Volunteer Event at Illinois Children's Hospital
Elan Credit Card partner, Heartland Credit Union, selected HSHS St. John’s Children’s Hospital to receive a $15,000 donation as part of the Elan Charitable Giving program. Employees met for an afternoon of volunteering this spring at the hospital campus and surprised the foundation with an additional $5,000 gift.
“Everybody can get a financial donation, but there's a lot of volunteer help that's needed with these charitable organizations. So, I do feel it’s important that we allow our staff to take off time and to be involved with some of these charities. It meant a lot to Heartland and our Springfield community to have Elan here volunteering with us.” said Tom Lex, Heartland Credit Union CEO.
Throughout the day, volunteers worked on many projects to bring joy and comfort to young patients and their families. A spring-themed mural was painted on the children’s floor windows including a giant tree, flowers, and animals. One volunteer met with a patient in her room for the afternoon to read books, color, and play paper dolls.
Elan Account Executive, Tony Ince, shared “With our partnership, employees see Elan in their credit union branches. They see their account executive working with their management team. But I think that charitable giving, and events like this one, lets them know the Elan partnership extends beyond the business model and out to their community.”
Meanwhile, another team was removing choking hazards from donated toys and assembling Easter baskets for distribution in April. These bags were filled with books, toys, candy, and stuffed animals for each child to keep.
Heartland Credit Union’s VP of Collections Jennifer Bosaw has a special connection to HSHS St. John’s Children’s Hospital. Her daughter spent 112 days in the NICU. “It's not just money that you're giving to the hospital. It's not just toys or machines that you're buying for the hospital. You're helping to create more miracles. And that's priceless,” Bosaw shared.
Giving back to the communities of our credit card partners is a strong commitment in Elan partnerships. We look forward to continuing the Elan Charitable Giving and making an impact from coast to coast.
If you are interested in learning how Elan can help your credit union grow, we'd love to hear from you.