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December 11, 2024Broadview Donates More Than $200k in Gifts, Winter Clothing
Broadview Federal Credit Union continued its decades-long tradition of “Holiday Sharing” this week, providing holiday gifts and essential items to thousands of individuals and families across the state.
“We’ve done this for more than three decades. Each year I say it can’t get any better, and every year it gets better. We started this with six children and now we are supporting more than 5,000 people,” said Broadview CEO Michael Castellana. “The hundreds of employees here at Broadview that have come together to do this defines the holiday season. The impact on everyone involved makes this such a fantastic program.”
Holiday Sharing is Broadview’s largest annual community support effort, raising more than $200,000 to benefit 75 nonprofit organizations and more than 5,000 individuals throughout the Capital Region, Syracuse, Binghamton, and Buffalo. The program is powered by generous donations from Broadview members and employees, which are used to purchase, wrap, and prepare gifts for delivery.
This year, hundreds of Broadview employees shopped for, wrapped and distributed items such as toys, warm clothing, cookware, toiletries, and other necessities to help brighten the holidays for families, veterans, seniors, children, and individuals with disabilities.
“I’ve never seen anything like this before. They’re giving back so much to the community, and it’s so needed,” said St. Catherine’s Center for Children Foundation Executive Director Michele Puleo O’Hare We’re all so grateful, all the non-for-profits are grateful to Broadview for what they do.”
Broadview also partnered once again with the Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Toys program to deliver warm winter clothing to children in need. Along with distributing Holiday Sharing gifts, Broadview employees “stuffed the truck” with more than 300 winter coats and 150 sets of hats and gloves. Due to the influx of immigrants to the Capital Region, Toys for Tots saw an increase in need of more than 100% this year, making this partnership with Broadview and Albany’s oldest department store B. Lodge’s even more important.
“We have almost an estimated 100,000 extra kids, or families with kids, this year that we’ve never really experienced before, so our requests for support are way up,” said Patrick Lurenz, U.S. Marine Coordinator for the Capital Region Toys Campaign. “As a Marine, obviously we’re going to meet that demand, meet that mission, and that is all done by community partnerships like this.”
This ongoing partnership ensures that families not only receive holiday cheer but are also better prepared for the colder months ahead. The hats, coats and gloves will be delivered along the Toys for Tots train route.
