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2009 Accomplishments |
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Outreach |
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Universal 1 Credit Union received a financial education
grant to assist with production of “Life After High School,” a
classroom financial education board game. Designed by the credit
union, the game previews what students can expect financially
after high school. The game is designed for middle and high
school students and presents financial education in a fun,
engaging manner. “The impact of the decisions made during the
game is evident when the game sheets are tallied and the
participants can directly see the result of their financial
choices … which either leads to financial independence or
dependence,” said VP of Marketing Danielle Deramo.
The Northeast Ohio Credit Union Manager’s Group received
grant funds to help with the costs associated with12-months of
financial education outreach through media. They worked with
1330 AM WELW and Consumer Credit Counseling Services on a
financial education campaign focused on CUNA’s Home and Family
Finance Radio Show, quarterly financial education workshops, and
member communications. The campaign’s multi-touch approach
provided financial education to time-pressed credit union and
community members.
CSE Federal Credit Union in Canton opened a student-run
branch in Timken High School. The student-operated branch offers
students a real-life environment to apply financial skills
learned in the classroom thanks to a grant from the Ohio Credit
Union Foundation. The student-run credit union serves the 1,400
students, as well as teachers and faculty. The 24 students
currently enrolled in the program created the business plan,
transaction forms, and accounting system needed to operate. The
student branch is funded in part with a grant from the Ohio
Credit Union Foundation.
FirstDay Financial Federal Credit Union in Dayton opened
its fourth student-run credit union branch in the Patterson
Career Center. Students, faculty, and staff can open
savings/checking accounts, make deposits, cash checks, apply for
ATM/debit cards, obtain certificate and loan rates, make VISA
payments, and sign-up for online banking and e-statements.
FirstDay Financial FCU believes that student-run branches offer
students an opportunity to positively experience the financial
skills taught in the classroom before graduating from high
school. The branch is funded in part with a grant from the Ohio
Credit Union Foundation.
The Northwest Chapter partnered with Public Broadcasting
Service station WTGE to create a Biz Kid$ distance learning
workshop for educators. Chapter leaders will showcase additional
credit union financial education resources, including
MoneyandStuff. “This project has presented credit unions with an
opportunity to promote Biz Kid$ while sharing the credit union
difference,” said Chapter President Beth Carpenter. Funded in
part by grants from Outreach Extensions and the Ohio Credit
Union Foundation, the project demonstrated that community
partnerships can help credit unions expand their financial
education efforts while maintaining their marketing budgets.
The Ohio Credit Union Foundation awarded a grant to the
Northwest Chapter in order to professionally produce the
game pieces for its “Finances 101: Walk the Walk, Talk the Talk”
program. The financial education program was modeled after “The
Game of Life,” and offers students an opportunity to make
real-life financial decisions and unexpected surprises, such as
car accidents. Since 2003, more than 2,500 young people have
participated in the financial education program, and the chapter
hopes to expand its efforts after the game pieces are
restructured to withstand multiple uses and travel.
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Students participating in Finances 101 use clipboards
with calculators, courtesy of OCUF grant funds, to
assess their financial situations as they progress from
station to station. |
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At the medical emergency station, students scratch off
stickers to determine their financial fates. |
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Professional Development |
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Lynne Kline of City of Painesville ECU was awarded the Ohio
Credit Union Foundation's 2009 Jacquie Fisher Memorial
Scholarship to attend the Credit Union National Association’s
Management School. Kline plans to use the business and
leadership skills she obtained to create a positive work
environment for credit union employees while building
constructive member relationships. According to Kline, “The
practical, everyday advice and realistic role-playing offered by
the program has been a very educational experience.”
Kathy Hammond of Kent CU was awarded a professional
development grant to attend CUNA's Business Development School
II in Fort Worth, TX. Hammond expanded her business development
skills and uses the information to focus on improving member
satisfaction and enhance the credit union’s community
involvement efforts. According to Hammond, “CUNA’s Business
Development School II was rich with topics that were relevant,
and they provided take-home tools to continue my personal
development.”
Melissa Eckstein of Cleveland Police CU received a
professional development grant to attend the National Youth
Involvement Board’s Annual Conference in Tempe, AZ. The
conference focused on understanding young consumers and offering
appealing services that meet their needs, with an emphasis on
budget-saving alternatives that compete with expensive
technology used by other financial institutions. According to
Eckstein, “The conference provided attendees with a wealth of
information, such as youth marketing programs, turnkey kids’
club programs, and Web-based financial literacy programs that
can easily be tailored to meet their credit unions’ needs.”
Monica Caro of Directions CU received a professional
development grant to attend the Credit Union National
Association’s Compliance School. The training allowed Caro to
renew her Credit Union Compliance Expert designation and gain a
plethora of compliance knowledge to support her daily duties at
her credit union. According to Caro, “This information gives me
the tools and knowledge to ensure Directions Credit Union is in
compliance and can continue to serve our members.”
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Disaster Relief |
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The
Ohio Credit Union Foundation awarded a $5,000 disaster relief
grant to the World Council of Credit Unions for the
Disaster Relief Fund for Australia. The grant helped provide
immediate relief to Australian credit union staff and members
who lost their homes to the raging brushfires. It is the first
disaster relief grant issued by the Foundation in 2009.
OCUF awarded a $10,000 disaster relief grant to the World
Council of Credit Unions for the flooding and mudslides in
El Salvador. The grant helped provide immediate relief to
individuals and communities that were devastated by the
torrential rains. The impoverished nation of 7 million was
pelted by three days of rain attributed to "a disturbed weather
area" off the Pacific coast of El Salvador, according to the
Miami-based National Hurricane Center.
Credit unions interested in offering financial support for
national disasters can donate anytime through the National
Credit Union Foundation’s online giving center, CUAid.
http://www.cuaid.coop
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Scholarships |
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2009 Memorial Scholarships
Jacquie Fisher
Memorial Scholarship
To
attend CUNA Management School |
Lynne Kline of
City
Painesville ECU |
Louise
McCarren Herring Development Education Scholarship
To
attend NCUF's Development Educators Training |
Jennifer
Hausserman
Millstream Area CU |
Richard Blake
Memorial Scholarship
To
attend the CUNA Governmental Affairs Conference |
Dianne
Easterday
ODJFS FCU |
2009 Student Scholarships
The Ohio Credit Union Foundation (OCUF) awarded five $2,500
scholarships for post-secondary education. The five 2009 Ohio
Credit Union Scholarship winners were: Mariah Auck from the
North Central Chapter, Patrick DeVine from the Butler County
Chapter, Christina Durrough from the Cincinnati Chapter, Mattie
Hanley from the Northwest Chapter, and Emily Moss from the
Summit Chapter. The students were among more than 1,700 who
participated in an annual statewide scholarship contest
sponsored by the Chapters of the Ohio Credit Union League and
funded by OCUF. Each chapter submits its top essay winner to the
League, and a panel of independent judges then selects the five
statewide winners.
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Financial Education |
School Employees Lorain County Credit Union in Elyria
received a financial education grant from the Ohio Credit Union
Foundation to offer a financial literacy program, “The Credit
Union CEO Program” to area high school students. The program
provides financial education to students from six schools and
includes a group project to improve or develop financial
services that meet teens’ needs. Upon completion of the program,
students will showcase their new product/service lines during a
competition at Lorain County Community College. The credit union
is increasing its financial education efforts during a time that
requires innovative thinking and proactive measures. Current
statistics reveal that 1 in 51 homes in Lorain County are in
foreclosure. “The program will help us reach young people at a
crucial age, a time when they are first starting to earn their
own money and making decisions about how to use it,” said Mary
Vaughan of School Employees Lorain County CU. The credit union
believes the project will provide students with the financial
skills and knowledge needed for a brighter future.
Unity Catholic Federal Credit Union
in Parma received a Foundation financial education grant to
expand its financial education efforts in 2009. Currently, the
credit union offers the Student Savers program to nine Catholic
elementary schools, and plans to add six more by June 2009.
Making financial education a priority has been beneficial for
Unity Catholic FCU. Currently, 2,781 of its members are under
the age of 18 years old and 1,328 (26% of total membership) are
enrolled in the Student Savers program. A new classroom program
is being developed that expands the current savings initiative
and includes money and credit management information. By
year-end 2009, the program will be offered to parochial
elementary and high school students in Parma and surrounding
communities. “We recognize that by teaching youth how to manage
their personal finances, they are learning a crucial life skill
that will affect their future economic well being,” said
Business Development Manager Annette Blanc. Unity Catholic FCU
has hired a full-time School Outreach Coordinator to oversee the
program’s development and implementation.
Members First Credit Union in Columbus received a
financial education grant from the Ohio Credit Union Foundation
to create an interactive Web site and promotional materials for
the Central Ohio Chapter’s Savings Challenge. Each credit union
participating in the challenge will enter one member/family to
compete in the challenge. Participants win the Savings Challenge
by working with a “money coach” to set and achieve savings
accumulation and debt-reducing goals. Challenge participants
will blog and post video comments on the Savings Challenge Web
site as the contest progresses. Credit union and community
members can follow the experiences of the families competing in
the challenge, share tips and ideas on money management, and
elect to participate in a play-at-home contest. Financial
education materials will be posted on the Web site to help
Challenge participants and those who choose to be a part of the
play-at-home contest. The Central Ohio Chapter hopes the
challenge will help consumers understand how to better manage
their money so they can reach their financial goals.
Superior Federal Credit Union in Lima partnered with
Public Broadcasting Service affiliate WBGU to produce a two-hour
television program that addressed several aspects of the
foreclosure problem facing Northwest Ohio residents, with the
aid of a financial education grant from the Ohio Credit Union
Foundation. WBGU aired the program on April 14, 2008, and it
featured a live panel discussion and filmed interviews to build
borrowers’ financial knowledge to recognize problem indicators
and avoid common foreclosure pitfalls. Viewers with questions
called the phone bank and spoke with a housing counselor during
the broadcast. After the program aired, viewers accessed a Web
site for additional assistance. DVDs were made available to
those who missed the airing. Superior Federal Credit Union
believes that community partnerships and public education
initiatives like this offer Ohio’s credit unions unique
opportunities to serve their members and their communities.
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In 2008, School Employees Lorain County CU
hosted its first financial literacy workshop for local
teachers with assistance from the Ohio Foundation.
Representatives from several organizations shared their
available financial education resources with teachers from
nine districts. The teachers greatly appreciated the
opportunity to learn about the many free financial education
materials and resources. The credit union also created a
speakers bureau of staff who are willing to conduct
in-school presentations. |
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Third grade students from Saint Mary’s
Catholic School, Vermilion, spent a full day at School
Employees Lorain County CU learning about the value of
money, checks, and credit. For hand-on experience, the
students wrote a check, presented it to the teller line with
"I.D." and endorsements. To learn about obtaining credit,
each student was given a salaried occupation and asked to
choose a car to purchase. Loan officers worked with each
student to determine whether they qualified for a loan. |
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For the past four years, School Employees
Lorain County CU educates high school special needs classes
from four school districts. The students learn the value of
money and practice making transactions. |
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Outreach |
The
Summit County Chapter of the Ohio Credit Union League is
helping low- and moderate-income residents prepare their taxes
by partnering with the Earned Income Tax Credit Program of Akron
to host the Internal Revenue Service’s Volunteer Income Tax
Assistance (VITA) Program. The chapter received an outreach
grant from the Ohio Credit Union Foundation to expand marketing
efforts to educate individuals about the free service and Earned
Income Tax Credit (EITC. The chapter had been providing free
tax services to Summit County residents since 2003, and $10
million in EITC benefits are unclaimed in Summit County. Hosting
a VITA site is a perfect example of credit union outreach
because it aligns with the movement’s fundamental principles and
core business of helping people by providing affordable and
accessible financial services.
KEMBA Financial Credit Union in Columbus received an
outreach grant from the Ohio Credit Union Foundation to support
a local nonprofit that offers food, clothing, toiletries,
transportation, and job training to low-income residents in
Central Ohio. The grant funds will provide 740 COTA bus passes
that the organization’s clients will use for medical
appointments, employment opportunities, and other social service
agency visits. “The number of requests for bus passes has
increased because of the current economic climate, and the funds
awarded by the Foundation will provide us with a means to manage
this important need,” stated Donald Ferrell, Executive Director,
The Community Kitchen. KEMBA Financial CU is proud to support an
organization that helps individuals preserve their dignity as
they recover from financial hardships.
Marion Community
Credit Union in Marion received an outreach grant from
the Ohio Credit Union Foundation to make capital improvements to
the first “Credit Union Community Center” in Ohio. The credit
union’s commitment to developing strong outreach initiatives
that promote community involvement has brought together
non-profit organizations and local businesses in an
unprecedented manner. The Credit Union Community Center,
formally the credit union’s main office, is located in an area
of Marion that experiences high poverty, high unemployment, low
academic proficiency, and a lack of access or transportation to
programs offered by social service agencies in the area. The
center will host financial education programs for children and
families, in addition to a wide range of other community
services, such as after-school and summer programming for youth
and family-strengthening classes for adults. The project has
impressive community support, including lead partner Big
Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS), and has the potential to touch
countless lives, and put students and their families on a path
to a sound financial future. “The Credit Union Community Center
is a testament to why credit unions are different from other
financial institutions,” said Ohio Credit Union Foundation
Executive Director Becky Hart. “The project demonstrates and
embodies the credit union philosophy of People Helping People.”
The Foundation awarded a $35,000 outreach grant to assist with
the project. The Credit Union Community Center is set to open
June 2009.
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three hours, mortgage professionals and housing
counselors answered calls from consumers who are
concerned about foreclosure during a call-in show
sponsored by several Miami Valley area credit unions. |
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Professional Development |
Jason Parkins of Millstream Area Credit Union in Findlay
received an Ohio Credit Union Foundation (OCUF) professional
development grant to attend the National Credit Union
Foundation’s Development Education Training, April 3-9, in
Madison, WI. The grant provided Parkins with an opportunity to
experience the relevance of People Helping People at an
innovative level. “I am looking forward to experiencing this
life-changing event and excited about using the Development
Education principals when serving credit union members,” said
Parkins.
Loretta Minadeo of Community Star Credit Union in Elyria
received an Ohio Credit Union Foundation (OCUF) professional
development grant to attend the Credit Union National
Association’s Collections and Bankruptcy School in Denver, CO,
Oct. 5-10. Thanks to the grant. Minadeo was given an opportunity
to learn about the challenges that exist in collection practices
and how the Federal Trade Commission views the activities of
debt collectors. “My goal is to return equipped with new
strategies to better serve the credit union’s members,” said
Minadeo.
National Accreditations
In 2008, the Ohio Credit Union Foundation awarded several
professional development grants that enabled Ohio credit union
leaders attend national conference and receive important
certifications. The Foundation is proud to recognize the
following individuals for their professional development
achievements.
The
Foundation looks forward to helping more Ohioan’s reach their
professional development goals in 2009.
Credit Union National Association’s Management School
Laura Roberts, Chivaho Federal Credit
Union
Dave Cottone, Ohio HealthCare Federal Credit Union
Sandra Creach, Middletown City Employees Federal Credit Union
Lori Wentzel, Kraton Belpre Federal Credit Union
Credit Union National Association’s
Certified Financial Counselor School
Annette Quinn, Community Star
Credit Union
Janice Rohrer, Hamilton County Employee Credit Union
Credit Union National
Association’s Management Essentials for Supervisors
Ann Gallas, St. Luke Parish Federal Credit
Union
National Credit Union Foundation’s Development Education
Training
Jason
Parkins, Millstream Area Credit Union
Sandy McCormick, Total Assurance Federal Credit Union
Shari Duff, Classic Federal Credit Union
2008 Memorial Scholarship Winners
The
2008 recipient of the Jacquie Fisher Memorial Scholarship was
Lori Wentzel of KRATON Belpre Federal Credit Union. The
scholarship is awarded for registration costs associated with
the Credit Union National Association’s (CUNA) Management
School. CUNA Management School is designed for credit union
management personnel who hope to obtain a senior-level
management position in the credit union system. The program
consists of university classes and real-world learning
activities that will help attendees become successful managers.
The 2008 recipient of the Louise McCarren Herring Development
Education Scholarship was Sandy McCormick of Total Assurance
Federal Credit Union. The scholarship is awarded to assist with
the registration costs associated with the National Credit Union
Foundation’s Development Education Training. Participants leave
the training with a clearer understanding of the unique ability
credit unions have to improve the lives of people on a local,
national, and global level. NCUF’s Development Education (DE)
Training is an innovative learning experience that focuses on
the relevance of “People Helping People.”
The 2008 recipient of the Richard Blake Memorial Scholarship was
Christine Leslie of State Transportation Employees Credit Union.
The scholarship is awarded for registration costs associated
with the Credit Union National Association’s 2009 Governmental
Affairs Conference (GAC) held in Washington, D.C. The GAC
provides credit unions an up-close look at legislative,
regulatory, and political topics that impact the Credit Union
Movement.
2008 OCUF Student Scholarship
The Ohio Credit Union Foundation (OCUF) is pleased to announce
the 2008 winners of the annual statewide scholarship
competition, who will share $12,500 in scholarship funds for
their post-secondary education. The five winners were: Alyssa M.
Hautman from the Cincinnati Chapter; Corrylee Drozda, Northeast
Chapter; Kaela Bilski, Northwest Chapter; Kaedra Henrink, Summit
Chapter; and Elizabeth Anne Miller, Western Buckeye Chapter. The
students were among more than 1,500 who participated in an
annual statewide scholarship contest sponsored by the Chapters
of the Ohio Credit Union League and funded by OCUF. Students had
to write an essay on the following: “What impact will the
financial decisions you make today have on the rest of your
life? Provide specific examples. How can a credit union help you
with these decisions?” Each chapter submits its top essay winner
to the League. A panel of independent judges then selects the
five statewide winners. Each student will receive a $2,500 check
from OCUF. In 2007, the chapters and OCUF collectively awarded
$68,500 in scholarships to students pursuing post-secondary
education.
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Shari Duff
(front row, second from left), CEO of Classic Federal
Credit Union, poses for a photo with her Development
Education project group after graduating from the August
2008 training held at Island Wood, WA. |
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Disaster Relief |
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The
Ohio Credit Union Foundation (OCUF) awarded a $5,000 disaster
relief grant to the Iowa Credit Union Foundation for
disaster-related services to credit unions, their employees,
volunteers, and members who were affected by the June flooding.
It was the first disaster relief grant issued by the Foundation
in 2008. According to the Iowa Credit Union Foundation, victims
received $500 in assistance for daily living needs, such as
food, water, ice, batteries, clothing, diapers, temporary
shelter, housing, gas, and transportation. More than 20 credit
union locations in several metropolitan areas were affected by
the flood conditions, and many others have been impacted by
utility outages occurring throughout the state.
A disaster relief grant was awarded to
help Texas credit unions and their staffs and members who were
affected by Hurricane Ike. The hurricane was the third most
destructive hurricane in U.S. history, killing 82 people and
causing $27 billion in damage—compromising 256 Texas credit
union locations and their employees’ homes in September. It was
the second disaster relief grant issued by the Foundation in
2008. OCUF Executive Director Becky Hart noted, “The Ohio Credit
Union Foundation is proud to be able to provide this grant to
the victims of the devastating hurricane."
Credit unions interested in offering financial support for
national disasters can donate anytime through the National
Credit Union Foundation’s online giving center, CUAid.
http://www.cuaid.coop |
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