Press
San Diego County Credit Union named 2015 Community Champion of the Year
North San Diego Business Chamber recognizes SDCCU for its exceptional community involvement
SAN DIEGO, CA (June 24, 2015) — San Diego County Credit Union® (SDCCU®), San Diego’s largest locally-owned financial institution, was named 2015 Community Champion of the Year by the North San Diego Business Chamber. The credit union was recognized for its outstanding community involvement in the region at the annual Celebration of Business, presented by Scripps Health, which was held Saturday, June 13, 2015 at the San Diego Zoo® Safari Park.
“SDCCU is honored to receive this award and be recognized for our outstanding work in the community. As an engaged community partner, giving back is engrained in SDCCU’s corporate culture and extends outward into the community. The tremendous impact that we have in the areas where we live and work is only possible with the collaborative efforts of our more than 750 employees who make up Team SDCCU. I am incredibly proud to work with such a fantastic team of individuals who are so dedicated to making a difference,” said SDCCU President and CEO Teresa Halleck.
The North San Diego Business Chamber holds the Celebration of Business annually to celebrate the best and brightest of San Diego County’s business community. The Community Champion of the Year award is given to businesses that embrace responsibility for the impact of their activities on the environment, consumers, employees and the community by proactively encouraging growth and development and making a difference in their workplace and the community.
SDCCU supports more than 75 non-profits throughout the Southern California Region. Over the past year, Team SDCCU participated in more than 180 community events, with representation from each of its more than 35 branch locations. One of SDCCU’s biggest annual community events is the San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl. Since its inception in 2005, the San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl has driven more than 85 million dollars into the local economy during a time when the region’s tourism industry is at its slowest.
In 2014, SDCCU’s efforts in helping to create healthy, safe and thriving communities led SDCCU to become the first financial institution to receive designation as a Live Well San Diego partner. With the help of SDCCU employees, customers and the community, SDCCU’s second Guinness World Record® was set at the 2014 SDCCU Super Shred Event, where a total of 422,350 pounds of paper was collected and shredded. SDCCU began hosting its free Shred Day events in 2007 to help the community properly dispose of sensitive information, and has since collected, shredded and recycled more than 1.1 million pounds of documents at no charge, saving over 9,100 trees (every 120 pounds shredded represents one saved tree). The next SDCCU Super Shred Event is scheduled for July 25 at Qualcomm® Stadium.
SDCCU has proudly supported the San Diego County Credit Union Walk MS for more than 15 years and during this time has raised more than $1 million for the organization, including $11,637 raised at the latest event. In addition to monetary support, Team SDCCU, made up of dozens of walkers, represented the credit union at the events in San Diego and Carlsbad.
SDCCU is proud to have raised more than $1.5 million for Rady Children’s Hospital over the course of its 8-year partnership, including $11,888 raised at this year’s Rady Children’s Walk at SeaWorld® by nearly 100 walkers, Kids’ NewsDay and SACTOWN10 events. SDCCU also donated 6 iPads and collected 1,019 toys for the hospital in 2014.
Other results for the year include over 15,000 meals donated to Feeding America San Diego, courtesy of SDCCU Dining DealsTM, membership of more than 30 Chambers of Commerce and community business organizations and a total of $4,269 donated by employees to the annual United Way campaign. SDCCU also raised over $22,045 for the San Diego Humane Society and SPCA in 2014.
SDCCU proudly supports education and is involved in several activities focused on making a difference in local schools. Each month, teachers, students and the community are encouraged to nominate a deserving teacher as part of the SDCCU Classroom HeroesTM program. SDCCU is also the presenting sponsor of A Salute to Teachers, the Ben Vereen Awards and the Innovative Video in Education Festival and Awards.
SDCCU believes that encouraging and maintaining good financial health among individuals in the community is essential to fostering a healthy and thriving economy. Recently, SDCCU stepped up to help bridge the education gap so that kids can gain the skills they need for a successful future. SDCCU partnered with San Diego County Office of Education and the County of San Diego in support of Live Well San Diego to give 100 teachers the opportunity to win the complete SDCCU Biz Kid$ Program to teach their students about money and business.
With more than 291,000 customers and $6.9 billion in assets, SDCCU is committed to helping the community make educated financial decisions by delivering the BEST financial products, services and education. Engaging in efforts that support a thriving economy to ensure San Diegans enjoy the highest quality of life is an important focus of SDCCU’s community relations.
For more information on SDCCU’s community outreach, visit sdccu.com/community.
San Diego County Credit Union is San Diego’s largest locally-owned financial institution serving San Diego, Riverside and Orange counties. SDCCU has assets of $6.9 billion, over 291,000 customers, more than 38 convenient branch locations and 30,000 surcharge-FREE ATMs. SDCCU provides breakthrough banking products that meet the demands of today’s lifestyle and delivers banking services that save customers money. SDCCU is leading the way, offering FREE Checking with eStatements, SDCCU Mobile Deposit, mortgage loans, auto loans, Visa® credit cards and business banking services. Federally insured by NCUA. Equal Housing Opportunity. Equal Opportunity Employer. For more information, visit www.sdccu.com.