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Elan employees recently joined credit card partner Sharonview Federal Credit Union (Sharonview) in North Carolina for an afternoon of learning and volunteering at Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina (SHMETROLINA). During the Across the Country volunteer event, Elan and Sharonview surprised the food bank with an additional $5,000 contribution, totaling $17,500, to help the food bank fund their work to end hunger.

“It was a surprise that we weren't expecting, and we’re definitely honored and privileged to have been selected for Elan’s charitable giving program,” said Ross Cranston, Sharonview’s Membership Engagement Specialist. “We have a long-standing partnership with SHMETROLINA [and] they have a strong reputation and presence in many of the communities where we operate. Their mission aligns very well with one of Sharonview’s key focus areas, which is alleviating hunger.”   

The food bank serves people in 24 counties throughout North Carolina and South Carolina where over 500,000 people live in poverty, including 168,000 children and 50,000 seniors. The $17,500 Across the Country donation will further SHMETROLINA’s mission by supporting their child-focused food programs with 117,500 pounds of food. 

Many children do not have access to meals and snacks outside of school hours. The food bank’s backpack program provides school-aged children a backpack of nutritious, easy-to-prepare items for the weekends and holidays. Together, Sharonview and Elan staff packed over 1,100 backpacks to support the mission and included a small toy from Elan for each child to enjoy. 

“I'm always excited when I hear about donations because they do all the things that allow the food bank to continue to feed people. The $17,500 that you all are generously donating is going to support our child hunger programs. Ending child hunger is our single biggest, and most important goal at SHMETROLINA … we couldn't do it without partners like Elan and Sharonview. That's for sure,” shared Kay Carter, CEO of Second Harvest Food Bank.

Elan’s Across the Country initiative has distributed over $625,000 to nonprofits throughout the United States on behalf of 50 Elan credit union partners.

“This is part of what Elan does in the partnerships that we've established. Credit unions have always been involved in giving back to the communities in which they serve, whether that is financially or whether that is allowing their employees to volunteer in the communities. So, I think it was very natural for Elan to say, let's continue our partnership but maybe in a slightly different way — and let's find ways that we can help our partners give back to the communities they support,” added Elan Account Executive, Scott Dickmeyer about the event and Elan’s charitable giving initiative.

Learn more about the partnership between Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina and Sharonview Federal Credit Union here, or visit www.elancharitablegiving.com to explore Elan’s charitable giving campaign and upcoming volunteer events.