Nusenda Credit Union's community day benefits people across NM

Oct. 10—As hundreds of hot air balloons rose from Balloon Fiesta Park against the bright blue sky Monday morning, Christina Trujillo and her 10-year-old daughter Eliana watched from the balcony on the sixth floor of the University of New Mexico Children's Hospital. They had been planning to attend the event for the first time, but Eliana was admitted to the hospital.

"Hospitals can be scary," Christina said. "But we're in good hands and so far, so good."

Looking to help ease some of the tension for not only Christina and Eliana, but several other patients and families, were several employees from Nusenda Credit Union, who were there volunteering their time.

As a part of the credit union's seventh annual Community Day, these employees served breakfast, played with patients and spoke with their families.

Christina Trujillo said having volunteers there to interact with them helps take their mind off being in the hospital.

"I think it's really great that they go all out. It's really comforting as a parent — people are there to not just to comfort your child, but you as well. I feel like I'm not alone," she said.

A similar sentiment was echoed by Avery Pacheco, whose 7-year-old daughter Myla is a patient at the hospital. Myla spent the morning building a miniature haunted house with Nusenda volunteers as her mother looked on smiling.

"It's amazing, I feel like them using their time to do this with kids is really heart touching," Pacheco said.

This was one of several initiatives Nusenda employees were taking part in on Monday, when more than 450 credit union employees in five cities across the state volunteered more than 1,600 hours to seven projects.

"It's one of those days where you recognize how special Nusenda really is," Michelle Dearholt, executive vice president of operations at Nusenda Credit Union said.

Community Day started as a leadership development project, Dearholt said. Leaders in a development class would come up with a volunteer idea and recommend it to the credit union.

Since then, Community Day has become an annual opportunity for credit union employees across the state to give time to projects tied by a common theme.

The theme of Monday's volunteer efforts was centered around Nusenda's partnerships with higher education. Employees were stationed at several college campuses, including New Mexico State, New Mexico Tech and Santa Fe Community College as well as UNM.

In Albuquerque, Nusenda employees helped clean up the main UNM campus and were busy sorting, organizing, and preparing food for Central New Mexico Community College's student and family food pantry in addition to volunteering at UNM Children's Hospital.

"Our employees are really excited to be there," said Sara Keller, vice president of community engagement at Nusenda. "We have good relationships with all these organizations that we're working with."

In addition to the Community Day project, Nusenda is also supporting New Mexico communities through sponsorships and grant funding. In 2022, they gave more than $1.8 million in grants and sponsorships to support nonprofit organizations.

"Everyone has the opportunity to give back to the communities that we love," Keller said. "We hope the students, families, and staff who are impacted by today's projects are better off and enjoy it."