Community Impact

Community Impact

People helping people is one of the guiding principles of the credit union philosophy, which is why giving back to the communities we serve is so important to our culture at Suncoast.

As the pandemic continued, our devotion to giving back to our communities grew ever stronger. In 2021, we provided grants, scholarships, event support, and even celebrated our 75th branch with $75,000 of donations in 75 days!

And since Suncoast donates two cents to the Suncoast Credit Union Foundation every time a member uses their credit or debit cards, we donated $3.6 million dollars to our local communities in 2021. Since the inception of this program in 1990, we’ve donated more than $36.5 million to help children in our communities.

Giving Back Through the Suncoast Credit Union Foundation

The Suncoast Credit Union Foundation helps children in our community in so many powerful ways. Every dollar we donate is truly a life changed. And none of it would be possible without our members.

For example, a grant from the Suncoast Credit Union Foundation to the Charlotte County Education Foundation was able to provide students with access to over 6,000 enhanced digital books through the MyOn reading program.

This student-focused literacy program dynamically matches books to students by their interests, grade and reading level. We are proud to support such an innovative way to engage young readers!

Funding from the Suncoast Credit Union Foundation also helped improve the lives of Pasco County students in 2021 with an exciting, hands-on project that students loved.

This STEM-related donation helped fund the Pasco Environmental Adventure Camp. This program let students perform an excavation to identify fossils in dig pits, dissect a dinosaur model and learn how to explore and preserve Florida’s unique natural resources.

And that wasn’t our only STEM-related donation in 2021. We also provided funding so students in Sarasota could investigate a meteor. At Wilkinson Elementary, students investigated a meteor that had “fallen” to earth outside their school, creating a crater.

All week, students gained hands-on experience in earth space science and geology. This was the first such immersive educational adventure at Wilkinson since the pandemic began, and students relished this applied learning opportunity.

We understand that students need to be provided with the tools they need to succeed both in and out of the classroom. That’s why we also provided a grant to Lighthouse of Pinellas for their Early Invention Children’s Program.

This funding helped 50 visually impaired children get specialized care and training, both in the classroom and in their homes.

These are only a few of the many examples of how the Suncoast Credit Union Foundation changed young lives in 2021. Our donations spanned our entire footprint, all aiding in the education, health and emotional well-being of children in our communities.

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Helping Seniors Stay Connected

Suncoast Credit Union has always been a company that cares about seniors. As the pandemic continued, many seniors found themselves in isolation. We expanded our financial support for the Seniors in Service organization, becoming the title sponsor of the Telepals program.

Telepals provides a solution to the devastating physical and mental consequences of loneliness by engaging volunteers who regularly call isolated seniors to connect through friendly conversation. For some seniors it may be the only conversation they have all day.

We’ve seen a phenomenal impact in so many lives thanks to this program. Joan, a senior who recently lost her husband of more than 70 years, was connected to community volunteers like Angie through Telepals. Angie’s phone calls became a source of companionship Joan could rely on to brighten her day and alleviate the loneliness. Over the next few months, they built a friendship and began meeting in person.

Another Telepals volunteer realized that her senior was in need of more than just a phone connection. She connected her senior with needed resources, enrolling her for SNAP and grocery deliveries, even making sure that she received her favorite food – melons! Because of Suncoast Credit Union’s support of TelePals, these seniors are living a more empowered, comfortable life.

Providing Financial Education to Students

Teaching children and young adults about money management when they’re young can help begin healthy financial habits for life. In 2021, we were able to impact 5,603 learners and give 126 financial literacy presentations.

We also continued our partnership with EverFi, using their financial education software in schools to teach students about budgeting and saving. More than 16,500 hours of financial education were completed with this program in 2021.

Suncoast also virtually participated in the Great American Teach In, helping more than 2,200 students in 22 schools learn about financial careers.

Our annual Financial Football tournament was also virtual in 2021. Local high school students competed against each other in an online financial literacy game to earn prizes. Martin Ladjimi representing Largo High and the Ryan Nece Foundation won first place, winning a $250 Visa gift card and $250 donation to a nonprofit organization.

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Community Impact

Volunteering in the Community

Suncoast employees are committed to going out into the communities we serve to make a positive difference through volunteering. During the pandemic, we still found ways to give back, safely participating in local events, donating needed items and finding virtual volunteering opportunities.

During our annual Pay It Forward Day efforts in October, 735 Suncoast employees volunteered a total of 2,667 hours! That single day’s volunteer efforts by Suncoast employees had a total monetary impact of $76,125.

Our team’s philanthropic spirit lasted all year long, with employees volunteering for all sorts of causes that were close to their hearts. In total, 962 Suncoast employees volunteered for 12,371 hours in 2021.

Introducing the Suncoast Credit Union Academy for Financial Empowerment

One of the meaningful ways we help the community is by empowering people to take control of their finances. That’s why Suncoast launched the Suncoast Credit Union Academy for Financial Empowerment (SAFE) program in 2021.

This 10-week program includes activity-based learning, oneon-one private and group financial coaching. Interactive sessions cover topics on the basics of personal finance, understanding credit and building a better budget.

Eight participants from various community organizations throughout Hillsborough County were part of the inaugural class. Through the SAFE program participants develop a passion for financial literacy that they can use to make a positive difference.

Participants have already experienced wins. From being able to pay for their wedding without debt to saving over $600 in a single month, SAFE graduates learned that financial success is not about the size of a paycheck, it’s about the ability to reach goals.