Community Involvement

In light of The Milinda Project, Penn East donated $5,000 to no-kill shelters and organizations that advocate for animals, pets, or pet owners. Each organization received $1,000 each for their dedication to our four legged friends; Penn East is beyond grateful to recognize the impact of Mureille’s Place, PAWsitively for the Animals, Indraloka Animal Sanctuary, Pattie’s Waggin’ Tails Sanctuary, and Dessin Animal Shelter. It is just another way Penn East demonstrates our motto of people helping people… and that extends to animals, too!

Penn East welcomed the surrounding communities to our annual Trunk-or-Treat on October 29th, 2025! Between entertainment from the Prospector from Rock 107, a fiery performance by Black Magic Circus, spine-chilling wandering characters, and even the famous stilt-walker, Dani Long Legs, Circus Arts, and Penn East’s amazing staff members who’ve either manned the gates or designed one-of-a-kind trunks, roughly 600 kids were able to enjoy a frightfully fun evening filled with gathering candy showing off their thrilling costumes! With the help of our attendees, Penn East determined the “Best Trunk” for this year’s event: Crayola Crayons!

Thank you to all of our volunteers and outside vendors who came to celebrate Halloween!

Recently, Penn East hosted our annual free Shred Day event at the corporate center, where anyone was able to dispose of the unnecessary documents containing sensitive and identifying information. This simple, yet highly important, event helps the entire community protect themselves against identity theft and scammers while safely destroying documents and de-cluttering someone’s personal space.  For this year, Penn East shredded 3 tons of paper with the help of Paper Eaters, which was relatively close to last year’s totals!

In Penn East’s continuous efforts to honor Milinda Catalano and to uphold the values originating from the Milinda Project, Penn East hosted a pet supply drive for two local no-kill shelters, Griffin Pond Animal Shelter and St. Cats and Dogs of Nay Aug Zoo. Ultimately, Penn East collected and donated close to 300 items.  A few staff members took it a step further and volunteered their time at the Griffin Pond Animal Shelter! Through these efforts, we will always remember to appreciation one another and the communities we serve. As Milinda would say, “I appreciate you!”

Our Penn East leaders participated in Service 1st Federal Credit Union’s 31st Annual Charity Golf Tournament, an event that raised funds to support local initiatives for children. This leadership exemplifies how Penn East supports more than just our own community; we support other credit unions’ missions, as well. 

Before the school doors officially open for the new academic year, Penn East had the opportunity to participate in two events: Outreach: Center for Community Resources’ 2025 Children’s Career Fair and McNichols Educational Plaza’s Back-to-School Fair. Penn East understands that most growth occurs in the classroom, where notebooks and pens—and conversations about dream careers—are crucial to the overall development of our smallest members.

Congratulations to our two Member Appreciation Day $500 Giveaway winners, Kristen Smith and James Kotz!

The successful day was spearheaded by our outstanding Penn East volunteers, who’ve stayed true to our mission of making a positive impact on all of our members, our community, and one another!

Penn East has been busy this summer! A team of Penn East volunteers at the St. Joseph’s Summer Festival, where they were using more than just financial skills… the group was coupled with other volunteers to serve food orders and perform cash-handling duties. Our volunteers are always happy to lend a helping hand to our community leaders and have the chance to support a wonderful cause!

Penn East was invited to volunteer during Pennsylvania Free Enterprise Week (PFEW), held on Lycoming College’s campus. PFEW is a week long program for high school sophomores and juniors who want to learn about business concepts and enhance their practical skills (independence, teamwork, or personal responsibility) they can use in adulthood. Penn East was thrilled to mentor these young individuals through the program’s personal finance experience segment—a concept we know well!