USSFCU SPOTLIGHT | WINTER 2020

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2020 IS GOING TO BE

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BREAKING W I N T E R

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N E W S L E T T E R

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USSFCU $1 BILLION CREDIT UNION GROUNDPg. 5 BREAKING CEREMONY Pg. 15

2019 TAX TIPS Pg. 7

Serving Our Members Since 1935

USSFCU Executive Management

USSFCU Board Members Ileana Garcia, CPA Chairman

Timothy L. Anderson President & CEO

Christopher D. Shunk

Chairman Emeritus

Tom Wacker Vice Chair

Kathy Dalfrey

Senior VP/Chief Financial Officer

Christopher C. Dey

Secretary/Treasurer

Margaret P. Rushing Director

Douglas Haines

Senior VP of Information Technology

Bertie Bowman Director

Judy Rainey Director

Jeff Smith

Chief Lending Officer

Anthony J. Zagami Director

Jay Moore Director

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Letter from Leadership Dear Valued USSFCU Members, USSFCU had another year of record growth in 2019. In October, the Credit Union hit a very important milestone: we officially crossed over to the $1 billion mark in total assets!

We are honored that over 41,000 members have entrusted us to keep their savings accounts financially secure. This is evidenced by total deposit growth of $171 million, or 23%, over 2018. We also welcomed close to 1,700 new members to the USSFCU family during the year, many of whom took advantage of the above-market rates that we offered on certificate products throughout the year.

We were able to assist members in financing their homes, autos, education expenses, business services and many other aspirations with our broad array of loan products and competitive rates. Total loans grew by $75 million, or 11%, over 2018 levels.

The Credit Union continues to live up to its history of being a profitable and financially sound institution. As of December 31, 2019, USSFCU’s net worth is 9.74%, which is well above NCUA’s well-capitalized benchmark of 7.00%. We ended the year with a net income of $9.2 million, and a Return on Average Assets ratio of .99%.

We are excited about our continued growth in the number of members, deposits and loans added; we are also projecting for 2020 to be another stellar year for USSFCU. The Credit Union’s budgetary projections for the year surpass industry expectations for loan growth, and we anticipate another record year for earnings. We have very exciting prospects on the horizon with a new headquarters building and branch that will be opening in early 2021. We continue to look for new ways to serve our U.S. Senate community through new products and services as well as competitive loan and deposit rates. We also continue to invest in our infrastructure to ensure that your financial data remains secure.

2019 was a rewarding year for USSFCU; we are excited about the upcoming year and being able to assist even more of our members in reaching their financial goals. As always, we thank you for your membership and we are extremely proud and honored to serve our U.S. Senate community.

Respectfully,

Kathy Dalfrey SVP/Chief Financial Officer ussfcu.org | 3

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U.S. Senate Federal Credit Union Hits the $1 Billion Mark in Total Assets Washington, DC—The United States Senate Federal Credit Union (USSFCU) rang in the New Year as a $1 billion Credit Union.

Reaching this milestone achievement in October of 2019 follows three consecutive years of double-digit growth, and fell on the eve of the Credit Union’s 85th anniversary year.

Leading the Credit Union to the $1 billion mark is USSFCU’s President and CEO, Timothy L. “Tim” Anderson, who officially took the helm on January 1, 2020, after serving as interim since mid-2019. “We are fortunate to have Tim continue in this role as the leader of our organization, serving our remarkable Senate community, and guiding our company and its valued employees into the future,” said Ileana Garcia, CPA, USSFCU Board Chairman.

The financial growth and stability placed USSFCU as one of the healthiest credit unions by LendingTree’s DepositAccounts.com in 2018 and 2019. USSFCU was also named the top performing credit union in the nation by S&P Global Market Intelligence in 2018 and holds a 5-star rating on Bankrate.com.

During USSFCU’s three-year period of exceptional growth, the Credit Union ensured its top priority—their members—benefited from this success via special dividends, competitive loan rates and nationleading deposit rates. “Reaching the $1 billion mark is a special accomplishment for the Credit Union,” said Anderson. “We would have never been able to accomplish this without our Board, the hard work and dedication of our employees, plus the trust and loyalty of our members.”

About USSFCU USSFCU has provided the U.S. Senate and the Capitol Hill community with world-class financial stability, security and service since 1935. Now with over 140 paths to eligibility, USSFCU continues this commitment to an expanded field of membership. ussfcu.org | 5

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DRIVE to

WIN $2,500

Book a new or used USSFCU Auto Loan &

YOU COULD WIN

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JANUARY 1–FEBRUARY 29, 2020

rates as low as

1.99

% APR

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» Low, fixed rates » Terms up to 7 years » Up to 110% financing3 » Up to 0.50% rate discount4

Apply Today! ussfcu.org/DriveToWin | Promo Code: “DriveToWin” Limited time offer. One winner will be selected on March 2, 2020.

Not a member? Not a problem.

With 140 paths to membership, joining is simple and easy. Learn About Eligibility or Join Now! 1Restrictions apply. Any USSFCU members 18 years or older who apply, are approved and funded for a new or used USSFCU Auto Loan between January 1, 2020 and February 29, 2020 will be entered to win $2,500 if all promotional criteria are met. Refinanced USSFCU loans do not qualify. Only one entry per qualified auto loan. This offer cannot be combined with any other. USSFCU employees, Board Members and their immediate family members are not eligible for this offer. Only individual persons may participate. All federal, state, and local tax liabilities are the sole responsibility of the winner. No transfer or substitution of the prize by USSFCU. USSFCU reserves the right to modify, update or discontinue this promotion at any time and without advanced notice. No purchase required. To view the complete contest rules, restrictions, and for the Alternative Method of Entry visit us at ussfcu.org/DriveToWin or call 800.374.2758. 2APR = Annual Percentage Rate. Rate effective 11/1/2019 and subject to change. All loans subject to credit approval. Maximum term for stated “as low as” rate is 36 months. “As low as” rate factors in the maximum rate discount possible. A 36-month term new or used USSFCU auto loan with an original balance of $30,000 and a 1.99% APR would have an estimated monthly payment of $859. An 84-month term new or used USSFCU auto loan with an original balance of $30,000 and a 2.99% APR would have an estimated monthly payment of $396. Rates and/or credit limits are based on creditworthiness, income and debts. Not all applicants will qualify for the lowest rate. Additional terms and conditions may apply. View all USSFCU auto loan rates, terms and conditions at ussfcu.org/rates. 3Based on National Automobile Dealers Association valuation. 4Rate reduction is based on criteria outlined with our Relationship Discount Program. Conditions apply. Learn more at ussfcu.org/discount.

Membership eligibility required. This Credit Union is federally insured by the National Credit Union Administration.

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TIPS

If you think your tax bill is chiseled in stone at the end of the year, think again. Though it’s true that most money-saving options to defer income or accelerate deductions become much more limited after December 31, there is still a lot you can do to make the tax-filing season cheaper and easier.

Here are 10 tax tips for the new year to help you lower your taxes, save money when preparing your tax return and avoid tax penalties.

1 CONTRIBUTE TO RETIREMENT ACCOUNTS If you haven’t already funded your retirement account for 2019, you must do so by April 15, 2020. That’s the deadline for contributions to a traditional IRA, deductible or not, and to a Roth IRA. • If you have a Keogh or SEP and you get a filing extension to October 15, 2020, you can wait until then to put 2019 contributions into those accounts.

• To start tax-free compounding as quickly as possible, however, don’t dawdle in making contributions.

Making a deductible contribution will help you lower your tax bill this year.

Plus, your contributions will compound tax-deferred. It’s hard to find a better deal.

• If you put away $5,000 a year for 20 years in an investment with an average annual 8% return, your $100,000 in contributions will grow to $247,000.

• The same investment in a taxable account would grow to only about $194,000—if you’re in the 25% federal tax bracket (and could be even less if you live in a state with a state income tax, to which will also bite into your return). ussfcu.org | 7

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To qualify for the full annual IRA deduction in 2019, you must: 1. Not be eligible to participate in a company retirement plan, or 2. If you are eligible, you must have an adjusted gross income of $64,000 or less for singles, or $103,000 or less for married couples filing jointly.

3. If you are not eligible for a company plan but your spouse is, your traditional IRA contribution is fully-deductible as long as your combined gross income does not exceed $193,000.

For 2019, the maximum IRA contribution you can make is $6,000 ($7,000 if you are age 50 or older by the end of the year). For self-employed persons, the maximum annual addition to SEPs and Keoghs for 2019 is $56,000.

Although choosing to contribute to a Roth IRA instead of a traditional IRA will not cut your 2019 tax bill—Roth contributions are not tax deductible— it could be the better choice because all withdrawals from a Roth can be tax-free in retirement.

• Withdrawals from a traditional IRA are fully taxable in retirement.

To contribute the full $6,000 ($7,000 if you are age 50 or older by the end of 2019) to a Roth IRA, you must earn $122,000 or less a year if you are single, or $193,000 if you’re married and file a joint return.

The amount you save for making a contribution will vary. If you are in the 25% tax bracket and make a deductible IRA contribution of $6,000, you will save $1,500 in taxes the first year. Over time, future contributions will save you thousands, depending on your contribution, income tax bracket and the number of years you keep the money invested.

2 MAKE A LAST-MINUTE ESTIMATED TAX PAYMENT If you didn’t pay enough to the IRS during the year, you may have a big tax bill staring you in the face. Plus, you might owe significant interest and penalties, too.

• According to IRS rules, you must pay 100% of last year’s tax liability or 90% of this year’s tax or you will owe an under payment penalty.

• If your adjusted gross income for 2018 was more than $150,000, you have to pay more than 110% of your 2018 tax liability to be protected from a tax year 2019 underpayment penalty.

But, if your income windfall arrived after August 31, 2019, you can file Form 2210: Underpayment of Estimated Tax to annualized your estimated tax liability, and possibly reduce any extra charges.

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A note of caution: Try not to pay too much. It’s better to owe the government a little rather than to expect a refund. Remember, the IRS doesn’t give you interest when it borrows your money.

3 ORGANIZE YOUR RECORDS FOR TAX TIME Good organization may not cut your taxes. But there are other rewards, and some of them are financial. For many, the biggest hassle at tax time is getting all of the documentation together. This includes last year’s tax return, this year’s W-2s and 1099s, receipts and so on.

How do you get started?

• Print out a tax checklist to help you gather all the tax documents you’ll need to complete your tax return.

• Keep all the information that comes in the mail, such as W-2s, 1099s and mortgage interest statements. Be careful not to throw out any tax-related documents, even if they don’t look very important.

• Collect receipts and information that you have piled up during the year.

• Group similar documents together, putting them in different file folders if there are enough papers.

• Make sure you know the price you paid for any stocks or funds you have sold. If you don’t, call your broker before you start to prepare your tax return.

• Know the details on income from rental properties. Don’t assume that your tax-free municipal bonds are completely free of taxes.

Having this type of information at your fingertips will save you another trip through your files.

4 FIND THE RIGHT TAX FORMS You won’t find all of them at the post office and library. Instead, you can go right to the source online.

• View and download a large catalog of forms and publications at the Internal Revenue Service website at https://www.irs.gov/, or have them sent to you by mail.

• You can search for documents as far back as 1980 by number or by date.

• The IRS also will direct you to sites where you can pick up state forms and publications. ussfcu.org | 9

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5 ITEMIZE YOUR TAX DEDUCTIONS It’s easier to take the standard deduction, but you may save a bundle if you itemize, especially if you are self-employed, own a home or live in a hightax area.

• Itemizing is worth it when your qualified expenses add up to more than the 2019 standard deduction of $12,200 for singles and $24,400 for married couples filing jointly.

• Many deductions are well known, such as those for mortgage interest and charitable donations.

• You can also deduct the portion of medical expenses that exceed 7.5% percent of your adjusted gross income for 2019 (10% of AGI beginning in 2020).

6 DON’T SHY AWAY FROM A HOME OFFICE TAX DEDUCTION The eligibility rules for claiming a home office deduction have been loosened to allow more self-employed filers to claim this break. People who have no fixed location for their businesses can claim a home office deduction if they use the space for administrative or management activities, even if they don’t meet clients there.

• As always, you must use the space exclusively for business.

• Many taxpayers have avoided the home office tax deduction because it has been regarded as a red flag for an audit. If you legitimately qualify for the deduction, however, there should be no problem.

• You are entitled to write off expenses that are associated with the portion of your home where you exclusively conduct business (such as rent, utilities, insurance and housekeeping). The percentage of these costs that is deductible is based on the square footage of the office to the total area of the house.

• A middle-class taxpayer who uses a home office and pays $1,000 a month for a two-bedroom apartment and uses one bedroom exclusively as a home office can easily save $1,000 in taxes a year. People in higher tax brackets with greater expenses can save even more.

One home office trap that used to scare away some taxpayers has been eliminated.

• In the past, if you used 10% of your home for a home office, for example, 10% of the profit when you sold did not qualify as tax10 | ussfcu.org

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free under the rules that let homeowners treat up to $250,000 of profit as tax-free income ($500,000 for married couples filing joint returns).

• Since 10% of the house was an office instead of a home, the IRS said, 10% of the profit wasn’t tax-free. But the government has had a change of heart. No longer does a home office put the kibosh on tax-free profit.

• You do have to pay tax on any profit that results from depreciation claimed for the office after May 6, 1997. It’s taxed at a maximum rate of 25%. (Depreciation produces taxable profit because it reduces your tax basis in the home; the lower your basis, the higher your profit.)

7 PROVIDE DEPENDENT TAXPAYER IDs IDs ON YOUR TAX RETURN • Be sure to plug in Taxpayer Identification Numbers (usually Social Security Numbers) for your children and other dependents on your return. Otherwise, the IRS will deny any dependent credits that you might be due, such as the Child Tax Credit.

• Be especially careful if you are divorced. Only one of you can claim your children as dependents, and the IRS has been checking closely lately to make sure spouses aren’t both using their children as a deduction. If you forget to include a Social Security number for a child, or if you and your ex-spouse both claim the same child, it’s highly likely that the processing of your return (and any refund you’re expecting) will come to a screeching halt while the IRS contacts you to straighten things out.

• After you have a baby, be sure to file for your child’s Social Security card right away so you have the number ready at tax time. Many hospitals will do this automatically for you.

• If you don’t have the number you need by the tax filing deadline, the IRS says you should file for an extension rather than sending in a return without a required Social Security number.

8 FILE AND PAY ON TIME If you can’t finish your return on time, make sure you file Form 4868 by April 15, 2020. Form 4868 gives you a six-month extension of the filing deadline until October 15, 2020. On the form, you need to make a reasonable estimate of your tax liability for 2019 and pay any balance due with your request. Requesting an extension in a timely manner is especially important if you end up owing tax to the IRS. ussfcu.org | 11

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• If you file and pay late, the IRS can slap you with a late-filing penalty of 4.5% per month of the tax owed and a late-payment penalty of 0.5% a month of the tax due.

• The maximum late filing penalty is 22.5% and the late-payment penalty tops out at 25%.

• By filing Form 4868, you stop the clock running on the costly latefiling penalty.

9 FILE ELECTRONICALLY Electronic filing works best if you expect a tax refund. Because the IRS processes electronic returns faster than paper ones, you can expect to get your refund three to six weeks earlier. If you have your refund deposited directly into your bank account or IRA, the waiting time is even less.

There are other advantages to e-filing besides a fast refund: • The IRS checks your return to make sure that it is complete, which increases your chances of filing an accurate return. Less than 1% of electronic returns have errors, compared with 20% of paper returns.

• The IRS also acknowledges that it received your return, a courtesy you don’t get even if you send your paper return by certified mail.

That helps you protect yourself from the interest and penalties that accrue if your paper return gets lost.

If you owe money, you can file electronically and then wait until the federal tax filing deadline to send in a check along with Form 1040-V. You may be able to pay with a credit card or through a direct debit.

• With a credit card, expect to pay a service charge of as much as 2.5%.

• With direct debit, you may delay the debiting of your bank account until the actual filing deadline.

10 DECIDE IF YOU NEED HELP TurboTax® can handle the most complex returns with ease (and allow you to file your taxes electronically for a faster refund). You just need to answer simple questions, such as whether you’ve had a baby, bought a home or had some other life-changing event in the past year. TurboTax will then fill out all the right forms for you.

The above article is intended to provide generalized financial information designed to educate a broad segment of the public; it does not give personalized tax, investment, legal, or other business and professional advice. Before taking any action, you should always seek the assistance of a professional who knows your particular situation for advice on taxes, your investments, the law, or any other business and professional matters that affect you and/or your business. ©Intuit, Inc. All rights reserved. TurboTax is a registered trademark of Intuit Inc. Terms and conditions, features, support, pricing, and service options subject to change without notice. View original article at https://turbotax.intuit.com.

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GET YOUR MAXIMUM REFUND GUARANTEED MEMBERStax SAVE UP TO $15

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Limited time offer for TurboTax 2019. Savings are on TurboTax federal products only. Terms, conditions, features, availability, pricing, fees, service and support options subject to change without notice. Intuit, TurboTax and TurboTax Online, among others, are registered trademarks and/or service marks of Intuit Inc. in the United States and other countries. Other parties’ trademarks or service marks are the property of their respective owners. ussfcu.org | 13

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GROUND BREAK I NG

ceremony

As 2019 was wrapping up, the U.S. Senate Federal Credit Union (USSFCU) held a groundbreaking ceremony to commemorate the beginning of what will be an incredible new headquarters facility.

The new building, located at 1310 Braddock Place in Alexandria, VA, actually gained nationwide attention in May of 2019 when it was announced that the new building would be dedicated in honor of the legendary U.S. Senate staffer and Capitol Hill icon Bertie Bowman.

Mr. Bowman is the longest-serving African American staffer in Senate history with over 65 years of service on Capitol Hill. Mr. Bowman is also USSFCU’s longest-serving Board Member and has helped steer the direction of the Credit Union from a

few million in assets to now where the Credit Union has attained the lofty and very prestigious $1 billion mark.

Founded on October 8, 1935, by nine U.S. Senate employees with only $45, USSFCU was originally headquartered in the Russell Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill. As the credit union grew, the small office could no longer hold the USSFCU staff needed to serve their membership. In 1984, with more than $30 million in assets, ussfcu.org | 15

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USSFCU opened its new branch and headquarters in the Hart Senate Office Building. USSFCU enjoyed tremendous growth in the early’ 90s with mergers that brought the Credit Union to over $100 million in assets. This growth, again, required a bigger home and this time USSFCU made the move to Alexandria, VA. A new headquarters building, located on Eisenhower Avenue, opened in 1993 and was dedicated to J. Lewey Caraway. Mr. Caraway, in addition to serving as a Board Member for many years, also served as the Superintendent of the Senate Office Buildings.

Furthermore, Mr. Caraway attended the organization meeting on October 8, 1935. The J. Lewey Caraway Building is the current home for USSFCU until the new facility is completed, which is scheduled for early 2021.

The new headquarters, or Bertie H. Bowman Building, officially started

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its long road to completion with the groundbreaking ceremony. The ceremony was a private, invitationonly event, with a little over 30 people in attendance. In addition to

the USSFCU Board of Directors and senior management, representatives from the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce, HITT and JLL also attended. President and CEO Tim Anderson started by addressing the group alongside the Board members on a blustery morning outside of the building. Mr. Anderson spoke of the Credit Union’s growth and success over the years.

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GROUNDBREAKING

C E R E M O N Y The ceremony then headed inside where USSFCU Board Chairman Ileana Garcia, CPA addressed the group. She also touched on the growth of the Credit Union and made a special mention of Bertie Bowman and his service to the Credit Union over the years. Mrs. Garcia then presented a golden hammer to Bertie to commemorate the event.

Mr. Bowman, standing alongside the other USSFCU Board members, expressed his great thanks to everyone involved with the building and how honored he was to have the building named after him. He also mentioned his long and storied journey from small-town South Carolina to sweeping the steps of the Capitol and working his way up to becoming the Hearing Coordinator for the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

USSFCU Chairman Emeritus, Christopher Shunk, followed Mr. Bowman and laid out the decision to name the new building in Mr. Bowman’s honor. He explained that Bertie was the conscience of the Credit Union and through all of the growth and expansion, he was a constant voice making sure the Credit Union was focusing on serving those that needed it most. Mr. Shunk thanked all of those involved with the construction and everyone attending and then opened the floor for statements.

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GROUNDBREAKING

C E R E M O N Y

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GROUNDBREAKING

C E R E M O N Y Alexandria Chamber of Commerce President Joe Haggerty congratulated the Credit Union on the growth they have experienced and on the new building. He then acknowledged longtime Alexandria City Councilwoman Redella “Del�

Pepper, who was also in attendance.

Councilwoman Pepper also congratulated USSFCU and thanked them for keeping the Credit Union in the City of Alexandria.

After a few pictures were taken to mark the occasion, the real fun began as Bertie and the other Board members, all with hammers in hand, got to work knocking down one of the walls on the third floor of the building. Senior management and others then had their turns taking a swing at the wall.

The groundbreaking ceremony signified a continuation of the growth and expansion that has been the hallmark of the organization. In the last 84 years, our nation has seen recession, depression and economic hardship. USSFCU has weathered these storms and continued to provide the same stability, security and service its members have come to expect.

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MEMB

MEMBERS’ VOICE YOU SPEAK. WE LISTEN. Member comments from our member satisfaction surveys.

“I’ve been a member since the mid-1980s and have always found that [USSFCU] provides all of the services I need.” —Elizabeth • Chevy Chase, MD

“The online service is perfectly suitable for my needs, and I am particularly appreciative of the ease with which I can make payments to my loans and check account balances. Transfers between accounts are easy to execute and immediate in response. Finding loan information is simple and straightforward.” —Thomas • Newington, CT “USSFCU has taken banking to a new level. Engaging and friendly as well as making you feel important. I am extremely satisfied with the new membership process.” —Tammy • Alexandria, VA “I have been a member since 1978 and have always enjoyed great service in the branches and remotely.” —Leslie • Apex, NC “Great rates and services. Professional, helpful staff. Convenient location.

In the past, I have financed my new auto through USSFCU; and my current home mortgage is through USSFCU.” —Avis • Leesburg, VA “At 90, their willingness to help with problems is a fine service and important to me.” —Robert • Mechanicsburg, PA “Although I have not worked for the U.S. Senate for many years, you continue to assist me with my charge card [and] my paid off car loans.”

—Sandie • Indianola, IA

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“Even though I mainly need customer service by phone, the people answering are always very knowledgeable, patient and helpful.”

—Julia • Alexandria, VA “In all the years that I have been a member, I have not had one bad experience with customer service either in person or over the phone.”

—Toni • Clinton, MD “Always good service; timely credit card fraud alerts; helpful dispute resolution; very helpful staff.” —John • Kensington, MD “I have received good service and friendly help from USSFCU for decades.” —David • Ashburn, VA “Great service, easy to use online and mobile banking and great car loan rates.” —Jon • Charleston, MA “USSFCU consistently delivers top-notch customer service online, by phone and in person.” —Deanne • Columbia, SC “USSFCU is a great credit union and I am very happy to have been a member for 20 years.” —Jordan • Kensington, MD

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HOLIDAY SPENDING HEADACHE? Apply to consolidate your debt with a fixed-rate, lowinterest USSFCU Personal Loan.1

you could pay as low as

7.49

%

APR2

APR = Annual Percentage Rate

Make one payment with one low interest rate.

LEARN MORE!

800.374.2758 or

USSFCU.ORG/PERSONAL

1 Consolidation is not guaranteed and is dependent on credit worthiness. May be required to pay off or close debts in order to consolidate. 2 Loans subject to credit approval. Rates and/or credit limits are based on creditworthiness, income and debts. Rates subject to change. Not all applicants will qualify for the lowest rate.

A loan of $1,000 at 7.49% APR for 24 months would have an estimated monthly payment of $45.

Membership eligibility required. Federally insured by NCUA.

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U S S F C U

SEG Spotlight In addition to the United States Senate, USSFCU extends membership to more than 100 other Select Employee Groups (SEGs) and esteemed organizations.

Shining the SEG Spotlight on

Cardiology Associates PC Employees of Cardiology Associates PC who work in Washington, DC, are eligible for membership

Cardiology Associates PC specializes in General Surgery, Internal Medicine, Vascular Surgery and Cardiovascular Disease.

Their mission is to provide high quality, cost efficient and effective cardiovascular care.

They strive to be the preferred cardiovascular practice in the Washington, D.C. and Maryland area.

Physicians throughout the mid-Atlantic region refer heart patients to their expert cardiologists.

Through research and contributions to emerging subspecialties, Cardiology Associates PC is helping shape the future of heart care.

The bond between the Credit Union and Cardiology Associates PC grows ever stronger each February, which is also American Heart Month in the USA.

IN HONOR OF AMERICAN HEART MONTH USSFCU’s very own, Kathy Dalfrey, Senior VP/Chief Financial Officer, has a very special connection to one famous doctor who is also considered a pioneer in the field of Cardiology.

She shares a special connection with Dr. Michael Ellis DeBakey, the legendary Cardiologist who performed her open heart surgery when she was just 3 years old.

Diagnosed at birth with atrial septal defect, a hole in the wall that divides the chambers of the heart, Kathy’s parents were told she would need open heart surgery to live past 13. Today, over 47 years later, Kathy enjoys a healthy and active lifestyle with no restrictions. All made possible through the passion of one surgeon whose dedication left a lasting impact on the world of heart health.

It is said that no person has done more to advance the surgical treatment of the heart and blood vessels than Dr. DeBakey. The medical world should have suspected they had a groundbreaking pioneer in the field when, as only a medical student, he crafted the “roller pump,” a pump that could deliver blood from a donor to a patient. This pump became part of the first heart-lung machine.

Dr. DeBakey achieved many firsts throughout his career. In the 1950s, he developed a tubing used around the world to replace and repair blood vessels. He also performed the first successful carotid endarterectomy in 1953.

Dr. DeBakey left an astonishing legacy of surgical innovation, as well as thousands of patients whose lives were saved by his skills.

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USSFCU HOLIDAY DAYS OF SERVICE New York Avenue Men’s Shelter Holiday Decorating On Thursday, December 5, USSFCU staff decorated the New York Avenue Men’s Shelter, located in Washington, DC, with holiday cheer. The New York Avenue Men’s Shelter is open to any male over the age of 18; the Shelter offers a hot dinner, access to case management staff, showers and a bed on a nightly basis. The Shelter also serves as a hypothermia emergency shelter during the coldest months of the year, from roughly November to March.

Salvation Army Angel Tree On Wednesday, December 11, USSFCU staff sorted and distributed presents for the children and families participating in the Angel Tree program.

Angel Tree is a holiday assistance program in which an individual sponsor or group sponsor purchases new clothing and toys for a deserving child in need. For many children, the gifts they received through the Angel Tree program are the only presents they opened on Christmas morning.

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Wreaths Across America: Arlington National Cemetery USSFCU volunteers placed wreaths at Arlington National Cemetery, on Saturday, December 14.

Started in 1992, the nonprofit organization Wreaths Across America coordinates wreath-laying ceremonies at Arlington National Cemetery, as well as over 1,100 additional locations in all 50 US states, at sea and abroad. Arlington National Cemetery is our nation’s premier military cemetery with over 400,000 grave sites spread across 624 acres.

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HELPING TO FEED OUR NEIGHBORS IN NEED In an effort to ensure all of our neighbors had enough to eat this season, USSFCU donated all revenue generated from Skip-APay during the month of December to three area food banks:

Washington, DC

Verona, VA

Baltimore, MD

Congratulations to our members who participated in using Mobile Pay for their holiday purchases.

Each winner received a $500 gift card.

James O. Arlington, VA King B. Waldorf, MD

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USSFCU FOOD DRIVE Throughout the month of December, USSFCU held an internal food drive in which staff donated new canned and/or boxed food items. USSFCU staff collected an approximate total of:

1,591 POUNDS OF FOOD!!!

All food items were donated to our local food bank— the Capital Area Food Bank. ussfcu.org | 31

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