Dora Maxwell Award for Social Responsibility
The Dora Maxwell Award recognizes outstanding efforts of community service

First place…Great Horizons FCU
Wishing for a Cure
With its participation in Relay for Life in Hammond, this credit union used the theme from the movie Aladdin: "Wishing for a Cure, a whole new world, cancer-free." Great Horizons FCU’s campsite took on the appearance of a castle with team members walking in honor of a staff member’s son who is a cancer survivor and an inspiration for everyone at the credit union. In addition to walking in the Relay for Life, the credit union solicited donations and sponsorships from members, businesses and friends to raise $2,670 for the American Cancer Society. This credit union took second place in its asset category nationally for a similar project last year.

First place…Evansville FCU
Habitat for Humanity
Home ownership is the American Dream. This credit union made it a reality for one family by raising $42,000 and building a house through Habitat for Humanity. The credit union partnered with Prudential Prime Locations for fundraising and had a special partnership with students at Central High School in Evansville. The students, who are fans of The Apprentice TV show, were split up into teams, given start-up money (a grant from the Southwest Indiana Network for Education) and ran businesses to grow the seed money into larger amounts. Students raised $3,600 toward the house. Other fundraising activities throughout the year included golf scrambles, bowl-a-thons, car washes, selling chocolate bars, and a skip-a-pay promotion to members where a portion of the fee they paid to skip a loan payment was applied to the Habitat House fund. The credit union staff also bagged groceries, held a drawing for a TV, grill and a trip to Cancun. After the money was raised, credit union employees helped build the house, specifically framing, roofing, and putting up walls, siding and gutters. The partnership with Prudential Prime Locations and with Central High School continues.

Second place…AAA FCU
Research Funding for Leukemia and Lymphoma Society
About 11,920 cases of myelogenous leukemia are diagnosed each year, and many of this credit union’s members’ lives have been touched by blood cancers. AAA FCU believed it was important to educate people about leukemia and lymphoma and help with research on those diseases. Every credit union employee got involved by selling paper feet, which were displayed in the office, to raise money and one employee participated in the Indianapolis 500 Festival’s Mini-marathon to raise $1,533.32 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

Honorable mention…Taper Lock FCU
Riley Hospital – Credit Unions for Kids
This credit union took on several projects to raise money for Riley Hospital through Credit Unions for Kids, collecting $1,684.30 in all. The credit union hosted bake sales, raffles, change days and hot dog lunches. They sold Riley Holiday Cards and asked area businesses to participate in the fundraising. Taper Lock CU benefited right along with the hospital as they worked together, had fun and accomplished something they were really proud of.

First place…La-Porter FCU
Stuff a Bus
To support the Salvation Army’s effort to stock its food pantry for the 500 families it serves each month, this credit union stuffed a school bus—full of food! By cooperating with an area grocery store, La-Porter encouraged shoppers to purchase items for the Salvation Army’s food pantry as well as meat vouchers for use by families in need. La-Porter FCU created flyers and advertisements and arranged for a live radio remote on the day of the event at two of the grocery store locations. The store made up lists as well as bags of groceries at the $5 and $10 price points so shopping would be easier. Credit union employees were on hand at two of the grocery store locations to load groceries into the school buses. Results were tremendous with La-Porter FCU filling TWO school buses with more than $10,000 worth of food.

Second place…General CU
Walk America
The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) was the beneficiary of this credit union’s good work. Participation was coordinated by the credit union’s JDRF committee. Fundraising included a coin guessing game in branches, snack sales, drawings for prizes donated by area businesses and sneaker sales where members’ names were displayed on paper sneakers in branch lobbies. Nine staff members braved cold weather to walk in Fort Wayne’s Second Annual Walk to Cure Diabetes, with a message on their backs that read: "We walk because we Care! General CU Taking Strides to Find a Cure." Through the credit union’s efforts, $2,214 was raised for JDRF.

First place…Fort Financial FCU
Piggies for Pattaya
Fort Financial FCU stepped up for tsunami relief at a time when most other companies’ support was tapering off. A member who lived in Thailand alerted the credit union to the need that still existed. The credit union decided to help supply baby formula and to assist with school lunch and milk programs to ensure that students in the Wat Koh and Sang-Ga-U schools received at least one proper meal per day while their village, Pattaya, was being restored. Members donating to the cause were able to have their names put on friendly-looking paper piggies and displayed on the walls in the branches. Foot traffic in the credit union’s Meijer store branches was especially critical to the project. Special white plastic piggy banks were uniquely and personally decorated and sold to members. Spare change was also collected in these special piggies. During National Credit Union Youth Week, kids could donate and get their name on a sign announcing "I helped kids just like me." With funds raised from the Piggies for Pattaya program, Fort Financial FCU raised enough money to purchase school lunches, milk and formula for over 100 infants and children while their families rebuilt.

First place…Elkhart County Farm Bureau CU
Relay for Life
Participation in the Relay for Life program allowed this credit union to raise money to help fight a disease that 1 in 3 people will be diagnosed with sometime in their life. Fundraising projects included team member solicitations, sales of paper feet (981 in all!) in branch offices and sales of luminaries that were lovingly decorated by staff members. There were also drive up window sales and staff dress down days. The relay team included 35 walkers with about 20 more providing snacks. In the three weeks they worked on this project, Elkhart County Farm Bureau Credit Union raised $9,000 for the American Cancer Society.

Second place…Professional FCU
Focus on Health
About 20 percent of the residents in Allen, Huntington, Noble and Whitley Counties do not have health insurance, so it is safe to assume that many of them do not get to the doctor regularly even for the most routine care and testing. The credit union partnered with a Fort Wayne television station to provide Focus on Health, which brought free health checks during a two-week period to various locations around Fort Wayne. Professional FCU helped with promoting and staff members worked at four of the 16 sites. As a result, 3,299 people received height, weight and eyesight checks, bone density tests, various blood tests and other screenings.

First place…Evansville Teachers FCU
Health C.A.R.E Program
In its Health C.A.R.E (Community Action & Responsiveness to Emergencies) program, this credit union addressed the need for regularly scheduled blood donations and staff preparedness for medical emergencies. The decision to focus on health-related activities is partially due to having several cancer survivors on staff. The Health C.A.R.E program is not an event but an ongoing commitment to the needs of the communities where credit union staff live and work. The extent to which Evansville Teachers FCU employees give of themselves makes it extraordinary. Additionally, the credit union has allocated $22,600 to purchase defibrillators and ensure that employees get required CED and AED training annually.

Alphonse Desjardins Awards
The Alphonse Desjardins Award recognizes excellence in youth financial literacy efforts

First place…Perfect Circle CU
Outreach to grade school-age children through its "Bee Saver" program is a cornerstone of this credit union’s commitment to youth financial literacy. Additionally, they have created a "road show" of basic financial classes that they took in to two school corporations and businesses in Wayne and Henry Counties.

First place…Purdue EFCU
"PEFCU at School" was opened in Lafayette’s Jefferson High School. A branch of the Purdue EFCU, student workers are hired and trained just like their adult counterparts at other branches. This credit union has strong partnerships with area schools and participates in a number of financial literacy initiatives at all grade levels.

Honorable mention…Indiana University EFCU
This credit union worked with the national Endowment for Financial Education as well as teachers from several area high schools to present a financial literacy curriculum on an ongoing basis.

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