Community Involvement

At PeoplesChoice Credit Union we are members of a community, and we feel it is our obligation to give back. We are deeply committed to serving and improving the communities where our members live or work.

We track the number of hours our employees volunteer. In 2011, 25 of our 44 employees participated in events such as church functions, the United Way, soup kitchens, fundraisers, Girl Scouts and youth athletics - and donated 956.75 hours. We are proud to be involved in many charitable events throughout the year:

• PeoplesChoice is one of the 61 credit unions in Maine that participates in the Credit Union Campaign to End Hunger. In 2011, Maine credit unions collectively raised over $400,000 to help end hunger in Maine; $4 million has been raised since 1990. Supporting this effort, we founded the Polar Bear Scramble. In 2011, PeoplesChoice raised $11,505 from this golf tournament – and have raised over $82,000 in the last seven years.  Due to our high level of support, PeoplesChoice Credit Union has been named a Top Ten Contributor to this important campaign.
• PeoplesChoice is a strong supporter of the Maine Special Olympics. Funded by proceeds from the Polar Bear Scramble, PeoplesChoice has earned the Maine Special Olympics Gold Plaque for exceeding $5,000 in donations annually.
• In 2011, PeoplesChoice received the United Way Silver Plaque for its many contributions to the community at large.
• Our Social Responsibility Committee – comprised solely of PeoplesChoice employees - raised over $9,000 in 2011 from Dress Down Friday contributions, candy bar and candle sales, and various other fundraising events that brought in donations one dollar at a time.
• Annually, PeoplesChoice fills backpacks with school supplies for needy youths. In November, we adopt two needy families for Thanksgiving, and to round out the year, all of our branches participate in the successful Toys for Tots campaign.

While we at PeoplesChoice are busy participating in our own charitable events, we also contribute corporately to local non-profits in their own fundraising goals. The list of donors receiving funds every year is large – and growing:

• Southern Maine Medical Center
• Ending Hunger In Maine
• Biddeford Saco Buy Local Group
• York County Community College
• Youth Sports/Little league Teams
• Biddeford Saco Chamber
• Community Bicycle Center
• Sweetser
• Wells Rotary
• ALS Maine
• Center for Grieving Children
• Maine Special Olympics

We believe in the missions of our non-profit partners, and to support their needs, we recently built our Saco Operations Center. The Operations Center provides a necessary meeting space for our partners, as well as a location to hold classes aimed at improving financial literacy. We have held in excess of 25 financial literacy classes covering topics such as budgeting, first time home buying, investing, reverse mortgages, social security, estate planning, acquiring a commercial loan, building a new home, and retirement strategies.

In the Operations Center’s first year, PeoplesChoice received the Biddeford Saco Chamber of Commerce Community Service Award for donating the use of our facilities to many worthwhile organizations. During 2011, our Saco Operations Center was used 75 times by the following organizations:

• RSU 23
• Counseling Services Inc
• Coastal Health
• Maine Youth Action Network
• Southern Maine Area on Aging
• Maine Association for Non-Profits
• Portland Mom to Mom group
• St. Andre’s Health
• Biddeford Saco Chamber Women to Women group
• Muskie School
• Biddeford Saco Chamber Gubernatorial Forum
• Child Abuse Council
• York County Collaborative
• York County Youth Network
• Saco Republican Committee
• York County Foster Care
• Maine Medical Center
• Town of Saco
• Community Partners