Scott Credit Union Donates $369,000 and Employees volunteer 1,900 Hours During 2019

Edwardsville, IL - February 25, 2020 - Scott Credit Union has made giving back to its communities a major priority.

The local credit union contributed about $369,000 and its employees volunteered 1,900 hours to a variety of local civic efforts throughout the region through the end of 2019.

The credit union has contributed approximately $3.4 million and its employees have volunteered over 23,000 hours to a variety of local civic efforts and financial education throughout the region in past 11 years.

“We realize that without our members and the communities in which we serve, we would not exist as a financial alternative,” said Scott Credit Union Community Relations Supervisor Carol Wylie. “Through the end of the year, we donated about $369,000 to a variety of fundraising efforts for charities, schools and civic and community organizations.”

Scott Credit Union’s top volunteer in 2019 was Renee Van Dyke. She volunteered 102.5 hours at 32 events throughout the area last year.

Scott Credit Union created its Volunteer Incentive (VIP) Program to show how important community involvement is to the organization and to encourage the staff to volunteer their time supporting local efforts, Wylie said.

“Through our VIP Program, we offer our staff a chance to win prizes for volunteering,” she explained. “Last year, our volunteers logged 1,900 hours in community service at a variety of charitable or civic events. We are extremely excited and proud of our staff for all that they do to give back to the community.”

The credit union has increased its community involvement in the past few years while also increasing its efforts to educate consumers of the value of doing their financial business with a not-for-profit credit union.

“We really want people in the area to know more about the value of doing business with a credit union,” Wylie added. “That is why we have focused our time on educating area residents about Scott Credit Union. A couple of the ways we’ve done that is through our community involvement and through our employees giving financial education presentations. Last year, the employees in our Speakers Bureau presented financial topics at 29 speaking engagements to more than 776 people.”

“Conducting financial business with a credit union saves the consumer real money,” said Scott Credit Union President & CEO Frank Padak. “Many credit unions, like Scott Credit Union, offer similar products and services to what the conventional financial institutions have, but we do so with our members’ best interest in mind because we are a not-for-profit cooperative. Plus, we care about the community and we are committed to supporting local efforts through contributions and volunteerism.”

Scott Credit Union has supported many regional and local projects in and around the communities in which it has branches, Wylie noted.

“We pledged $15,000 to the American Cancer Society,” she added. “We completed our pledge of $20,000 per year for five years for the St. Joseph’s Hospital in Highland. We also pledged $50,000 per year for five years for the new St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in O’Fallon.”

Scott Credit Union contributed $3,500 to the MS Society, $15,000 to the Gateway Region YMCA, $11,000 to the American Heart Association, and $10,000 to 375th Force Support Squadron and $3,500 to 126th Air Refueling Wing programs at Scott Air Force Base.

The local cooperative credit union also contributed $3,000 to Special Olympics of Illinois.

“We also donated $1,000 to several other community groups, including the Edwardsville Little Tigers Basketball, Highland Lions Club and the Midwest Salute to the Arts,” she added.

Scott Credit Union is a full-service, financial cooperative. When someone opens an account at the credit union, they become a member and an owner. Because of its structure, Scott Credit Union has given $12 million back to members through a bonus dividend and loan interest rebate over the past 12 years.

Scott Credit Union currently has 17 area locations: Scott Air Force Base; East Belleville; Fairview Heights; Collinsville; O’Fallon; Edwardsville; Waterloo; Highland; West Belleville; Mascoutah; Troy; Wood River; Columbia; Ladue, MO; Crestwood, MO; Ferguson, MO; and its Home Office in Edwardsville.

For details on opening accounts at Scott Credit Union, visit www.scu.org.