WESTBROOK – Days after celebrating National Volunteer Week April 15 to 21, the Maine Credit Union movement’s volunteer program, Credit Unions Share for ME, released the final results of volunteer efforts in 2006 and the amount of hours credit unions spent volunteering in their community.

The five-year-old, award-winning program documented 19,492.75 hours volunteered by credit union staff and directors from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 2006. Based on figures from the Points of Light Foundation, which calculates the value of one hour volunteered at $18.77, the value of the time volunteered by Maine’s credit unions equaled $366,015 in 2006.

Of area credit unions, Rainbow FCU was third in total volunteer hours and first in total volunteers, Five County CU finished second in total volunteer hours and fourth in total volunteers, and Oxford FCU placed fourth in hours.

In 2006, the top five credit unions donating the most volunteer hours were: Saco Valley CU in Saco (2,789); Five County CU in Bath (2,506.75); Rainbow FCU in Lewiston (2,299); Oxford FCU in Mexico (1,338); and Maine State CU in Augusta (1,245). The top five credit unions with the most total volunteers were: Rainbow FCU in Lewiston (201); Saco Valley CU in Saco (200); Midcoast FCU in Bath (178); Five County CU in Bath (159); and Maine State CU in Augusta (138).

Throughout the year, representatives participated in community-related projects such as school activities, ending hunger, serving on nonprofit boards, organizing community fundraisers, donating blood, youth athletics, soup kitchens and walk-a-thons.

Formed in 1938, the Maine Credit Union League is the state trade association for Maine’s 69-affiliated credit unions. For more information, visit www.mainecul.org.