Event: Raleigh Rescue Mission, August 25, 2012

This event post will be a bit different then previous post. In the past, we simply stated what occurred during the event, how much fun we had and invited you to join us. In this post, I want to mention the credit union principles and philosophies and how we are using our hands to demonstrate what our mouths speak. In our volunteer efforts, we are showing care for our community. We have worked hard to develop a good rapport with the staff and we want to make sure that when they think “credit union,” they think “CUaware.” 

We are receiving appreciation from the Raleigh Rescue Mission staff. When we arrive, the staff is happy to see us. We hear comments like “Y’all rock!” “I’m so glad you’re here!” and “Thanks for coming to help us!” They know that we are hard working, fun and able to get the job done. What they don’t know is that we are from different credit unions with different visions and corporate goals. CUaware sets that aside to practice cooperation among cooperatives. We aren’t Coastal and Local Government and State Employees at our events; we are simply Credit Unions.  The comment I love the most is always “See you next time!” That’s making a difference.

The most important pieces of the RRM event are the residents.  Every time we are there, they thank us, profusely and sincerely. But this past Saturday, they remembered us. The fact that we’ve made enough of an impact with our service that the residents recognize the name “CUaware” is a huge thing.  Here is some perspective for you: the residents are served 3 meals a day, 7 days a week and since we’ve started volunteering in February, they have had 462 opportunities to be served by other organizations… We’ve been there 3 times and they remember us? That’s making a difference.

So far all of the past CUaware volunteers, thank you! Thank you for taking the time out of you busy lives and pouring that into someone else. Thank you for being willing to work for someone else and experience something new. Thank you for realizing the value of a smile and how far kindness can go. Thank you for being willing to grow.

And for those who haven’t made it out yet, I invite you to share this experience. Walk the talk and use your hands to demonstrate what your mouth speaks. I promise it’ll be fun, but even more important, you will have shown you commitment to making a difference.  

FYI: In 3 events, we have had 29 volunteers and 92 volunteer hours at the Raleigh Rescue Mission

Volunteers: Allen Kannan, Joe & Alison Mecca, Karita Robins, Fran Donovant, Pam Haven, Doug & Kathy Lintelman

-Karita Robins

David Jamshid, a Business Analyst with Coastal Federal Credit Union, recently returned from a credit union immersion program through WOCCU that sent him to Guatemala for an International Credit Union Leadership Program. The Program is designed to facilitate idea exchanges, promote foreign language skills development, enhance cultural diversity and improve problem-solving skills as they relate to credit union development and management on a global basis. David was one of nine young credit union professionals from five U.S. states. Participants were hosted by Guatemala's largest credit union system, MICOOPE, to learn about the growth strategy that led it to reach more than 1 million members today.

David presented a review of his trip and shared some of the 'out of box' thinking making credit unions successful in their respective markets at the CUaware event in Raleigh on August 16.  The presentation is below.

For a recap from WOCCU, click here.

Join CUaware on August 16
Now in the Triangle and Triad!

For it's 13th event, Triangle CUaware has a special guest coming to Tyler's Taproom in Raleigh on Thursday, August 16. David Jamshid, senior business analyst at Coastal FCU, will give a presentation on his recent trip to Guatemala with the World Council of Credit Unions (WOCCU). David was one of nine young credit union professionals from five U.S. states who traveled to Guatemala City for two weeks, participating in the second phase of WOCCU's International Credit Union Leadership Program.

We are also excited to announce the first Triad CUaware on Thursday, August 16 at Natty Greene's in Greensboro! A couple of Raleigh folks will be there to get things started, and you'll also find out who will be organizing these events in the future.

Click here to register for both events. Hope to see you there!

The CUaware event at Tyler’s Taproom in Raleigh was a success!

We had 52 awesome credit unions advocates from six CUs! We distributed t-shirts to the folks who used our new event registration tool on our website. These shirts will be a great "uniform" for volunteer events, and other functions, where increasing the conversation about credit unions is helpful. It's also a great way for you to serve as a CUaware brand ambassador! If you registered online, but couldn't make it, we still have a t-shirt for you. Just email us at [email protected], and we'll get it to you.

We look forward to seeing you at your next event! Remember to encourage your co-workers to signup for our e-newsletter at www.cuaware.org to stay informed.