Black Hills FCU Fights Hunger

​Black Hills Federal Credit Union employees rallied to fight hunger this quarter.

By Black Hills Federal Credit Union
 
Black Hills Federal Credit Union (BHFCU) believes in supporting the passions of its employees. So much so that this year, they’re matching dollar-for-dollar the funds raised by the Community Action Team, an employee-led charitable giving program. In the third quarter, the BHFCU team focused its efforts on fighting hunger through its Spread the Love Food Drive.
 
Let’s not bury the lead. Once again, the BHFCU team has shown what collective effort can achieve. Here’s a glimpse of the incredible impact BHFCU employees made in Q3.
 

• 16 non-profits supported
• 490 jars of PB&J gathered
• 978 non-perishable staples collected
• $14,900 donated (employee donations matched by BHFCU!)

 
Read on to learn more about the who, how, and what.
 
The year began by asking employees what organizations they wanted to support. During that process, the theme of food insecurity was woven throughout. Having held successful food drives in the past, BHFCU took it to the next level this year by holding both internal and external drives. They asked staff to contribute peanut butter and jelly, and everyone else to pitch in with shelf-stable staples.
 
Employees nominated organizations all across the credit union’s service area. These hunger fighting non-profits include: The Banquet, Kids Against Hunger, Sermon on the Mount, and Church on the Street in Sioux Falls; Billings Family Services and the Education Foundation for Billings Public Schools in Billings; Pierre Area Referral Services and Governor’s Grocery in Pierre; Meals on Wheels, The Storehouse, Hill City Community Food Pantry, Hot Springs Ministerial Association Food Pantry, Sturgis Food Pantry, Spearfish Community Food Pantry, and the Wall Country Cupboard in the Black Hills area; and Feeding South Dakota.
 
BHFCU’s tradition of competition lived up to the hype in Q3. They challenged each employee to contribute one peanut butter and one jelly, and, boy, did they answer the call! Overall, 21 departments, comprised of 173 employees, collected 215 sets of peanut butter and jelly. You read that right – that’s 430 individual items!
 
Doing good is better with friends! The drive would not have seen such great success without help from others. Similar to Q2, BHFCU partnered with several local businesses in the communities it serves to collect non-perishables. Special thanks to Lynns Dakotamart and Grocery Mart in Sturgis, Sonny Superfoods and Lynns Dakotamart in Hot Springs, Krull’s Market in Hill City, Lynns Dakotamart in Custer, Wall Food Center in Wall, and Dakotamart in Fort Pierre.
 
Improving lives is more than words. BHFCU employees continue to jump at the chance to help those who need it. From supplying kids with snacks to fill in the gaps to helping meals get delivered directly to the doors of seniors, the supplies and funds are already being put to good use. The drive is a small thank you for the critical work that the food pantries do day in and day out.
 
BHFCU is committed to supporting its communities in a variety of ways. From sponsorships to employee fundraisers, and donations from members and community supporters to the Black Hills FCU Charitable Fund, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, BHFCU strives to make a difference.
 
About Black Hills Federal Credit Union
Established in Rapid City in 1941, Black Hills Federal Credit Union is a member-owned, not-for-profit financial cooperative serving more than 115,000 members. The credit union has 18 locations in South Dakota and two in Montana. For more information, visit bhfcu.com.