SouthWest Federal Cash and Can Drive Underway

Food and cash collected at the Sunset, Tabernacle, Red Cliffs and Hurricane branches will be donated to Dixie Care and Share. Can goods and cash collected at the Mesquite branch will be delivered to the Virgin Valley Community Food Bank and items collected at the Cedar City branch will go to Iron County Care and Share.  Cash donations can be made at the teller stations and through the drive through windows. In 2007, more than 200 pounds of food items were collected and donated during the winter drive. With the recent economic downturn the need is even greater this year with five to ten families registering for Dixie Care and Share assistance daily according to Randy Cosby, Volunteer Chairman of the Board of Trustees. In October 2008, SouthWest Federal Credit Union participated in “Help the Holidays Come Early ”  promotion to provide cash contributions to Care and Shares. Employees and members were encouraged to make donations online and at the teller windows. “Employee and member contributions were matched by SouthWest Federal Credit Union and we were able to provide more than $1,000 in operating funds for the Care and Shares to help get them through the lean times in the fall,” said Marketing Partner Lorri Kocinski-Puchlik. “We are pleased to extend our support through mid-December.” “I think it is important to note that The Dixie and Iron County Care and Shares are more than just food banks,” added Kocinski-Puchlik. Services provided include: emergency shelter, meals for shelter residents, showers for residents and local homeless people, store vouchers for milk for children, emergency clothing, Salvation Army travel voucher distribution, transitional housing, case management and Renter’s Fresh Start Training as well as life skills coaching.