Arizona Global Women’s Leadership Network Surprises Restaurant Servers At Holiday Giving Breakfast

December 11, 2023

Arizona credit unions recently gave a few local waitresses a big surprise just in time for the holidays.

Credit union staff presented each waitress with a $1,000 tip, all part of an incredible giving event through the Arizona Global Women’s Leadership Network (GWLN) Sister Societies.

“One of the servers works two jobs and takes care of an ailing parent, and the other is a single mom with two boys,” said Sarah Hancotte, Vice President of Strategy at TruWest Credit Union, on LinkedIn. “There were tears of joy and gratitude, plus hugs for days. Moments like this help remind us of our purpose in the credit union movement and the power of #peoplehelpingpeople.”

GWLN Casa Grande

Every year, the Phoenix and Tucson Sister Societies of the GWLN meet at a local breakfast spot to connect with friends and pool donations to brighten the holidays for restaurant employees. Now in its third year, the Holiday Giving Breakfast team decided to triple its impact by holding three events in 2023 — a September giving lunch in Casa Grande and a December breakfast in both Tucson and Phoenix.

The events were attended or organized by staff from: 

• Pinal County Federal Credit Union
• PSCU
• Pyramid Federal Credit Union
• OneAZ Credit Union
• Copper State Credit Union
• TruWest Credit Union
• Hughes Federal Credit Union
• First American Credit Union
• Pima Federal Credit Union
• Arizona Central Credit Union
• GoWest Credit Union Association

“This tradition has become the highlight of the holiday season for our GWLN members, and seeing the surprise, tears, and gratitude directly is an amazing experience,” said Leah Friedenberg, Senior Vice President of Organizational Development at Pima Federal.

GoWest supports the regional Sister Societies of the Global Women’s Leadership Network. Please contact Carmen Vigil, Senior Vice President of Credit Union Engagement and Development, at [email protected] to learn more about how to connect to your local Sister Society.

Posted in Arizona, Top Headlines.