America First Credit Union donated $250,000 to the Utah Food Bank as part of its emergency aid allocation that totaled $1 million. (Photo courtesy AFCU)
With depleted pantries and a high demand for food this Thanksgiving, America First Credit Union allocated $1 million to support 18 charities, including 10 in Utah. The AFCU emergency food aid comes after a federal government shutdown impacted families who didn’t receive SNAP benefits or who were furloughed from their jobs.
“The shutdown has passed but the need has not,” said Thayne Shaffer, AFCU president and CEO. “Responding to community challenges is central to who we are as an organization. We’re moving rapidly to answer those needs and especially to support the military servicemembers and public servants who have been with us since America First was founded.”
Support from AFCU will help organizations address immediate food needs as families in Utah wait for furlough backpay and delayed SNAP benefits. Food pantries have reported record demand and a surge in first-time visitors as they head into the busiest time of year.
The $1 million in food assistance will be distributed to long-standing partner food banks and other organizations across the Southwest. In Utah, support will go to Cathedral of the Madeleine Good Samaritan Program, Catholic Community Services of Utah, The Christmas Box International, For The Kids, Lantern House, The Road Home, The Society of St. Vincent de Paul, Tabitha’s Way Local Food Pantry, Utah Food Bank and YCC of Northern Utah.
In addition to food assistance, the credit union has provided more than $2 million in zero-interest furlough loans to federal employees since October.
“Families will start seeing paychecks and benefits again soon, but the financial strain won’t disappear overnight,” said Amber Greenwell, director of the America First Charitable Foundation. “Food banks and those they serve will continue feeling the pressure for months. We want to make sure they have the resources they need to help people get back on their feet.”
Numerous hunger-relief organizations have indicated that recovery will take time as federal and state employees work through backlogs and as households recover from weeks without income.
AFCU Director of Public Relations Dave Nellis had the enviable job of distributing 200 turkeys to Hill Air Force Base (through a partnership with P&G) and delivering checks to nonprofit organizations.
“We’re going to centers where there’s food, and you look at their pantries, you look at the shelves that are stocked, you look at what the need is, and you look at how they’re gearing up to help people out,” Nellis said. “You see not only the need, but you see the level of community volunteers stepping up to help.”
AFCU officials said this rapid response aligns with the organization’s commitment to supporting community stability. Its charitable foundation partners with hundreds of nonprofits that provide housing, crisis support, essential services and food.
“We’ve been doing check presentations and we’ve not told the recipients how much they’re getting. They’re used to contribution levels of $5,000 or $10,000, so when you walk in with a check for $50,000 or $75,000, it’s priceless,” Nellis said. “We’ve not told the recipients how much they’re getting because we want to see the expression on their faces. It’s gratifying for them and it’s gratifying for us to know that we’re meeting each other in the middle to bless the community.”
AFCU has 116 locations across Arizona, California, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah, with more than 1.5 million members. Learn more at americafirst.com.