Gesa Credit Union Makes Holiday Donations for Hunger Relief

Gesa Credit Union donated $14,200 to support hunger alleviation efforts during the holiday season. Credit union employees visited food banks and distribution centers throughout Washington to safely deliver checks to nonprofit organizations in each of Gesa’s market areas. 

Pandemic safety considerations and the large number of people working remotely prevented Gesa from implementing a longstanding credit union tradition of delivering hams to every employee in person. Leadership instead used the opportunity to donate the approximate cost of one ham per person in appreciation for each member of the Gesa team. 

“Increased food insecurity caused by the Covid-19 pandemic means that many in our community are at risk of going hungry,” said Don Miller, President and CEO of Gesa Credit Union. “Our holiday donations made on behalf of our 710 team members focused on local giving to support organizations working to address this important issue. This honors the true giving spirit of our organization and our team members.” 

Donations were calculated based on the number of employees in each market area. With 433 employees, the Tri-Cities region is Gesa’s largest. A donation of $8660, or $20 per employee, was made to Second Harvest in Pasco. The Puget Sound Region has 133 employees, and Gesa donated $2600 to Food Lifeline headquartered in Seattle. Second Harvest in Spokane received $1480 representing the 74 employees in the area. Both Yakima and Walla Walla have 24 employees, and $480 donations were made to both the Pantry Shelf of Walla Walla and the Rotary Food Bank in Yakima. Moses Lake and Wenatchee each have 11 employees, and Gesa donated $220 each to Community Services of Moses Lake and the North Central Washington Food Distribution Center in Wenatchee. On average, Washington food banks turn one dollar into ten meals. Gesa’s donation resulted in approximately 142,000 meals into the communities in which its employees live and work. 

To learn more about Gesa Credit Union’s community involvement, visit www.gesa.com/community.  ​