SAFE Credit Union employees and VALOR members Kimberley Ross of Rio Linda, Tony James of El Dorado Hills, Nicole Bowman of Sacramento County, Nicole Bauer of Auburn, Christopher Rhodes of Folsom, Karen Thorson of Roseville area, Sharon Millar of Rocklin, Cierra Herbert of Rancho Cordova, Louis Mariner of Penryn and Brian Bussell of Colfax. Photo courtesy of SAFE Credit Union

SACRAMENTO REGION, CA (MPG) - Coinciding with Memorial Day weekend and Flag Day in June, SAFE Credit Union employees are holding their third annual U.S. Flag collection drive through Tuesday, June 30.

The drive, run by SAFE’s employee resource group VALOR (Veterans for Loved Ones Resource), provides designated drop-off bins at SAFE branches where SAFE members and the public can bring old and damaged U.S. flags for proper retirement. Last year, VALOR collected more than 500 flags. 

“We are so excited to provide this service for the third year to ensure that people can have their flags that are ready for retirement honored in the right way,” said VALOR member and SAFE Credit Union Chief Technology Officer Mike McCarthy, who served in the California Army National Guard.

This year, U.S. flags can be dropped off at any of SAFE’s 18 branches in the Sacramento area and at SAFE’s headquarters at 2295 Iron Point Road, Folsom.

After the flags are collected, VALOR and SAFE employees will gather at the credit union’s headquarters to properly fold each flag before giving them to the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 6604 in Folsom to arrange retirement ceremonies under the U.S. Flag Code.

“Providing a flag collection service helps ensure worn American flags are retired with the dignity they deserve, while giving people an easy, respectful way to do the right thing,” said SAFE Credit Union Deposits Operations Manager and VALOR member Karen Thorson, of the Roseville area. “Many want to, but don’t know how or where to properly retire a flag.”

The drive, run by SAFE’s employee resource group VALOR (Veterans for Loved Ones Resource), provides designated drop-off bins at SAFE branches where SAFE members and the public can bring old and damaged U.S. flags for proper retirement. Photo courtesy of SAFE Credit Union

Thorson, a Blue Star Mom whose son Trevor is a Navy hospital corpsman, adds that the flag collection drive shows how “SAFE and VALOR honor service personnel, veterans and their families.”

“We want to help foster a culture of respect, gratitude and lasting support for those who are currently serving and have served,” Thorson said.

VALOR’s Executive Sponsor SAFE Credit Union Vice President IT Operations Robert Paduano, of Lincoln, said SAFE’s commitment to honoring veterans and their families harkens back to its beginnings as a credit union.

“We are proud to honor that history and future military generations in this way,” said Paduano, who served for 12 years in the California Army National Guard. 

SAFE’s 86-year heritage stretches back to 1940, when it started as a credit union serving Army Air Corps personnel at what would later become McClellan Air Force Base in Sacramento, now home to McClellan Park.

While being a member of the credit union no longer requires military affiliation, today SAFE proudly continues to celebrate and support its many employees and members who are active military, National Guard and reservists, veterans and families of active and retired military. The credit union has also awarded several grants and scholarships to nonprofit organizations supporting veterans and their families.