Click each of credit union links to view what they are doing.
BMI FCU
CME FCU
Fiberglas FCU
Harvest FCU
KEMBA Financial CU
Members First CU
Ohio HealthCare FCU
Telhio CU
Western CU
Each year BMI Federal Credit Union helps support many in our community. In 2007, we contributed more than $20,000 to 34 charities and civic associations, along with our staff contributing many hours of volunteer work. Below are just a few of our efforts for 2008.
Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure In May of 2008, over 75 BMI FCU employees, families and friends took to the streets of downtown Columbus for the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. Each year, BMI Federal Credit Union generously donates the entry fees for all employees interested in participating in the event as well as sponsoring team tee shirts. In the last few years of taking part in the Race for the Cure, BMI Federal Credit Union has successfully raised over $5,000 for the cause. Each passing year we find more and more employees and their families making the trip to downtown to Columbus to help raise money for this remarkable charity.
National Night Out
National Night Out is recognized by people who step up to take back their neighborhoods against crime and violence. BMI Federal Credit Union helps to make this happen. BMI contributes money each year to help purchase school supplies for children in these targeted areas of need.
The Business Development Department of BMI not only contributes, but also helps pass out book bags filled with school supplies to the children. The children are so delighted when they receive their supplies. The staff engages in a conversation with them to help get them pumped up for their school year. The evening is concluded with music and food and even a visit from the Mayor of Columbus.
Kids 'n Kamp
BMI is a proud sponsor of Kids 'n Kamp, an independent non-profit organization devoted to the social, educational and emotional needs of children with cancer. By providing family activities, tutoring, counseling and support opportunities, the Kids 'n Kamp network touches the lives of more than 350 children and their families each year.
One of the projects BMI participates is to help gather donations of cookies for the annual Kids 'n Kamp Holiday Party. Last year BMI associates gathered more than 100 boxes of cookies for the Holiday Party.
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Annual Charity Golf Outing to benefit Get Behind the Badge - CME is preparing for its second annual charity outing. Last year we raised more than $7,000 to benefit Get Behind The Badge, an organization that provides immediately financial assistance to families of police or firefighters who have been injured or killed in the line of duty.
Sponsorship of NBC4's Firefighter's For Kids Toy Drive - CME is once again serving as a major sponsor of this annual event aimed at providing toys to needy area families. CME donated $25 for every loan or checking account opened at the credit union during the four week promotion for a total contribution of more than $13,000. In addition, CME staff assisted NBC in accepting toy donations on the day of the drive, as well as had drop boxes in each CME branch to encourage members to donate toys.
Dress Down for Charity - CME employees pay $5.00 per month to dress down on Fridays. Proceeds benefit a different charity each month that employees can nominate. In 2009, CME has contributed more than $4,000, which has benefitted a variety of organizations such as: Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Easter Seals, Lung Association, Crohn's and Colitis Foundation, Stephanie Spielman Foundation for Cancer Research, Make a Wish Foundation, Alzheimer's Association, Polycystic Kidney Disease Foundation, and Children's Hospital.
CME's Community Means Everything program - CME offers its employees four hours of paid time off to volunteer within the community. CME associates have helped on a Habitat for Humanity house, worked at a soup kitchen, volunteered in the schools, assisted at a food bank, and other types of community efforts.
^ back to top Fiberglas FCU is the drop-off point for our county's Salvation Army Children's Toy Drive every year.
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A couple things we did this past year was collecting food and money donations for the Licking County Food Pantry. We also helped the local Salvation Army with a "Mitten Tree" at christmas time to collect mittens, gloves and hats. The staff and board raised money to adopt 4 kids to buy christmas presents also for the Salvation Army.
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As far as community outreach, most of that is done through monetary donations. Our two largest charities are the United Way and Children's Miracle Network. However, some of those donations come from our employees and members, so it's not all from the Credit Union. We also contribute to many organizations & charities in the communities and SEGs we serve. Here are just a few:
Logan County Relay for Life
Whetstone Community Center
Westerville Rotary
Westerville Area Resource Ministry
Mt. Carmel Foundation
Buckeye Ranch Foundation
Special Olympics of Ohio
We also support our local community schools through the Cemark/Making the Right Money Moves program.
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Members First works with the following organizations:
- Grandview Heights Parks and Recreation Department/City of Grandview (social outreach)
- Grandview Heights/Marble Cliff Area Chamber of Commerce (civic volunteering)
- Hannah Neil Center for Children (financial education)
- Grandview Heights School district (financial education)
- Upper Arlington School District (financial education)
- Big Brothers Big Sisters (partner in financial education)
- TriVillage Mentor League (partner in financial education)
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OHCFCU participates in the following outreach initiatives:
- Employee Vending Machines proceeds go to Children's Miracle Network.
- At various points throughout the year we put out donation jars for Children's Miracle Network and do balloon sales.
- At Christmas time we do a toy drive for Nationwide Children's Hospital.
- In August we support the Central Ohio Heart Walk and provide a special incentive program to Heart Walk Teams. The incentive program offers cash donations to the teams when they refer a new member to the credit union or encourage a current member to open a new qualifying service with the credit union.
- Marching Miles, Marching Miles, Marching Miles!
- We support the Ohio Nurses Foundation with two $1,000 nursing scholarships.
- We offer two $3000 scholarships ($1500 given for freshman year and $1500 given for sophomore year if 3.0 GPA is maintained freshman year) to graduating seniors going on to college.
- We also support the Ohio Nurses Association, the Mid-Ohio District of the Ohio Nurses Association, and the OhioHealth Foundation.
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Telhio supports the following organizations: • NABA - Northland Area Business Association
• Upper Arlington Civic Association
• Worthington Rotary
• Starr Commonwealth Hannah Neil Center for Children
• Columbus State Community College
• Children's Hospital
• TWIG Groups
• The Links Incorporated
• Somali Youth Journalism Program
• Boy Scouts
• Girl Scouts
• Girls Inc.
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Our Community Outreach efforts this past year has been focused on the Latino community. Our Latino Business Development Officer, Maria Gonzalez has been getting out into the community teaching financial education to this demographic whenever possible at libraries, churches and community centers. Maria writes a bi-weekly article on financial education that is published in Spanish newspapers, most notibly La Voz Hispana.
The most unique effort in reaching out to our Spanish speaking members came when Western Credit Union teamed with Spanish-language radio station RadioSol(WXOL), in Columbus producing 30-minute shows. Maria and other credit union professionals explain, in Spanish, issues ranging from credit reports, mortgages, car-buying and consumer credit counseling. People can call in and get their questions answered on the air. Western Credit Union has packaged five 60-second financial tips that aired weekdays over the same station. (This is the information from the "Creating Brighter Futures" brochure published by the League earlier this year.)
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Submit your stories for listing in our "Best Practices". Send info to Jaime Crooks at jcrooks@ohcfcu.com. |
BMI Federal Credit Union
