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Individuals can have a real impact on their communities. Each of us can raise funds for causes we are passionate about, volunteer our time or services, or inspire others to do the same. We can give money to charities. We can serve on the boards of non-profit organizations. We can help build houses. In short, we can make a difference.
This week, however, I was reminded that even though we can do truly great things individually, together we can do amazing things. Together, we can set our sights on goals that would be impossible to reach alone. Together, we can cause change that radically improves the lives of people throughout the state of Maine.
There is no greater example of this than what we, the Maine credit union network, have done to help address the issue of hunger in Maine. At our annual Campaign for Ending Hunger Virtual Celebration this week, we announced that, together, Maine’s credit unions in 2021 raised over $930,000 to help end hunger in our communities. Since the Campaign’s inception in 1990, we now have raised over $11.3 million.
Think about this: during the two years of the pandemic—when the need was higher than it’s ever been—Maine’s credit unions raised $1.9 million to benefit Good Shepherd Food Bank, Full Plates Full Potential, community food banks, meal sites, schools, and other hunger relief programs. In 2021, that added up to 242 food-based organizations across the state. We supported backpack programs, helped feed kids over the summer months, and collected over $13,300 in food.
On top of that, credit unions across Maine reported that they contributed a total of nearly 14,000 hours of volunteer time in 2021. Converted to dollars, those hours have a value of just under $400,000.
I am in awe of what we have done together—what we continue to do. And I am enormously proud to work with a collection of organizations and a group of people that uniformly care so very deeply about improving the lives of the people who live in our communities. There truly is no other network like Maine’s credit unions.
I look forward to working with you all in 2022. Because together, we really do make an enormous difference. Together, what we can do is amazing.