94 LONGISLANDPRESS.COM • JUNE 2018
LAST LOOK
LINDA ARMYN:
COMMUNITY OUTREACH IS KEY
By JEFF BERMAN
As senior vice president of corporate affairs at Bethpage Federal Credit
Union, Linda Armyn has played a key role not only in spearheading
efforts to make it the largest credit union in New York State, but also in
developing some of the organization’s most popular community outreach
initiatives and branding campaigns. Among the most visible of those
branding initiatives is the annual Bethpage Air Show at Jones Beach,
held each Memorial Day weekend. We recently caught up with Armyn to
discuss her philanthropic and community outreach initiatives.
Can you explain why philanthropy is important to you? I believe when
one person needs help, those who can help should, and it all comes around
in the span of our lifetimes. As a cooperative credit union, Bethpage has
always operated under the promise of people helping people. Our vision
is to enrich the lives of our
members, employees and
communities we serve. If
we are doing business
in a community,
giving back is
an important
piece of our
b u s i n e s s
model.
Can you tell us about the Heart of Bethpage philanthropic effort? Heart
of Bethpage started in 2003 as a community-wide program. This program
has grown significantly over the years. Under it, we provide financial
grants for programs, volunteer hours, community-based sponsorships,
and we also host various collections throughout the years for food, clothes,
“It’s really easy to overcomplicate things
we do. So, lately, my mantra has been
‘Keep it simple.’”
toys and pet food. The impact has been great. We have donated millions of
dollars and volunteered thousands of hours. It serves as a source of pride
for our team. We recently renamed the program Bethpage Cares.
What made you start the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program?
We have been participating in the IRS VITA program for more than 15
years. Bethpage volunteers have prepared close to $20 million in returns
to date for low income Long Islanders. It is the largest program of its
kind on Long Island and we partner with community organizations,
libraries, labor unions and colleges to make it happen. This is a tremendous
volunteer effort, with 150 volunteers preparing taxes for low-income
families for free each year. In the last five years, we have processed more
than $2 million in tax returns, helping approximately 2,400 families. This
puts more money back into the people’s hands to save or spend locally
rather than in fees to tax preparers.
What philanthropic effort are you most proud of and why? One of the
efforts I love is our Turkey Drive with Island Harvest that has benefited
thousands of families for what will be 10 years on Nov. 16. The whole
credit union participates, either by bringing food or volunteering.
We have many companies who participate by bringing food and
donating money each year. We also have Girl Scouts all over the
Island collecting, as well as local middle school, high school and
college students who come to lend a hand. It’s a true community
effort.
Do you have any sayings? “Keep it simple” and “Cool beans.”
Everything today moves pretty fast and it’s really easy to
overcomplicate things we do. So, lately, my mantra has been
“Keep it simple.” I’ve been saying “cool beans” since I was a
kid whenever something makes me smile. It has stuck with
me and it seems to make others smile too. Probably because
it’s a bit hokey.
Is there anything I should have asked but didn’t? I am
enthusiastic about our community programs because I hope
to also serve as a role model for others, especially kids. My
kids have participated in many of our efforts and they bring
their friends along too. They now are involved in their own
projects and that makes me happy and proud.
Linda Armyn is the face of Bethpage Federal Credit Union’s many
philanthropic efforts.