How PenAir Gives Back to the Community
At PenAir, we believe in community + generosity—or, as we call it, “communerosity” — as a way of sharing a vibrant and important connection with those in need. “For 80 years, PenAir has been giving back locally throughout the communities we serve,” said Stu Ramsey, president and CEO of PenAir Credit Union.
“We understand and value the importance of connecting with our community by keeping it strong and healthy.” We’re always looking for ways to enhance lives in our local community. Here are just a few of our programs.
Jeans for Generosity
Our signature program, Jeans for Generosity (J4G), is an employee-driven fundraising effort to give back to those in need. Each year, our employees nominate local nonprofit organizations as potential recipients and raise funds through payroll deductions and Jeans for Generosity days, during which our employees can make donations to the program and, in return, enjoy wearing jeans to work for the day. PenAir matches the funds raised and divides them equally among the selected charities. We’ve supported such worthy local organizations as the Beacon Shelter for Women & Children, the Children’s Home Society of Florida, and the Loaves & Fishes Soup Kitchen. Since the program began in 2013, our employees have given more than $160,000 through J4G—and we’re on track to give more than $200,000 by the end of 2017.
Giving Back During the Holidays
This year, we sponsored the 2nd Annual Give A Click for Communerosity Wreath Contest, in which teams of employees competed for a local charity of their choice by decorating holiday wreaths. Photos of the wreaths were posted to our Facebook page, where visitors could click on their favorite wreath. The wreath with the most clicks won $2,000 for their charity and we handed out prizes for second and third place as well. You can visit our Facebook page to view all the wreaths and see which wreaths won donations.
Giving All Year Long
Recently, we partnered with the University of West Florida’s Alumni Association, the College of Business, and UWF Athletics, to donate $1 million to support UWF’s football program. We’re also committed to supporting local community organizations throughout the year—for example, we donated $100,000 to the Bear Levin Studer Family YMCA to create a place for the community to participate in physical and financial fitness, and we donated $100,000 to the Pensacola State College Alumni Association Endowed Scholarship Fund. In addition, we sponsor local events and offer scholarships to PenAir student members.
We believe in giving back to the communities in which we live, work and play. Want to learn more about our programs? Check out our Communerosity page.
Get Involved
Take part in the community or find out more about PenAir’s Communerosity.