Staff Report
CoastHills Credit Union unveiled its new headquarters in Santa Maria this month with two days of events, including a major donation to some local nonprofit organizations.
After the ribbon-cutting for the new facility, CoastHills announced the donation of $25,000 to five local charities. Each nonprofit received $5,000.
The Thursday, March 12 event, which also included the dedication of the facility’s new military veteran commemoration wall, marked the culmination of a vote by Credit Union staff to crown a single organization meriting a $5,000 donation from the employee giving program, “I’m All In.” CoastHills leadership, however, opted to donate $5,000 apiece to each of the top five vote-getters.
“This was our way of offering a ‘thank you’ to the communities that have supported our growth through the years,” CoastHills president and CEO Paul Cook said. “This is one way that we can truly reinvest in just a few of these organizations doing great work on the Central Coast.”
On March 12, representatives from four of the five organizations attended a ceremony in the Credit Union’s new community room at its corporate headquarters on Betteravia Road and Highway 101 expecting to see one organization receive $5,000.
The surprise was palpable when the truth was revealed. The donation recipients were Court Appointed Special Advocates of Santa Barbara County, Santa Maria Valley Humane Society, Cabrillo High School Aquarium, Make-a-Wish Tri-Counties and Shadow’s Fund.
“We hope this is the beginning of a new era for CoastHills,” Cook said, “where we can continue to show our dedication to the community and show the value of banking the Central Coast way.
About CoastHills Credit Union: CoastHills is a not-for-profit Credit Union currently serving more than 68,000 members in Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Monterey, Ventura, and Santa Cruz Counties. Founded in 1958, it has 11 branches and a locally staffed full-service call center. With assets of more than $1.2 billion, CoastHills is the second largest locally owned financial institution on the Central Coast.
