Mountain America Team Members Sponsor New Shoes and Coats for Kids in Need

The credit union matched employees’ donations to help 1,200 low-income youth in Utah, Idaho, New Mexico, Nevada, Arizona and Montana

On October 21, Mountain America Credit Union employees donated 360 brand-new coats to help Utah’s underserved children as part of a coat and shoe donation initiative that spans across six states.  

"It’s a very difficult situation when a family has to make a decision between having to pay for a gas bill, food or transportation, and buying their children coats and shoes,” said Michael Andrews, senior partner development manager at Operation Warm, who attended the coat donation distribution event at the Neighborhood House in downtown Salt Lake City. 

“I can't tell you enough that when you speak of corporate social responsibility, Mountain America is the epitome of it. They get it, it's in their corporate DNA,” he said. “Their employees donated time and money to help children living in poverty." 

To sponsor the gift that funded more than 1,200 new coats and shoes for youth in need, Mountain America employees and the credit union donated more than $30,000 to Operation Warm during the financial institution’s annual Employee Match Program.  

Operation Warm is a national non-profit. For more than 22 years, it has manufactured and distributed free brand-new coats and athletic shoes to kids ages 15 months to 10 years who cannot afford them otherwise.  

Throughout the day, hundreds of underserved children lined up with their teachers and guardians to take turns choosing coats in their favorite styles and colors from the multi-colored winter wear displayed on tables. 

“Seeing the smiles on these kids’ faces when we give each of them a new coat is priceless,” said Parker Gift, a Mountain America regional manager who participated in the Employee Match Program and helped hand out the new items at Neighborhood House.  

For 127 years, Neighborhood House has supported Salt Lake City’s Westside Community by providing children and adults with quality, affordable daycare and other services. Neighborhood House believes all families deserve the chance to succeed, regardless of their socio-economic status.

Gift shared that the opportunity for him to donate to a meaningful cause like keeping school-age children warm during the winter season is a service opportunity that benefits both groups. 

“These donated coats will keep the children warm, but the gift of giving is two-way because it also warms the heart of the giver,” said Gift. “Each year, Mountain America encourages us to give back to the communities that our credit union members live in, and to see the tangible impact that this has had is just an incredible feeling." 

“Being able to partner in the community in this way really helps all of our families. It means a lot to all parents to know their children have what they need,” said Jennifer Nuttal, Executive Director at Neighborhood House. “They're going to be out playing on these playgrounds and enjoying our Utah winter because they can stay warm and dry.”

For more than 87 years, Mountain America and its employees have carried out the credit union’s commitment to improve the communities its members live in throughout Utah, Arizona, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico and Nevada. 

In Arizona, where over 20% of children live in poverty and 8% are extremely poor, shoes are a necessity that many parents cannot afford.  

On October 20, Mountain America team members handed out 150 pairs of brand-new shoes to underserved school-age youth from pre-K to third grade at the SonRise Faith Community Center in Chandler. The children that received the athletic shoes attend the center’s head start program in Maricopa County. 

Since its kickoff, the employee-sponsored charitable initiative with Operation Warm has assisted low-income children across six states. At Terry Park Explorers Academy Head Start in Billings, Montana, Mountain America employees gifted 240 brand-new coats, and they distributed new pairs of shoes to students at Acelero Learning Head Start in Henderson, Nevada. 

In the coming months, Mountain America and Operation Warm will continue their partnership with similar donations in Idaho and New Mexico. 

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Mountain America Credit Union has supported other charitable entities like food banks, relief grants and scholarships. 

Sharlene Wells, Mountain America's senior vice president of public relations, attended the coat distribution event in Utah and said the donation represents Mountain America’s mission to fulfill one of the credit union’s main philosophies.  

“This $30,000 donation to help children, one of our society’s most vulnerable groups, is made possible thanks to the Mountain America family that serves credit union members each day,” said Wells. “Many of our staff have helped members and their families overcome economic challenges associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, and these donations further reflect our ‘People Helping People’ philosophy."
 

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