VyStar Turns Purpose into Action During Fifth Annual Good is everywhere Celebration

Members, employees and community partners help provide over 17,000 meals, contribute over 6,000 volunteer hours and bring free experiences to communities across Florida and Georgia
 
JACKSONVILLE, FL – VyStar Credit Union brought members, employees and community partners together Sept. 9-26 for its fifth annual Good is everywhere celebration, supporting local needs and connecting people through shared experiences across Florida and Georgia. The collective effort began with an invitation to help neighbors facing hunger and a food drive that collected enough donated food to provide 17,896 meals.
 
Members and their neighbors enjoyed 21,137 free admissions through 41 experiences, from museums and hands-on history to ballgames and family attractions. Alongside these cultural, educational and sporting experiences, employees volunteered with nonprofit partners across Florida and Georgia, filling food bank shelves and improving homes. Together, these efforts reflected a shared commitment to Do Good by responding to local needs and helping people connect with their communities.
 
Donations to the Good Starts Here Food Drive stayed in the communities where they were collected, supporting local food banks and hunger-relief organizations across Florida and Georgia. Throughout August, members, employees and community residents contributed nonperishable food to help these organizations provide meals for neighbors facing food insecurity and support families with nourishment, stability and hope.
 
Service That Meets Local Needs
Good is everywhere brought member appreciation and community service together. Members and families connected with local cultural, educational and recreational organizations through complimentary experiences, while employees worked alongside nonprofit partners to address hunger, housing and veteran support needs. These partnerships helped people enjoy the places that make their communities special and support neighbors facing challenges.
 
Local nonprofit partners helped shape projects around the needs they address every day. In Jacksonville, employees packed food bags and celebrated the opening of the VyStar Volunteer Center at Feeding Northeast Florida. They also built ADA-accessible ramps for veterans with the Northeast Florida Builders Association, revitalized residential units at HomeStretch in Atlanta and stocked shelves at Second Harvest Food Bank in Orlando. Each project supported a community partner’s ongoing work to create lasting change.
 
Mayors across VyStar’s footprint also proclaimed a “Good is everywhere Day,” recognizing the collective impact of VyStar employees, members and community partners across Florida and Georgia.
 
“Our nonprofit partners know where help is needed most. By listening and working alongside them, we can help create stronger, more connected communities across Florida and Georgia,” said Patricia McElroy, SVP/President of VyStar Foundation. “The food donated through the Good Starts Here Food Drive can provide thousands of meals for neighbors facing hunger. That same spirit of members, employees and community partners coming together carried through every Good is everywhere project.”
 
By the Numbers: Good in Action Across VyStar Communities

• 17,896 meals made possible through the Good Starts Here Food Drive
• 6,160 volunteer hours completed by VyStar employees
• 213 volunteer events across Florida and Georgia
• 41 complimentary experiences offered to VyStar members and the public
• 21,137 free admissions to museums, venues and attractions through VyStar’s community partners