Like so many of you, the Carolinas Credit Union Foundation has had a busy summer! Close to 200 scholarship checks were sent out on behalf of credit unions for the upcoming school year to our aspiring youth in the Carolinas. The Foundation has also welcomed three new scholarship funds from credit unions and is helping one credit union starts its own foundation through a donor advised fund.

The Foundation's Awards Committee has spent countless hours reviewing the nearly two dozen submissions for the Dora Maxwell, Desjardins and Louise Herring competitions. Those winners will be announced next month and honored in February 2018 at the Foundation's Awards Gala!

The Reach Program has experienced some tremendous growth thanks to the financial support of our credit unions and business partners. The Raleigh Wake Med Hospital System is now offering the program to its pediatric patients and expansion is underway in Wilmington at a local children's clinic. The Foundation also conducted a very successful Reach Carnival in Charleston earlier this month, making it the second large-scale volunteer event in a few short months. We are also working directly with credit unions to host give-back events with employees who are helping construct "Camp Magic Kits" for the children in the hospitals. The Foundation is incredibly grateful for all of the support and is very proud that the Reach Program has helped bring smiles to more than 15,000 since the partnership to exclusively fund this program began!

The Foundation has a few exciting things on tap for the coming months and hope you will consider becoming more involved in our efforts to enrich the lives of children in the Carolinas!

Best,

Lauren Whaley