Supporting Home Base to heal veterans’ wounds
Golf outing a key piece of Hanscom Federal Credit Union’s charitable partnership.
Hanscom Federal Credit Union Charitable Foundation has pledged $750,000 over five years to a military-based program dedicated to “healing the invisible wounds of war for veterans, service members, and their families through clinical care, wellness, education, and research.”
The charitable arm of $1.7 billion asset Hanscom Federal Credit Union at Hanscom Air Force Base in Massachusetts supports Home Base through an annual golf outing. This year’s tournament was held Sept. 20 and raised $150,000 for Home Base, a Red Sox Foundation and Massachusetts General Hospital program.
“Over the last four or five years we’ve been focused on our support of Home Base,” says Laura Galeski, social responsibility manager at Hanscom Federal. “We raised $150,000 through sponsorships, through our vendors at the credit union, and through our friends and supporters.”
The partnership between the foundation and Home Base started with Hanscom Federal Board Chair John Delcore and Home Base Executive Director (Ret.) Brig. Gen. Jack Hammond, who served together in the U.S. Army.
“We ask our foundation board members to help us make connections with organizations that fit our funding profile,” Galeski says. “Home Base does that. One of our tenets is the support of military and servicemember programs. We’re always looking for organizations to expand our reach in the areas that we serve.
Home Base provides critical care and treats conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder and brain injuries, she explains. “We want to help with that.”
Since the partnership began, Hanscom Federal has participated in several Home Base programs, including donating to “Run to Home Base,” a run/walk race held each fall at Fenway Park in Boston.
“We’re not just an armed forces credit union, but that’s in our roots,” Galeski says. “It’s how we got our start, and it’s something that’s near and dear to our hearts. We have a lot of people on our board who worked for the military or were in the service. Our credit union also has a lot of members who are veterans or who work for the military. These members are important to us and always have been.”
The foundation supports the military community in other ways, too, including Purple Heart Homes, which Galeski likens to “a Habitat for Humanity for servicemembers.”
Hanscom Federal employees volunteer for projects, which have included building a ramp for an Air Force veteran’s home. The foundation also donates to organizations like the New England Center and Home for Veterans, Veterans Legal Services, and USO New England.
“We have made a pledge and commitment to making social responsibility part of the forefront of our mission as a credit union,” Galeski says. “It’s woven into what we do. We’re always trying to find opportunities for our staff to share our vision throughout the community.”
