BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Credit Unions for Kids is a collaborative network of credit unions that assist nonprofit children's hospitals in the United States, enabling credit unions to promote families' financial and emotional well-being in addition to their physical health. Since 2009, ēCO Credit Union has consistently been one of the top fundraising credit unions in the state of Alabama. This year marked the fifteenth year of support for Children’s of Alabama.
ēCO Credit Union’s 2024 Change for Children’s fundraiser, created to support Children’s of Alabama, took place from September 9th through October 18th. Donations were accepted from members and the community at all six ēCO Credit Union locations as well as online. More than $40,000 was raised this year and donated to Children’s of Alabama.
ēCO and its employees are eager and fervent contributors during the Change for Children’s campaign. This eagerness permeates through the community. The passion in the community is fueled by the impact the hospital has on the lives of children and families throughout Alabama. When money is raised to support our community, everyone becomes enthusiastic knowing the impact of each and every dollar. Members of ēCO consistently go above and beyond with their donations, and they are always ready to help Children's Hospital.
“We don’t need to relocate or drive a long distance for the best pediatric care because it is here at home,” said Joey Hand, ēCO CEO. “After fifteen years, it continues to be thrilling to witness the uniting of ēCO's employees, members, and partners in support of Children's of Alabama! We are beyond grateful for the ability to support our community and show that ēCO lives the credit union motto – People Helping People!”
ēCO Credit Union has raised $600,123 to support Children’s of Alabama in 15 years of fundraising - an average of $40,000 per campaign.
“The commitment and generosity of ēCO’s employees and members is always such an encouragement to all of us here at Children's of Alabama! We are grateful to ēCO Credit Union’s employees and members who have supported Children’s of Alabama through this year’s campaign,” said Charlie Ann Shepard, Community Development Coordinator at Children’s of Alabama. “Funds from ēCO go towards meeting the greatest needs at Children's of Alabama to provide world-class family-centered care to our patients. We know community is at the center of ēCO’s mission, and we are proud to be the beneficiary of their efforts to better healthcare for children in their local communities.”
About ēCO Credit Union
ēCO Credit Union is a not-for-profit, democratically controlled financial cooperative, which exists solely to provide safe, cost-efficient and personal financial services to its members. ēCO Credit Union was founded in 1939, and today has over 16,000 members and over $180 million in assets. ēCO is open to the community and proudly serves members in Jefferson, Shelby, Cullman, Walker, and Blount counties. Additional information about ēCO and its line of products and services can be found at www.ecocu.org.
About Children’s of Alabama
Since 1911, Children’s of Alabama has provided specialized medical care for ill and injured children, offering inpatient and outpatient services throughout central Alabama. Ranked among the best pediatric medical centers in the nation by U.S. News & World Report, Children’s provided care for youngsters from every county in Alabama and 42 other states last year, representing more than 684,000 outpatient visits and more than 15,000 inpatient admissions. With more than 3.5 million square feet, Children’s is one of the largest pediatric medical facilities in the United States. It is a private, not-for-profit medical center that serves as the teaching hospital for the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) pediatric medicine, surgery, psychiatry, research and residency programs. The medical staff consists of UAB faculty and Children’s of Alabama’s full-time physicians as well as private practicing community physicians. More information is available at childrensal.org.