VSECU Donates $8,000 to the Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity

802/800 371-5162

VSECU Donates $8,000 to the Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 3, 2009

VSECU recently donated more than $8,000 to the Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity (CVOEO) through their W.A.R.M. program, a community-giving project established to help address the home heating fuel needs of Vermonters.

In 2008, the Board of Directors of the Vermont State Employees Credit Union created W.A.R.M.—We’re a Responsive Membership. Through W.A.R.M., VSECU’s members had the opportunity to donate to the project, and VSECU matched those donations dollar-for-dollar.

The donation represented funds contributed by individual members, VSECU’s matching funds and an additional amount from the credit union’s community-giving budget to help Vermonters seeking assistance from the community action agency.

“VSECU’s Board of Directors and members want to help our friends and neighbors in our communities,” said Judy Rosenstreich, a board director and the chair of VSECU’s Community Giving Committee. “We recognize the challenges many Vermonters face in the tough economic times we face today. Many of us who never thought we would need assistance are seeking out agencies like the Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity for the first time. We hope our donation will make a difference.”

“This generous support from VSECU is much appreciated, and it couldn’t be better timed,” said Tim Searles, CVOEO’s executive director. “This will enable us to assist dozens of families who are just slightly over-income for the State’s Fuel Assistance, but who still can’t afford a delivery of fuel.”

Since 1965, the CVOEO has provided a variety of health and human services to low-income Vermonters of all ages in the Champlain Valley area. Programs and services include Head Start, the Micro Business Development Program, Voices Against Violence and Laurie’s House, Chittenden Emergency Food Shelf, Crisis Fuel Assistance, the WARMTH Program and much more. For more information, visit www.cvoeo.org or call 1-800-287-7971.

The Vermont State Employees Credit Union is a not-for-profit financial cooperative, which offers a full range of affordable financial products and services to its member-owners. People eligible to join the credit union include anyone who lives or works in Addison, Caledonia, Chittenden, Lamoille, Orange, Rutland and Washington counties, along with Vermont's state employees and their families. For more information about VSECU, call 802/800 371-5162 or visit www.vsecu.com.

Judy Rosenstreich, member of VSECU’s Board of Directors and chair of VSECU’s Community Giving Committee, presents a check for more than $8,000 to Tim Searles, executive director of the Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity. VSECU’s donation was made possible by contributions through the credit union’s W.A.R.M. program, providing funds for home heating fuel assistance.