Metro Credit Union

For the 7th consecutive year, Metro Credit Union employees came together to create magnificent Thanksgiving baskets for those in need during the holidays. Departments teamed up to shop for, organize, decorate, and deliver 29 large baskets stocked with all the traditional staples of a bountiful Thanksgiving dinner, each accompanied by a $25 Market Basket gift card donated by Metro for the purchase of a turkey.

"The Thanksgiving Basket tradition continues to grow in size and enthusiasm. This is just one way Metro helps families during the holidays and our employees look forward to creating these baskets every year," said Charlene Bauer, Metro’s Chief Development Officer, SVP Outreach and Advocacy.

This year, the benefitting nonprofit was Haven From Hunger in Peabody, MA, a food pantry and community meals program operating as one branch of Citizens Inn, an organization that works to break the patterns of instability that lead to homelessness and hunger for every individual served. Haven From Hunger offers two core hunger prevention programs to residents of Salem, Peabody, and Lynnfield through food rescue efforts, donations, and community support. Each month, Haven From Hunger distributes 80,000—100,000 pounds of food to those in need, about half of which is rescued food that would otherwise be discarded and sent to a landfill. Last year, Haven From Hunger supplied over 1,800 households with fresh fruits and vegetables, meat, dairy, and canned goods—enough for close to 600,000 meals.

From left to right: Carole Buckley (Metro Credit Union), Volunteer (Haven From Hunger), Kate Benashski (Haven From Hunger), Charlene Bauer (Metro Credit Union)





“The holidays are an especially busy time for us” notes Kate Benashski, Program Director at Haven From Hunger. The organization works to distribute food to families in need, while also hosting evening dinners four nights per week at the headquarters at 71 Wallis Street in Peabody. The community meals program offers guests a filling, nutritious dinner in a friendly community atmosphere. Last year, Haven From Hunger served over 9,000 meals. These programs help offset what families need to spend at the grocery store and ease the minds of those concerned about having enough on the table each day.

On Metro employees’ choice to donate Thanksgiving baskets to Haven From Hunger, Benashski says “It’s about so much more than food, it’s about fellowship. These gestures are so important. Folks choose to do this to make others’ lives a little bit easier.”

Metro Credit Union employees celebrate the donation of 29 baskets to Haven From Hunger.


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About Metro Credit Union
Metro Credit Union is the largest state-chartered credit union in Massachusetts, approaching $1.8 billion in assets. Metro provides a full range of financial products to more than 200,000 members in Essex, Middlesex, Suffolk, Norfolk, Plymouth, Barnstable, Bristol and Worcester counties in Massachusetts, and Rockingham and Hillsborough counties in New Hampshire, as well as to employees of over 1,200 companies through its Metro@work program.
Founded in 1926, Metro currently operates 15 branch offices in Boston, Burlington, Chelsea, Framingham, Lawrence, Lynn, Melrose, Newton, Peabody, Salem, and Tewksbury. Metro is also a Juntos Avanzamos (“Together We Advance”) designated credit union, an honor given to financial institutions for their commitment to serving and empowering Hispanic and immigrant consumers.
Learn more at MetroCU.org.
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