WESTBROOK – Coinciding with National Volunteer Week (April 18 to 24), the Maine Credit Union League’s volunteer program, Credit Unions Share for ME, announced a 24 percent increase in volunteer hours in 2003.

The two-year-old program documented 15,096 hours volunteered by credit union staff and directors from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 2003. Based on figures from the Points of Light Foundation, which calculates the value of one hour volunteered at $17.19, the value of the time volunteered by Maine’s credit unions equaled $259,500 in 2003.

According to the Maine Credit Union League, which coordinates the program, more than 1,442 staff and volunteers representing Maine’s credit unions participated in the program during the past year.

For local credit unions, Mexico-based Oxford Federal Credit Union took top honors in total hours volunteered (2,422) and Lewiston-based Rainbow Federal Credit Union was fourth at 1,364.