Alliance Catholic Credit Union Raises $44K for Families in Need through Holiday Program
For nearly 20 years, Alliance Catholic Credit Union has dedicated the holiday season to giving through its Heart for the Holidays Program. What began with collecting donations to provide a few families with Christmas gifts has grown into a months-long event with over 12 families supported annually and tens of thousands of dollars raised.
In 2023, a record $44,000 was raised and 14 families were supported.
The Heart for the Holidays Program is funded through monetary and prize donations from credit union members, vendors and staff. Prizes collected are raffled off during the credit union staff Christmas party, also known as the Heart for the Holidays Christmas Charity Raffle. Funds raised from raffle ticket sales are combined with the monetary donations and used to purchase Christmas gifts and necessities for families in need. Families are chosen through collaboration with parishes located near each of the credit union’s branch locations.
Among the families supported was a single mom with eight children under 12-years-old, an immigrant family of seven with nothing but the clothes on their back and a family of eight who just lost everything in a devastating house fire.
The credit union initially planned to support 12 families, however, when they heard of a single mom who was about to lose her home, they knew they had to help.
“I couldn’t bear the thought of this mother and her children losing their home,” said Tracy Aloisi, co-chair of the Heart for the Holidays Christmas Committee. “She regularly volunteers at a food pantry to assist others, and now she needed help for herself.”
The 14th family was brought to the credit union’s attention just two weeks before Christmas – a mother of three teenage boys, one of whom is a survivor of the Oxford High School shooting, had just suffered an aneurism and was hospitalized, leaving the boys under the care of a family friend. Once again, the credit union knew they had to help.
“As a Catholic credit union, we aspire to show God’s love through action”, said Alliance Catholic President/CEO Rob Grech. “It was truly an honor to help bring Christmas to these 14 deserving families. Thank you to all of the members, vendors, and staff who helped make this possible.”
Funds leftover from the Heart for the Holidays Program are donated to Alliance Catholic Foundation – the charitable arm of Alliance Catholic Credit Union. Funds raised for the Foundation go back to the community through scholarships and grants.
In 2023 alone, Alliance Catholic Foundation distributed over $53,000. To learn more, visit AllianceCatholicFoundation.org.
