DCECU Donates More Than $8K in Goods to Local nonprofits

MIDLAND, MICHIGAN, March 23, 2021 – When the COVID-19 pandemic prevented Dow Chemical Employees’ Credit Union (dcecu.org) from conducting its annual donation drive to help restock local pantries, Susan Phillips knew she couldn’t let the program she had organized for several years fall by the wayside.

“It was important to us find another way to support our friends and neighbors throughout the region at a time when we know the need for assistance is high,” said Phillips, DCECU’s senior executive assistant to the chief executive officer. “So, in lieu of a donation drive like we’d usually do, I proposed that DCECU purchase items to deliver to local organizations in a ‘donation blitz’ over the course of a few weeks – a pivot that would allow us to provide a much-needed boost to these organizations even though we couldn’t host a donation drive this year.”

Selected as beneficiaries of the donation blitz were four organizations in the communities that typically benefit from DCECU’s pantry restock drive:

• The Ecumenical Food Pantry at First Presbyterian Church in Saginaw and Safe Harbor Kitchen in Bay City both received food, paper products, laundry detergent and personal care items.

• The Gladwin County Baby Pantry in Beaverton received clothing, pajamas, underwear, socks, baby wipes, bath linens and bedding.

• Midland’s Open Door received items from its Amazon Wish List, including a pair of desktop computers, sweatshirts and T-shirts, underwear, and work shoes and pants.

In all, DCECU distributed a total of $8,400 worth of items among the four organizations.

“Everyone was thrilled to get everything,” said Phillips, who personally delivered the items to the organizations during the month of March. “A couple of the organizations even said the need for assistance has increased so much that they are now serving quadruple the amount of people they were prior to the pandemic. We’re so grateful to have been able to play even a small role in helping all of these organizations serve their respective communities.”

Phillips said DCECU hopes to resume the pantry restock drive – which typically occurs in the credit union lobby for several weeks during the first quarter of each year – in 2022. In 2020, the drive brought in more than 5,600 items that were distributed to five local organizations.

About Dow Chemical Employees’ Credit Union

Dow Chemical Employees’ Credit Union is a cooperative, not-for-profit financial institution that is owned by its members and dedicated to providing them with smart, affordable banking solutions. Located in Midland, Michigan, DCECU has $2 billion in assets and more than 71,600 members and has been recognized multiple times by the Credit Union National Association (CUNA) for top performance in saving members money. Membership is open to employees and retirees of nearly 100 Select Employer Group companies and their family members, as well as donors to the Midland Area Community Foundation’s DCECU Members Endowed Scholarship Fund. For more information, visit dcecu.org or call 989.835.7794 or 800.835.7794.

Follow DCECU on Facebook at facebook.com/dcecu and on Instagram at instagram.com/dcecu_mi.