In 2025, our community and our country faced a number of significant challenges. Throughout the year, we were faced with housing insecurity, economic shifts, the growing impacts of climate change, mental health concerns and more.
Guided by our cooperative principles, through partnership, compassion, and collective effort, we stood together with our community and continued moving forward. We remained committed to building strong connections with our members and community partners; giving back through charitable contributions, supporting local initiatives, and encouraging volunteer engagement.
KCCU supported several important community organizations, including the Inclusive Play Project, which is working to create an accessible playground for children and adults of all abilities; Clothes for Kids, whose mission is to provide local children with warm snowsuits; the Kingston Youth Shelter, which offers safety, support, and hope to youth ages 16–24 experiencing housing instability; and the University Hospitals Kingston Foundation neonatal intensive care unit.
KCCU donated its third $25,000 installment to the Pathways to Education Endowment Fund. Developed with the Community Foundation for Kingston & Area, the fund is part of a long‑term plan to build a $1 million endowment supporting the Facilitator of Alumni Relationships role.
This role ensures Pathways students continue to receive support as they transition from high school into post‑secondary education. KCCU’s four‑year $100,000 commitment began in 2023 and provides steady and meaningful funding that helps Pathways alumni succeed throughout their post‑secondary journey.
2025 marked the 5th year of KCCU’s partnership and support of the Kingston Community Climate Action Fund.
The Extend A Family Kingston (EAFK) Growability Hydroponic Greenhouse had been selected as the supported project for the 2024/2025 Kingston Community Climate Action Fund.
EAFK’s sustainable hydroponic vertical farming greenhouses are capable of producing 10,000 heads of produce annually. For context, the cultivation of 10,000 heads of lettuce using traditional farming methods results in an estimated 6 metric tons of CO2e emissions. In contrast, hydroponic vertical farming systems are projected to generate between 2 to 3 metric tons of CO2e emissions, reflecting a reduction of approximately 50-60%.
KCCU continued its commitment to the fund by matching up to $5,000 in donations made in‑branch. Through the Kingston Community Climate Action Fund, a total of $30,000 was raised to support Extend‑A‑Family Kingston’s Growability Hydroponic Greenhouse project
KCCU staff upheld their tradition of fundraising, helping highlight the vital work of the organizations they supported. Through a series of fundraising BBQs, KCCU raised $1,370 for Ryandale Transitional Housing, $1,200 for the YMCA of Eastern Ontario and $1,000 for the Food Sharing Project.
Additionally, $600 was raised for the Kingston Humane Society through cupcake sales, 460 pairs of socks were collected during KCCU’s Annual Sock Drive and distributed through Socks Kingston. With the kindness of members and staff, 50 Winter Care Kits were prepared, 25 were provided to Loving Hands and 25 to the Kingston Youth Shelter.
Each year, KCCU supports its local United Way chapter and its donation drives, helping provide essential items to those in our community. In 2025, KCCU contributed $250 worth of feminine hygiene products to the Period Promise campaign and donated $1,000 to the Backpack Program, supplying 10 fully stocked backpacks to help students learn, grow, and succeed in their classroom.
KCCU staff members joined 27 workplaces and 400+ volunteers for the Day of Caring and our team rolled up their sleeves at the Oak Street Community Garden. Volunteers went to 38 local organizations to lend a hand with everything from gardening, painting, cleaning and landscaping.
Thanks to our amazing team, KCCU raised $6,951 and celebrated 46 years of 100% staff participation, through our workplace campaign helping United Way Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox & Addington surpass its 2025 goal of $4.15M!
Almost Home
80’s Glam Charity Gala
Downtown Kingston
Princess Street Promenade
Human Services & Justice Coordinating Committee
Frontenac Community Services Fair
Greater Kingston Chamber of Commerce
Kingston Business Awards, Annual Golf Classic and various networking opportunities
Inclusive Play Project
Inclusive Fun Fair
Kingston Community Health Centres
Winter Carnival, Spring Together and Scarecrow Festival
Kingston Street Health
Super ID Clinic
Memorial Centre Farmer’s Market
Zucchini 500
United Way KFLA
Workplace Awards luncheon, Kick Off Breakfast and Touchdown Breakfast
Youth Imagine the Future Festival of Writing & Art
Exhibit & Awards
The CU Succeed Youth Bursary, offered through the Ontario Credit Union Foundation, provides essential financial support to students who demonstrate strong community leadership and need assistance to pursue their education. KCCU remains committed to actively supporting this bursary program.
In 2025, a total of $100,000 was distributed amongst Ontario Credit Unions and its winners of the student bursary program. Congratulations to two of our members, Henri & Lilly who were bursary recipients in 2025!
The KCCU Christmas Caring Program has been a cherished tradition for more than thirty years, supporting over 1,000 members and their families with resources to help them enjoy and celebrate the holiday season. The program is designed to assist members experiencing financial hardship due to illness, job loss, layoffs, underemployment, or limited income.
In 2025, the program supported five member families which included 12 children, 9 adults, and 1 senior, providing gifts and 2–3 weeks’ worth of non‑perishable food.
At KCCU, we believe in the importance of possessing the necessary skills and knowledge to make well-informed and impactful decisions.
We share our experience and knowledge with local schools, groups, and organizations by providing financial literacy sessions on topics such as introduction to personal finance, budgeting, the importance of credit scores, and investing.
A third party is an individual or entity, other than the account holder or those authorized to give instructions about the account, who directs what happens with the account. For example, if an account were opened in one individual’s name for deposits that are directed by someone else, the other person or entity would be a third party.