Credit unions give a congressman hope in the fight against hunger
When the hosts of The Fabulous 413 podcast asked U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern of Massachusetts what was giving him hope, the longtime anti-hunger advocate pointed to a meeting he’d just had with credit union leaders from Western and Central Massachusetts. They had sought him out with one question on their minds: how they could be more effective in combating food insecurity in their own communities.
The leaders walked McGovern through what their credit unions had already done and where they wanted to get more engaged, because their members are feeling the squeeze. “We need an all-hands-on-deck approach” to make a dent in hunger, McGovern said, calling credit unions good community players that are doing the work and want to do more. Before the segment ended, he gave credit unions his shout-out of the week.
The need is real. The U.S. Department of Agriculture reports that 13.7% of U.S. households, roughly 18.3 million, experienced food insecurity at some point during 2024. As demand at food banks climbs, credit unions across the country are responding with volunteer hours, donations, and drives timed for when families need them most. Four recent efforts show what that response looks like on the ground.
Breaking records they hope to retire
Genisys Credit Union received the Philanthropic Leadership Award from the Food Bank of Eastern Michigan after contributing 560 volunteer hours and nearly $30,000 in 2025, helping provide 437,807 meals to individuals and families. During the credit union’s Day of Caring, 131 team members moved 61,927 pounds of food, the equivalent of three semi-trucks, in four hours, a record for the food bank. A Giving Tuesday matching campaign added more than 386,000 meals, the second largest in the food bank’s history. The recognition caps a partnership stretching back a decade.
“Behind each statistic is a child, a family, a neighbor, a grandparent,” said Jackie Buchanan, president and CEO of Genisys Credit Union. She also offered a wish that captures the spirit of the work: “We hope, one day, these are records we no longer have to break.”
Filling the gap when school meals pause
In North Texas, the Texas Trust Gives Foundation, the charitable arm of Texas Trust Credit Union, wrapped up a multi-week spring food drive that provided nearly 50,000 meals to five regional food banks. Employees raised $8,000 through an internal giving campaign, and foundation volunteers personally packaged 37,125 meals at the North Texas Food Bank. Mission Arlington called its share one of the largest in-kind donations it has ever received.
The timing was deliberate. “Most organizations focus their giving around the winter holidays,” said Washima Huq, executive director of the Texas Trust Gives Foundation, but donations dwindle by late spring, just as children lose access to school meal programs for the summer.
Showing up week after week
Sometimes the most powerful contribution is consistency. Members First Credit Union, celebrating 90 years of serving Michigan communities, was named Hunger Hero Volunteer Group of the Year by Meals on Wheels Western Michigan. The credit union’s Grand Rapids teams pack and prepare meals, support deliveries, and help sustain programs that keep homebound seniors fed and independent.
“I love volunteering with Meals on Wheels,” said Jasmin McGarrah, a Members First volunteer, noting that the work helps senior citizens stay in their homes.
A summer-long invitation in McGovern’s backyard
The story comes full circle in Western Massachusetts, where Freedom Credit Union is collecting food and monetary donations at all of its branches from June 1 through Aug. 31 to benefit The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, which distributes more than 17 million pounds of food annually across four counties. The drive is open to everyone, not just members. The regional need is acute: households experiencing food insecurity have risen by as much as 54% in some counties since 2019, and pantry usage has tripled.
“Access to nutritious food is a basic need,” said Glenn Welch, president of Freedom Credit Union, yet a growing number of families in the region struggle to afford it.
For credit unions looking to deepen their own community impact, these examples offer a playbook: partner with a local food bank, mobilize employees for hands-on volunteering, and time campaigns for the seasons when shelves run low. That is the kind of all-hands effort that gives a congressman hope, and it is happening in credit union communities nationwide.
