PACU Foundation announces $18,000 in contributions during its inaugural "Giving Tuesday" luncheon

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C., Dec. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- During its first annual "Giving Tuesday" luncheon, the PACU Foundation gifted a total of $18,000 to six charities to increase their capacity to help North Carolina residents in times of financial hardship.

Held nationally on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, "Giving Tuesday" is a global movement started in 2012 to encourage people to do good. "As such, we felt that starting an annual tradition of hosting a 'Giving Tuesday' luncheon to celebrate our supported charities would be a fitting tribute to the spirit of giving back," said PACU Foundation President Jean Golden-Rumer.

The PACU Foundation's ability to contribute these funds is due to the generosity and volunteer efforts of employees and members of Piedmont Advantage Credit Union. "In 2022, more than 70 percent of the credit union's employees donated to the Foundation," Golden-Rumer added.

The following charities were celebrated on Giving Tuesday, Nov. 29, and presented each with $3,000:

• Bright Blessings: Emergency assistance to in-need children in partnership with K-12 school system
• Community Link: Financial literacy and monetary assistance for residents facing homelessness, foreclosure or eviction
• Financial Pathways: Financial literacy classes to residents who struggle with job loss and low wages
• Gold Shield Foundation of North Carolina: Support for families of fallen or critically injured police officers and firefighters
• Help Inc.: Financial safety resources to victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, elder abuse and human trafficking
• Winston-Salem Rescue Mission: Financial classes for residents who are homeless and suffering from addiction

Adding to the spirit of giving back, lunch was provided by Delicious, a nonprofit Winston-Salem caterer, who employs refugee women from Syria, Iraq, Jordan, Sudan and other countries in the Middle East and Africa, to use their cooking talents to introduce to the area homecooked, professionally-prepared meals from their native lands. Lunch was a big hit among attendees.

Since forming in 2020, the PACU Foundation has gifted $45,000 to area charities.

A 501(c)(3) charitable organization, the PACU Foundation advances charitable giving to support access to financial literacy, education and training and disaster and emergency assistance for residents overcoming financial hardship throughout the Triad and Charlotte communities.

SOURCE Piedmont Advantage Credit Union