CU News & Events – September Edition

September arrived in full swing across the state, with credit unions celebrating the back-to-school season, beloved community organizations, member appreciation events, and of course—autumn. With community at the heart of everything our credit unions do, an overview of what some of them were up to in September is provided below. 

• Acadia FCU organized a fall craft event in support of the Campaign for Ending Hunger. For $35, attendees painted their own 4-foot fall-themed sign. The credit union provided all materials and tools, with designs available to use. 
• Attendees of the New Gloucester Fair enjoyed kid-friendly fun from Party Palooga, courtesy of Ancorum CU. 
• Jenn from Atlantic FCU is the newest recipient of their Community Engagement Awards Winner for the work she does with the Saco Youth Soccer Board of Directors. Congratulations, Jenn! 
• Bangor FCU welcomed a record number of teams for their 11th Annual Ending Hunger Golf Tournament. In total, they raised more than $10,000 to help hungry Mainers! 
• Brewer FCU sponsored a hole at Bangor FCU’s Annual Golf Tournament, demonstrating the power of collaboration in our shared mission to end hunger. 
• Capital Area FCU invited members into their branch to support Special Olympics Maine by entering their festive Fall Basket Raffle with a game of cornhole. 
• Casco FCU’s Patty and Cassie spent an afternoon volunteering with Good Shepherd Food Bank. They helped pack 4,193 meals, equivalent to 4,343 pounds of food.
• In conjunction with Central Maine FCU’s 75^th Anniversary on October 17, the credit union is offering a 75 CD, which is a 75-day term with 7.50% APR and $7,500 maximum deposit for the first 750 members who open up the CD. It’s their special way of giving back and saying thank you for supporting the credit union throughout the years.
• Coast Line CU will award two $2,500 scholarships to full-time business students at Southern Maine Community College. Applications, found online, must be returned to the credit union for consideration by December 1.
• In an effort to raise money for neighbors facing food insecurity, Community CU sold bouquets by donation in Auburn—with all proceeds going to the Campaign for Ending Hunger. 
• A team from Connected CU showed their support by playing in the annual ESM Golf Tournament benefiting Special Olympics Maine. 
• The Portland Regional Chamber of Commerce thanked cPort CU for serving as a sponsor of their Kegs & Issues event on September 25. 
• Cumberland County FCU celebrated 20 years of their Portland and Gray branches with weeklong celebrations, including daily refreshments and giveaways. 
• Staff from Dirigo FCU cheered on participants of the Dempsey Challenge. 
• Downeast CU joined in on the fun at the 20th Annual Eastport Pirate Festival. 
• With fraud an ever-present concern, Eastmill FCU alerted members of a phone spoofing scam, where fraudsters are posing as security representatives from local financial institutions. 
• In early September, Empeople CU celebrated the grand reopening of their renovated Westbrook branch—complete with a special ribbon cutting. 
• Evergreen CU sponsored the Animal Refuge League of Greater Portland’s annual Ales for Tails Pup Crawl from September 12 through September 14. 
• Franklin-Somerset FCU collected and contributed school supplies to their local schools.
• Gardiner FCU held their Craft Fair for Ending Hunger in Maine on September 27 featuring a basket raffle, bake sale, and hot dog sale. 
• The new Auburn location of Great Falls FCU was unveiled and began welcoming members for service. Congratulations on your beautiful new building!
• HRCU celebrated their members on September 12 by handing out free HRCU t-shirts and swag along with fresh cider and donuts.
• In September, Katahdin FCU hosted its golf tournament at Hillcrest Golf Club in Millinocket to benefit the Campaign for Ending Hunger—raising over $10,000! 
• KSW FCU encouraged members to join the fight against hunger all month to recognize Hunger Action Month. The credit union collected both monetary and nonperishable food donations. 
• Sara from KV FCU helped kick off the Farmstand Exhibit at the Children’s Discovery Museum—a display sponsored by KV FCU. At the event, Sarah read “Apple Picking Day” to families, who also enjoyed fresh Maine cider, donuts, and free copies of the book. 
• Lighthouse CU featured Good Shepherd Food Bank in their Seacoast Culinary Challenge Beneficiary Spotlight. The Culinary Challenge is an event by the Lighthouse CU Foundation aimed to “fuel community change, one dish at a time.” The Food Bank will benefit from funds raised through this event at the end of October. 
• On September 5, Lincoln Maine FCU celebrated their community at the Save a Life Recovery Block Party. 
• Lisbon Community FCU hosted an exciting Member Appreciation Day on September 19. The event included a hot dog lunch, snacks, drinks, hourly giveaways, member gifts, and more. 
• Maine Family FCU employees volunteered at the Boys & Girls Club of Southern Maine’s Auburn/Lewiston Clubhouse as part of United Way of Western Maine’s annual Day of Caring. 
• A crew of Maine Highlands FCU staff participated in the Northern Light Mayo Hospital’s Walk for Hope, which they also sponsored. 
• Maine Savings FCU supports Best Buddies, an organization designed to create opportunities for friendship, employment, and leadership for those living with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The credit union’s own Lexi Wood was named a Best Buddies Champion—a special designation for community leaders dedicated to supporting the organization’s mission. 
• Maine State CU hosted its annual Employee Banquet on September 26. The event provided the credit union a perfect opportunity to recognize their outstanding employees.
• Maine Solutions FCU already has the holidays in mind—announcing their annual Christmas loan program and a December Skip-A-Payment option for their members.
• On National Food Pantry Day, Midcoast FCU encouraged members to support their local pantries through volunteering and/or making donations. 
• The autumn season was met with joy and excitement at New Dimensions FCU, who hosted a fall kick-off bake sale to benefit Special Olympics Maine and the Campaign for Ending Hunger. 
• Danielle and Denise from NorState FCU shared all the great things the credit union has to offer at the University of Maine Fort Kent Community Fair. 
• OTIS FCU greeted hikers with smiles at the Make-A-Wish Maine Trailblaze Challenge finish line. 
• Fraud is a top priority for every credit union, so Oxford FCU presented a Fraud Prevention Class to their community, sharing tips for spotting and stopping scams as well as keeping personal information safe and protected. 
• PeoplesChoice CU donated $500 to STRIVE, an organization in South Portland that serves over 1,400 tweens, teens, and young adults with developmental disabilities. 
• On September 24, Saco Valley CU partnered with Pizza by Alex, with $1 from every pizza sold contributing to the credit union’s fundraising efforts for Special Olympics Maine. 
• Attendees of the Ellsworth Food Fest and Carmel Days enjoyed Seaboard FCU’s booth, which sold local apple cider and hot chocolate to benefit the Campaign for Ending Hunger. 
• Sebasticook Valley FCU shared details for their upcoming Benefit Spaghetti Dinner & Auction for Sandy Braley—a beloved colleague currently battling breast cancer. The credit union is accepting donations for the dinner and auction—as well as monetary donations at the credit union—to help their dear friend. 
• The County FCU sponsored St. Joe’s Commit to Community Race in Bangor on September 28. 
• On September 22 representatives from Town & Country FCU participated in a ribbon-cutting event to introduce the new Collab: ESPORTS Arena by Town & Country FCU at the University of Southern Maine (USM) in Gorham. The new facility will provide a state-of-the-art gaming arena for the USM Esports Club, the largest on-campus club at the school. The arena is made possible through a partnership between Town & Country and USM to support students, this emerging competitive sport, and the community. 
• April Canwell was presented with Trademark FCU’s first-ever Vision and Valor Award. This quarterly award honors employees who demonstrate outstanding leadership, dedication, and a strong commitment to Trademark’s mission. Congratulations, April!
• The TruCrew from TruChoice FCU was thrilled to participate in the Maine Children’s Cancer Program’s Walk at Payson Park, handing out capes to honor the superhero theme. The credit union has been a major sponsor of the event for nearly three decades. 
• Grace Mix, Marketing Specialist at University CU, offered a helping hand at the UMaine Blood Drive with the American Red Cross of Northern New England at the UMaine Bodwell Center. 
• Winthrop Area FCU also warned members of a phone spoofing scam requesting card information. The credit union shared an important reminder that legitimate financial institutions would never ask for this kind of information by phone.