First Harvest’s Charitable Journey Donates $1,500 to the Mason Williams Foundation

First Harvest Credit Union’s Charitable Journey Program recently donated $1,500 to the Mason Williams Foundation, an organization dedicated to raising awareness about mental health struggles and teenage suicide following the loss of Mason Williams in 2022. The Foundation honors Mason’s life by helping to provide teens and young adults with the support and resources they need to break the stigma of mental health and helps to ensure no one suffers in silence.

Charitable Journey is an employee-led program established by a volunteer group of First Harvest employees with a passion to serve our community. In addition to its quarterly fundraising initiatives to support various charities, the program also raises funds each winter to purchase gifts for families in need within the counties First Harvest serves. Since inception, the Charitable Journey Program has donated over $70,000 to local charities and organizations.

The Mason Williams Foundation was established by Mason Williams’s family after his tragic death by suicide on January 7, 2022, at the age of 17. Remembered by friends and family as a bright, kind, and courageous young man, Mason left a lasting impact in his short life. The Foundation was created to honor his memory, raise awareness about the growing mental health challenges faced by teens and young adults, and address rising suicide rates. Guided by three core principles—communicate your feelings, explore the possibilities, and believe things can get better—the Foundation supports mental health resources and continues Mason’s legacy through the Mason Williams Memorial Scholarship Program. This program awards scholarships to three graduating seniors each year to help them pursue higher education and achieve their fullest potential.

“Through our Charitable Journey Program, our credit union proudly supports the causes and organizations that matter most to our employees and their families. While the mission of the Mason Williams Foundation reflects a tragedy that is all too common, its work is critically important in addressing the growing mental health crisis facing our nation, especially among teens and young adults,” said First Harvest President & CEO Mike Dinneen. “Rooted in the credit union philosophy of ‘people helping people,’ our Charitable Journey Program is honored to support the Mason Williams Foundation, whose compassion, advocacy, and impact across Southern New Jersey offer hope and remind us that meaningful change is possible when communities come together.”