Food Pantry, $5,000 as a sponsor of the air show at Scott Air Force Base, continued our pledge of $10,000 to the Highland Area Community Foundation to support local civic efforts, and pledged $20,000 per year over five years for the new St. Joseph’s Hospital in Highland and the same to the expanded Kaskaskia College Trenton Education Center.”
Scott Credit Union contributed $3,500 for a Panther Path Match Up Grant at Millstadt Primary School, $8,000 to YMCA of Southwest Illinois, $7,500 to March of Dimes and $6,000 to the MS Society as a presenting walk sponsor.
Scott Credit Union also provided $5,000 in matching funds for St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in Belleville for its annual fund-raising campaign and donated more than $18,000 to the United Way from the 6th annual Scott Credit Union golf tournament fund raiser, Deatherage said.
“We also donated $1,000 to several other community groups, including events with the Collinsville Area Recreation District, the Mascoutah Little Indian Touchdown Club, and Tour de Belleville,” she added.
Scott Credit Union is a not-for-profit financial cooperative that is member owned. The credit union is member owned and recently gave about $1.2 million back to members through a bonus dividend and loan interest rebate.
Scott Credit Union is open to anyone who lives or works in a 17 county area, including Madison, St. Clair, Monroe, Randolph, Perry, Franklin, Jefferson, Washington, Clinton, Marion, Bond, Macoupin, Montgomery, Fayette, Effingham, Williamson, and Jackson counties. Anyone who lives or works in St. Louis County, Missouri also can open accounts at SCU. Additionally, anyone active or retired military also can have accounts with Scott Credit Union.
Scott Credit Union currently has 15 area locations: Scott Air Force Base, East Belleville, Fairview Heights, Collinsville, O’Fallon, Edwardsville, Waterloo, Highland, Caseyville, West Belleville, Millstadt, Mascoutah, Troy, East Alton and its Home Office in Edwardsville.
For details on opening accounts at Scott Credit Union, visit www.scu.org, call 1-800-888-4728, or stop by any of the credit union’s branches.