LEWISTON – Congressman Michael Michaud donated 600 phone cards on Jan. 22 at Community Credit Union that will go to Maine troops through the Maine Credit Union League’s Operation Phone Home program.

His donation of 30,000 minutes pushes the credit unions over their goal of collecting 100,000 minutes, with thousands more still expected.

Michaud presented the cards to Phil Moreau, president/CEO of Rainbow FCU and chairman of the league’s Governmental Affairs Committee.

Due to the large number of Maine Reservists called to active duty and deployed overseas in recent months, Maine’s credit unions re-activated the Operation Phone Home program on Jan. 5.

Michaud stated, “I want to thank Maine’s credit unions for creating this program and allowing me to participate in it by donating these cards. Having met with a number of Maine troops in Bangor recently prior to their deployment, I know that this program will mean a lot to them.”

Jon Paradise, governmental and public affairs manager for the league, thanked Michaud. Brigadier General John Libby, state Department of Defense, Veterans and Emergency Management commissioner, expressed his appreciation to Maine’s credit unions as well.

While the majority of the calling cards are being sent to the USO to distribute to troops and their families, with a priority given to Maine and New England states, the congressman’s calling cards will be specially designated for Maine troops.

A similar effort by Maine’s credit unions in April 2003 collected 401,000 minutes of calling time, the third highest donation to the USO.