First Alliance Credit Union is raising funds for the Rochester Women’s Shelter through a gift card drive between now and December 20th, 2017. The Rochester Women's Shelter provides outreach, advocacy, and housing to battered women and their children in South East Minnesota. 

In past years, the credit union has held a toy drive for the children who are residents at the shelter over the holidays; however the volunteers at the Women’s Shelter have expressed a greater need for gift cards this year. Any type of gift cards at any dollar amount will help, you can purchase a First Alliance gift card to donate, which can be used anywhere Mastercard ® is accepted, or you can bring in a gift card for specific places like Target, Wal-Mart, Shopko, a gas station, etc.

Gift cards are a huge help to the shelter because each family that comes through is in need of something different when they first arrive, sometimes it is basic necessities like deodorant, clothes, and diapers to bigger items like car seats for the little ones. The gift cards really help make sure that the shelter is able to meet the basic needs of each of the families, since each situation is different. Often women and children only arrive with the clothes on their backs, having left everything else behind just to get to a safe place. The Women’s Shelter serves over 3,800 victims annually, and is the only shelter to service the 11 counties in South Eastern Minnesota.

Each of our branch locations are set up to accept the gift cards donated for the shelter. Any dollar amount is helpful and greatly appreciated. For more information about the Rochester Women’s Shelter, or to donate to them directly, you can visit http://www.womens-shelter.org/. First Alliance Credit Union is committed to helping improve the lives of all members of our communities - all for one.