America First Credit Union Serving Up Another Souper Bowl of Caring

Childhood hunger is growing and the credit union is teaming up with partners across three states to help.

SALT LAKE CITY – February 3, 2025 – America First Credit Union is once again teaming up with local partners as a sponsor to help fight childhood hunger in Utah, Idaho and Nevada with the Souper Bowl of Caring, which will run through early February.

“Over more than a decade, our collaboration with the Souper Bowl of Caring has become a vital part of our work to support kids and their communities,” said Dave Nellis, director of public relations at America First Credit Union. “Our team has seen first-hand how impactful the Souper Bowl is each year; it is rewarding to both see the positive impact this program has and to help facilitate donations.”

Childhood hunger is a longstanding concern in Utah, and organizations focused on the issue such as the Utah Food Bank have indicated that the problem has grown larger in recent years. As of November 2024, one in six Utah kids live in homes that do not have enough food — a statistic that was estimated to be closer to one in ten kids in the spring of last year. This food insecurity is especially difficult during weekends and school breaks, as many of these kids rely on school meals. Partners in other states have reported similar, challenging trends.

The Souper Bowl of Caring helps bridge this gap by funding meals for students to take home on weekends and during breaks to ensure that they have access to food, even when they are not at school. The organizations that receive the funds are able to maximize the value of every dollar donated. For example, in 2024, the Utah Food Bank was able to produce $7.34 worth of goods and services to children for every dollar donated. Funds are also used toward building and stocking new distribution centers and to community partners so more families and kids can access these services.

As part of the partnership, AFCU will be accepting monetary donations. Members and others can donate in several ways.

• Online – Donate online for your state and location
• In person – Make a deposit at a branch to account number 550281 (last name: AFCU)
• Tune in – Watch your location’s televised event:
  • SALT LAKE: Tune in to KUTV 2 on Wednesday, February 5, 2025 from 6 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. and call 1-877-908-0680 to donate.
  • LAS VEGAS: Tune in to KSNV News 3 on Thursday, February 6, 2025 from 6 a.m. to 11:35 p.m., and call 1-702-657-3222 to donate.
  • RENO: Tune into KRNV NBC Reno 4 or KRXI Fox 11 News on Friday, February 7, 2025, from 5 a.m. to 7 p.m., and donate in person or online.
  • BOISE: Tune into to KBOI-TV CBS 2 on Friday, February 7, 2025, from 5 a.m. to 6 p.m., and call 1-208- 472-2220 to donate.

Proceeds from donations will go to the Utah Association of Public-School Foundations, the Serving Our Kids Foundation, the Food Bank of Northern Nevada, and the Idaho Food Bank.

In 2024, America First Credit Union and its partners raised over $1.1 million for the Souper Bowl of Caring in Utah. The program originated in South Carolina in 1990, where a Sunday school teacher asked members of her congregation to donate $1 of their Super Bowl party budgets to fight hunger. The localized effort grew into a nationwide movement. KUTV Souper Bowl of Caring telethons started in 2014, and America First Credit Union has been a partner since that time through its charitable foundation. In the past decade, AFCU and Sinclair Broadcasting Group have expanded its Souper Bowl of Caring partnerships to Las Vegas, Reno, and Boise.

 

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ABOUT AMERICA FIRST CREDIT UNION

Now in its 85^th year, America First Credit Union has grown from a single branch serving military personnel and federal employees into one of the strongest and most progressive credit unions in the country. The credit union is the largest in Utah, and has 115 locations across Arizona, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah. It is also the fifth largest credit union in America with more than 1.4 million members, and the seventh largest in assets with more than $20 billion. America First Credit Union is a member-owned, not-for-profit cooperative financial institution dedicated to building communities and helping members do more with their money. Learn more at americafirst.com.

MEDIA CONTACT

Dave Nellis
America First Credit Union
801.827.8606

dcnellis@americafirst.com