Altura Credit Union, Riverside, Calif., decorated a tree for the“Festival of Trees,” an annual fundraiser held by the RiversideCounty Regional Medical Center. Funds raised at the event primarilygo to the medical center's pediatric units. The credit union's treewas among 50 trees sold at the event. It was bought for $10,000 bythe Riverside Medical Clinic and is now on display in its lobby. Inaddition to sponsoring its own tree, the credit union sponsoredtrees from 35 local schools for the “Elf's Forest” in theconvention center.

Windsor Family Credit Union, Windsor, Ontario, contributed over$12,500 to assist community members in need during the holidayseason. The credit union's “Joy of Giving” initiative includedseveral events. The annual AM800 “Cans for a Cause” collected fooditems to benefit the St. Vincent De Paul Society. The credit unionalso helped provide Christmas presents to children and theirfamilies in need, $2,500 in toy purchases totalling 157 toys wentto the Moose Lodge annual toy drive. Monetary donations were alsomade to St. Mary's Food Cupboard, Well-Come Centre for HumanPotential, Windsor Homes Coalition Inc. and Family Services WindsorEssex.

MECU, Baltimore, selected toys and other gifts for the childrenof the Salvation Army Angel Tree. The credit union's team madeChristmas special for 125 children in the Baltimore area byshopping for toys, clothes and other basics. The value of thepresents donated totaled over $11,000.

Security Service Federal Credit Union, San Antonio, opted tohonor military men and women this holiday season as a sponsor ofmore than 700 military greetings airing on local televisionstations. The credit union's sponsorship allowed military personneland their families stationed around the world to extend greetingsthroughout the holidays to family members living in several Texasand Colorado cities.

Charter Oak Federal Credit Union Groton, Conn., donated toseveral organizations this holiday season through its CommunityOutreach Program. Donations were made to Books for Dreams, Kids forChristmas, Colectivo Mestizal, MALTA, Bethsaida Community Inc.,Holy Family Shelter Inc., WARM, the Friends of Assisi Food Pantryand the March of Dimes. The program also donated $2,000 worth ofturkeys to the Gemma Moran Food Center.

Option 1 Credit Union Grand Rapids, Mich., elected to forgo astaff holiday party and instead support area food pantries. Thecredit union helped kick off the Spartan Stores, D&W and FamilyFare's Scan Away Hunger program with a monetary donation of$1,000.

Cabrillo Credit Union, San Diego, donated over $300 worth ofnonperishable food items to benefit St. Vincent De Paul. Afterhearing that food donations were down this year, the credit union'sstaff rallied to hold a food drive before the traditional holidayseason. The food items were collected from nearly 60 employeesthrough an organization-wide donation drive.

Hawthorne Credit Union, Naperville, Ill., collected and donated570 pounds of personal health and hygiene items, snacks and holidaykeepsakes to Operation Support Our Troops of Illinois to beinserted into Christmas stockings and shipped to U.S. soldiersfighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. In addition, the credit unionraised $170 in cash donations from an employee jeans day and otherdonations, which will be used to ship the packages to thetroops.

Saugus Federal Credit Union, donated food and other items forholiday baskets distributed to local families in need. Each basketcontained a turkey and over 20 pounds of additional food itemspurchased by credit union staff. The credit union has held theevent for the past 19 years.

Security Service Federal Credit Union, San Antonio, joined withformer San Antonio Spurs and two-time NBA All-Star Sean Elliott andhis wife, Claudia Zapata, to collect turkeys to put on the platesof hungry families in Southwest Texas. In addition to calling forsupport from the community, the couple donated 50 turkeys to thecause. In all, 500 turkeys were collected to benefit the SanAntonio Food Bank.