American Heritage Credit Union Makes $10,000 Donation to LOFK

When American Heritage Credit Union president and CEO Bruce Foulke met with Salus president Michael Mittelman, OD, MPH, MBA, FAAO, FACHE, and was informed about the University’s Looking Out for Kids (LOFK) initiative, he took special note.

“When I heard what Salus does for kids, I said to myself, ‘Wow, we have to be part of that.’ After that it was a no-brainer,” said Foulke.

In the continued spirit of the shared mission of helping children  — and as part of its corporate mission of giving back to the community — American Heritage Credit Union recently made a $10,000 donation to LOFK.

“For American Heritage, it’s a part of our corporate social responsibility to be able to support other organizations that are doing good in the community,” said Dorian Smith, senior vice president/business development for the credit union. “We’re more than happy to support the efforts of Salus University and helping kids in the city of Philadelphia and throughout the region.”

Along with Dr. Mittelman, accepting the check for Salus was Jacqueline Patterson, MPA, vice president of Institutional Advancement and Community Relations; and Brandy Scombordi, OD, pediatric optometrist at The Eye Institute (TEI) and coordinator of the School Vision Programs, as well as the primary provider on the University’s Big Red Bus, which travels to communities to offer on-site eye screenings and comprehensive eye exams for children in need throughout the five-county region.

“This school year will be a challenging one for many students and teachers and we are committed to making sure any child who needs vision care can access it,” said Dr. Scombordi. “In order to do this we will be adding new ways of delivering care which will include tents at schools, increased PPE, and newer automated equipment. In addition, due to the increase of computer use with virtual learning, we will need to educate all students, teachers and parents on healthy visual practices. The partnership with the American Heritage Credit Union will help with that immensely.”

Patterson agreed and stressed how grateful Salus is for the support from American Heritage. “The funds will be used to provide complimentary eye exams and two pairs of glasses for more than 65 youth in the Greater Philadelphia area,” she said.

According to Foulke, the credit union is a big sponsor of numerous community events and supports different programs similar to LOFK. “So I’m excited about doing this. Being involved with Salus is another extension we haven’t had before,” he said. “The $10,000 that we’ve donated . . . hopefully it’s just the tip of the iceberg.”