Gecu Foundation

We believe that investing in education, especially in the health care field, is going to help with the overall quality of life of underserved regions. This year, we contributed to students' tuition costs at various institutions, allowing them to better focus on completing their degrees. Our contribution to burrell college of osteopathic medicine in las cruces, new mexico, will fund a full four-year scholarship for one student. The estimated cost of attendance at this college is $60,600 per year. We trust that this initiative is going to help address the critical need for physician retention in the borderplex area. Howard payne university is a private baptist university in el paso, texas, that offers associate, bachelor's and master's degrees. The academic community of the university is dedicated to excellence by developing and equipping its students with intellectual inquiry, personal and professional integrity, and service to god and humanity. Our contribution awards four-year scholarships to two students to help them obtain their degree at howard payne university. Proaction actively works to bring women and people of color into the emergency medical technician (emt) field through targeted outreach and education. Proaction partners with community members to offer scholarships to remove barriers associated with the program's cost. Our support provided scholarships to two el pasoans and helped them complete their basic or advanced emt programs.

This year, we continued to elevate the communities that we serve by donating to community organizations that focus on our 12 core development issues, including through a new fundraising initiative. We also provided support to those affected by the wildfires in new mexico. In 2024, the gecu foundation launched its first matching may campaign, where we matched donations of up to $12,000 to each of the 12 nonprofit organizations that we selected. Each of the selected nonprofits represents one of our core development issues that are crucial for the economic growth and prosperity of the el paso, texas, community. Throughout may, the el paso community came together to support their favorite charities through donations. The mission of the el paso gold star memorial is to honor and recognize the families of service members who have passed away in service to the country. The organization serves as a reminder of the sacrifices made by military families and the nation's debt of gratitude to them. Their efforts include constructing memorials, hosting events and providing support to gold star families. The utep foster homeless adopted resources program provides comprehensive academic and social welfare services to utep students who were adopted, have aged out of foster care, and/or are experiencing housing insecurity. This grant helps empower generations of vulnerable students by offering them the essential support that is required for them to complete their university degree. Our contribution helped eight students receive financial assistance for needs such as purchasing books and supplies, covering utility bills, securing deposits for rental units, transportation costs, and more. In the spirit of the credit union's people helping people philosophy, the gecu foundation supported those affected by the wildfires in ruidoso, new mexico, through the american red cross. We are grateful to gecu members and employees and our community for helping us make this contribution.