EECU Partners with The Salvation Army to Help Central Valley Students Start School Prepared
August 13, 2026
Educational Employees Credit Union
Our purpose is to achieve unrivaled member satisfaction by understanding our members' financial needs and providing quality financial products and services.
FRESNO, Calif. (August 13, 2026) – Educational Employees Credit Union (EECU) is continuing its partnership with The Salvation Army by sponsoring its annual Back-to-School Backpack Program. Through its sponsorship, EECU is helping provide hundreds of Central Valley students with backpacks filled with grade-appropriate school supplies, ensuring they begin the school year prepared, confident, and ready to learn.
The backpacks will be
distributed throughout August at Back-to-School events in Fresno, Clovis,
Madera, Merced, Hanford, Tulare, and Visalia. Many of the events also offer
families additional resources, including meals, haircuts, and connections to
community services.
“Education is at the heart of
EECU’s mission and we’re proud to continue our longstanding partnership with
The Salvation Army,” said EECU President and CEO Elizabeth J. Dooley. “For more
than ten years, we’ve worked together to help ensure local students have the
supplies they need to begin the school year prepared. When we invest in
students, we’re investing in stronger families and stronger communities.”
As families continue to face
rising costs for housing, food, and transportation, school supplies can place
an added strain on already tight household budgets. According to The Salvation
Army, as many as 82% of students qualify for free or reduced-price school meals
across parts of the Central Valley, underscoring the continued need for
programs that help ensure every child has the tools needed for a successful
school year.
“I want to thank you for giving the backpacks and
school supplies to my two kids,” said Jennifer, a local parent. “We weren’t
sure what we will do as we did not have the money to purchase backpacks,
notebooks, markers, and all the other items that my kids needed.”
To learn more about EECU’s commitment to supporting
education and strengthening local communities, visit myEECU.org.
EECU serves 12 Central California and Central Coast
counties and has 23 branches and more than 400,000 members. Since 1934, EECU
has provided affordable financial products and services to meet its members’
saving, borrowing, and investing needs. EECU is very active in the communities
it serves, proudly supporting numerous programs, activities and events that
enrich the community experience, and providing free financial wellness
education to people of all ages.