CU News & Events – December Edition

January 4, 2024 |

The season and spirit of giving were fully embraced by every credit union across Maine this December! Between holiday festivals, food drives, and more, members and communities felt the cheer from their local credit unions all month long. Our League provides a snapshot of what some of our credit unions were up to in December.

  • Acadia FCU’s Bangor location held a Craft Sale for Ending Hunger. All items were made and/or donated by Acadia FCU staff. 
  • Atlantic FCU entered a float in Saco Main Street’s Holiday Festival of Lights parade. 
  • Bangor FCU staff worked hard to raise money and collect toys for the Adoptive and Foster Families of Maine, Inc. and the Kinship Program. 
  • Brewer FCU supported Hands of Hope to ensure children in the area had a special Christmas. 
  • Fraud and safety tips were shared by Capital Area FCU online to keep members safe during the holidays, especially with all the shopping that goes on. They encouraged members to review transactions daily. 
  • Ahead of the holidays, Casco FCU delivered canned goods to the Gorham Food Pantry. 
  • Central Maine FCU warned members of shipping carrier scams. They advised their members to ignore and delete these messages. 
  • Changing Seasons FCU chose their seasonal membership raffle winner, Paige M. Congratulations, Paige! 
  • The winter newsletter from Coast Line CU announced the three candidates who are looking to become directors following the credit union’s annual meeting: Sharon M. Cavallaro, Mark R. Reuscher, and Robert P. Tracy. All three are nominated for a three-year term. 
  • The three branches of Community CU went head-to-head in a friendly window decorating contest in hopes of lifting spirits and brightening the holidays for those in the area. Each team created their own theme and incorporated the #LewistonStrong families, victims, and all who support them.  
  • Connected CU spread holiday cheer in partnership with 107.9 The Mix at the Augusta Teen Center and delivered gifts to be enjoyed by all. 
  • This holiday season, employees at cPort CU chose to provide donations to causes that align with the credit union’s values. Recipients this year included: Family Promise, Hope Acts, a family in the Augusta school system, Full Plates Full Potential, Milestone Recovery, the Animal Refuge League of Greater Portland, and the Dempsey Center. 
  • To warn members about fraud, Cumberland County FCU told members to contact the credit union if they receive a suspicious call asking for financial information. 
  • Dirigo FCU’s website alerted members about a phone spoofing scam to help keep them protected from falling victim. 
  • At Downeast CU, a Winter Youth Challenge was hosted for members ages 13-21 for a chance to win $100. 
  • Eastmill FCU competed for likes on Patten Pentecostal Church’s Facebook page with the hopes of winning the best tree distinction. 
  • Empeople CU celebrated National Thank You Note Day by expressing gratitude for their team members on social media. 
  • Evergreen CU congratulated their community partner, Teens to Trails, for being chosen as one of 40 organizations in the country for the “Gift of Connection” program. 
  • Spirit days arrived at Five County CU just before the holidays. Themes included Holiday Sock Day, Holiday Scarf/Tie Day, Holiday Headgear Day, Holiday Glow Day, Grinch Day, Holiday Sweater Day, Mad for Plaid Day, Rudolph Red Day, and Santa’s Helpers Day! 
  • Franklin-Somerset FCU participated in three of their communities’ Festival of Trees, which involved a lot of decorating! Trees were on display in Farmington, Stratton, and Skowhegan and had a lot of thought put into them. Fantastic job to the team at Franklin-Somerset FCU! 
  • Gardiner FCU’s Toy Drive and Giving Tree both saw remarkable success this season! They filled an entire truck bed with toy drive donations and noted ample gifts were received for the Giving Tree recipients.
  • On their website, Great Falls FCU posted a notice to business accounts with information about registration with the Secretary of State and the federal government for 2024.  
  • Katahdin FCU donated funds to the Stearns High School Athletics Department for the purchase of traveling uniforms for both the boys’ and girls’ varsity basketball teams. 
  • A Humane Society of Waterville Area Angel Giving Tree was displayed in KSW FCU’s lobby, allowing members to support the Humane Society by choosing a gift to purchase and returning it to either the credit union or the Humane Society directly. 
  • KV FCU joined in the fun with a Grinch-themed tree of their own at the Festival of Trees at the Augusta Elks Lodge. The proceeds from the event were directed towards the Kennebec Valley Community Action Program and the Augusta Elks Lodge. 
  • In a post on social media thanking the public for the overwhelming support of their Cash Calendar to Help End Hunger fundraiser that ran in November, Lincoln Maine FCU announced $8,900 raised! The funds will help provide meals to those in need through local organizations. 
  • Lisbon Community FCU announced the winner of its holiday song contest. Andrea Grant’s name was drawn as the winner, displaying her exceptional musical knowledge and Christmas spirit. Well done, Andrea! 
  • Santa visited Maine Family FCU, and many members enjoyed pictures and holiday cheer with him ahead of Christmas! 
  • Maine Highlands FCU  teamed up with Dexter Regional High School to host the Tip-Off Classic Basketball Tournament on December 2. Schools in attendance included Mt. View High School, Madison Area Memorial High School, and Dexter Regional High School. Teams competed against each other and had the opportunity to win cash prizes in 3-point and free throw shooting contests! 
  • The Grinch stopped by Maine Savings FCU for Cookies and Cocoa with The Grinch! Many members, especially the younger ones, enjoyed their time. 
  • Maine State CU assisted at the Mt. View High School Financial Fitness Fair. 
  • Midcoast FCU employees spread holiday cheer and fun on December 19 when the credit union hosted its annual ugly sweater contest. Employees displayed their looks on Midcoast’s Facebook page.  
  • On their website, Milestones FCU promoted opportunities to get involved with the credit union either by joining their Board of Directors or by serving on their Supervisory Audit Committee. 
  • New Dimensions FCU solicited donations on social media all month long for the Holiday Meals for Mainers initiative. 
  • Don and Danielle from NorState FCU volunteered time with the Madawaska Meals on Wheels site, expressing their appreciation for the work done by Aroostook Area Agency on Aging to feed residents.  
  • In 2023, Northeast CU donated $5 for every meal purchased during both Portsmouth Restaurant Weeks. Thousands of dollars supported local college food pantries in New Hampshire and Maine, and Gather, a food pantry serving the Greater Seacoast area. 
  • OTIS FCU congratulated Darice Roy on being named their 2023 Employee of the Year, noting she was overwhelmingly recognized by her peers for always lending a helping hand, exceptional work ethic, and always going above and beyond for both the credit union and the community. Congratulations, Darice! 
  • Oxford FCU celebrated 12 Days of Giving by spreading love around Oxford County with $1,000 donations to 12 separate local organizations.  
  • On social media, Penobscot County FCU warned members of scams involving fake puppy sales where victims think they are putting money down on a dog but receive no pet despite paying numerous fees. 
  • PeoplesChoice CU encouraged members to stop in a branch to participate in the 2023 holiday calendar fundraiser to support the Campaign for Ending Hunger. 
  • Sabattus Regional CU broke all previous records with this year’s annual Christmas Raffle, having sold over 4,000 tickets. They raised $3,400 for local hunger relief organizations. Great job! 
  • Volunteers from Saco Valley CU brought bags full of groceries from their branches to the Saco Meals Program. 
  • The Sock in a Box 2023 initiative at Seaboard FCU was incredibly successful! At the fundraiser’s culmination, the credit union provided three full bags of socks to each of the three local homeless shelters in the area. 
  • Sebasticook Valley FCU was thrilled to launch its new website at the end of the month, featuring a more user-friendly experience designed with members in mind.  
  • The County FCU collected piles of nonperishable food items as part of a successful food drive. 
  • Town & Country FCU launched it new ‘12 Days of Local Giving Local’ initiative in December to both highlight and support local nonprofits and thank them for what they do for the community. Throughout the month, the credit union contributed a total of $10,500 to 12 nonprofits representing a variety of causes including food insecurity, domestic violence, outdoor spaces and protecting animals. 
  • Trademark FCU partook in the 12th Annual South Portland Holiday Toy Drive along with many other area businesses, which supplied gifts to 358 children across the city this Christmas! 
  • Demonstrating the spirit of giving, TruChoice FCU’s TruCrew were elves for Project G.R.A.C.E., creating some Christmas magic for local kids. 
  • University CU pledged to match up to $25,000 in donations to the Campaign for Ending Hunger through December 31. 
  • Winthrop Area FCU staff found fun and community at the Winthrop Holiday Parade 2023!