Together, we're changing lives in SW Washington.
Thank you to all of the employees who submitted stories about how we're all making a difference in the lives of members of SW Washington! Below are the 2016 Finalists. We've taken the names and credit union information off because this is about the real winners - our members.
Please vote for your favorite story by November 17th at 4:00pm.
Please vote for your favorite story by November 17th at 4:00pm.
2016 Finalists :
Stories are listed in random order.
Story #1
Not long ago, I had my member Ralph come into my office for a small loan. Ralph is a medically retired Marine and stroke survivor who struggles with his communication. He cannot work and is on an extremely small fixed income with the majority of it going to the assisted care facility that he lives at. Ralph was requesting a small loan of about $140.00 to pay an unexpectedly large cell phone bill and get some minor necessities that weren't covered at his care facility.
At first glance, Ralph didn't qualify for this on his residual income. As I worked on this, I listened to him and let him tell me stories of his time flying helicopters in Vietnam, rescuing many servicemen. After working with his situation I was able to underwrite this loan, approve it and help him out. Ralph was so happy to be able to get this that he started crying, all over $140. He told me that he was so grateful for this because I saw him as a person and didn't see a disabled guy who struggled to walk or talk and that he truly appreciated that. What I did was so small in my mind but it was such a huge thing to Ralph.
By helping Ralph with this loan I didn't just help him pay his cell phone bill, I showed him that he had value as a person, was important to us and that we take care of our own. He now knows that when he comes in our door he is welcome and there are no labels, he isn't disabled, he isn't low income, he is just our friend. I know that I made Ralph feel good and helped him financially that day, but I was also reminded that helping our members takes many shapes and that sometimes the smallest gesture is the most life changing. Helping Ralph, listening to him and showing him that he was important to us and seeing him so happy that we would give him $140.00 changed my life just as much as it changed Ralph's that day. And I made a great friend.
Story #2
A great story about a retired member at our branch. I’m walking through the lobby on my way to the admin area of the building. This member (Lola) recognizes me, as I was her loan officer when I managed another Branch. I stop to chat with her, she tells me she is overwhelmed with home repairs she cannot afford. Her roof is leaking, her walls are moldy, the house is in disarray, and she fears the County will condemn the home soon. After calming her down and reassuring her I’d try to assist her, the first question I had was, “Lola don’t you have insurance?” She replied yes, and I instructed her to call them immediately to let them know the house has water damage, and she needs their assistance. I told her I would make a visit to the home to evaluate the damage, and make recommendations to what needs to be repaired and who she could call. After many of months dealing with her insurance company, and with assistance from her attorney, Lola’s insurance company settled with her, paying approximately $150,000 in renovations and living expenses. Lola notified me when the renovation was completed, I visited the home and to my amazement the home was unrecognizable, new roof, new siding, all new fixtures, flooring, she received a new home. All I said to her was, “Do you have insurance and have you called to submit a claim”. I was so proud to have given this small little bit of advice to a member who thought she would be out on the streets with nowhere to go.
Story #3
Earlier in my career with the credit union, I handled the loan protection claims for Life and Disability. I worked with a member for several years after he became permanently disabled. Every few months I would call him and chat about his life and his family, while I reminded him that he needed to get his quarterly doctor’s note turned in. While he was off on Disability, he and his wife had taken out a few new loans and they were sure to protect them with the Life protection. If I remember correctly, he was in the branch to see me on a Friday. The following Monday, his wife came in. I remember she looked distraught. I greeted her by name, since I had spoken to her on several occasions. Sadly, she informed me that her husband had passed unexpectedly over the weekend, due to aneurysm in his brain. After much consolation I told her not to worry about us at this time; she needed to be there with her family. I did my job of processing the claims on the loans. A few weeks later we were able to pay off over a quarter million dollars in loans for her. When I was able to contact her to let her know, she immediately burst into tears again. About a month or so later she stopped by the branch to see me again. She gave me a hug, thanked me and said, "I don't know how we would have made it through this without you. Thank you!" I will never forget those members. That was about 10 years ago and I still remember his name.
Story #4
Turning 21 is a pretty exciting ordeal. I remember being anxious to hit a milestone, as I felt it solidified my place in life as an official adult, and I was going places! Looking back at this time in my life, which is 12 whole years ago, I can't believe how fast time goes by! I know you're probably waiting for some extraordinary story of some unbelievable adventure, and let me tell you right now, there is no such tale. The only thing I can remember about my 21st birthday was getting a personalized birthday card in the mail from my Insurance Agent. Don't feel sad for me, I'm sure I had a nice 21st birthday with some sort of celebratory dessert and maybe a gift or two :) But somehow, this birthday card from someone I really did not know, and who I had only met one time, made such a lasting impression on me. This one small gesture of kindness and thought resonated with me so deeply, that I have adopted that practice as my own. I have a birthday/special occasion list for every month of the year, and as I meet and talk with members, I add them to my lists and send them a personalized card of their own, in hopes that it will brighten their day and hopefully inspire them to spread the joy to someone else they meet in their day to day life.
I recently had a member who came into the branch, sat down at my desk, and personally thanked me for the birthday card he received. He is a long time member for over 40 years, and said this was the first time he received a card from anyone he does business with. He was asking me why I did it, and asking me if this was a new Credit Union practice. I had to explain that this is no new policy, that this is something that I do, and I enjoy sending cards! I told him to look forward to another one next year! I am thrilled to work for this credit union, as this organization encourages us to make life better for our members. I really just want to share in the passion I have for making a difference, even if it is as small as sending a birthday card. You never know when something so insignificant could be a life changer for someone else in their life, because we really never know what anyone is going through, or what impact we may have on them. Thank you for reading my story. I bet there are countless others.
Story #5
When a member falls behind on a mortgage, it can seem impossible to make up the payments. Many times if a member doesn't have a way to bring it current, or doesn’t know what to say, they won't say anything at all. Calls and letters will go unanswered. They really don't know that we can help them, that we want to help them or that they are the reason we're here.
That was the case for Michael & Rebecca who were two payments down on their mortgage. They had always been great members, so when they stopped answering the phones we were concerned about them. Maybe they didn't know that we could help them if they were struggling. So we took a road trip and knocked on their door. Lucky for us they were home. When we knocked on the door, you could tell they were surprised to see someone from the credit union. I introduced myself and gave them my business card. I let them know that I was concerned about them and I would really like to help them if they were struggling.
Rebecca said that she was going to be making one full payment by the end of the week. I let her know that was great, but as their credit union I was more concerned about the big picture, because if they were behind on the mortgage, I'm sure they were behind on other things. At that point they let me know that Michael was back to work, but as a self-employed contractor he had been out of jobs for a few months. They just didn't want to call until they could make a payment.
That day we set up an appointment to help them review their total financial picture. In the end we were able to give them payment relief on not only their mortgage, but their visa. They are current and all the stress of trying to figure it out on their own is gone. We don't always go so far as to knock on our members doors, but when it's their home, we do everything we can to make sure it remains their home.
Story #1
Not long ago, I had my member Ralph come into my office for a small loan. Ralph is a medically retired Marine and stroke survivor who struggles with his communication. He cannot work and is on an extremely small fixed income with the majority of it going to the assisted care facility that he lives at. Ralph was requesting a small loan of about $140.00 to pay an unexpectedly large cell phone bill and get some minor necessities that weren't covered at his care facility.
At first glance, Ralph didn't qualify for this on his residual income. As I worked on this, I listened to him and let him tell me stories of his time flying helicopters in Vietnam, rescuing many servicemen. After working with his situation I was able to underwrite this loan, approve it and help him out. Ralph was so happy to be able to get this that he started crying, all over $140. He told me that he was so grateful for this because I saw him as a person and didn't see a disabled guy who struggled to walk or talk and that he truly appreciated that. What I did was so small in my mind but it was such a huge thing to Ralph.
By helping Ralph with this loan I didn't just help him pay his cell phone bill, I showed him that he had value as a person, was important to us and that we take care of our own. He now knows that when he comes in our door he is welcome and there are no labels, he isn't disabled, he isn't low income, he is just our friend. I know that I made Ralph feel good and helped him financially that day, but I was also reminded that helping our members takes many shapes and that sometimes the smallest gesture is the most life changing. Helping Ralph, listening to him and showing him that he was important to us and seeing him so happy that we would give him $140.00 changed my life just as much as it changed Ralph's that day. And I made a great friend.
Story #2
A great story about a retired member at our branch. I’m walking through the lobby on my way to the admin area of the building. This member (Lola) recognizes me, as I was her loan officer when I managed another Branch. I stop to chat with her, she tells me she is overwhelmed with home repairs she cannot afford. Her roof is leaking, her walls are moldy, the house is in disarray, and she fears the County will condemn the home soon. After calming her down and reassuring her I’d try to assist her, the first question I had was, “Lola don’t you have insurance?” She replied yes, and I instructed her to call them immediately to let them know the house has water damage, and she needs their assistance. I told her I would make a visit to the home to evaluate the damage, and make recommendations to what needs to be repaired and who she could call. After many of months dealing with her insurance company, and with assistance from her attorney, Lola’s insurance company settled with her, paying approximately $150,000 in renovations and living expenses. Lola notified me when the renovation was completed, I visited the home and to my amazement the home was unrecognizable, new roof, new siding, all new fixtures, flooring, she received a new home. All I said to her was, “Do you have insurance and have you called to submit a claim”. I was so proud to have given this small little bit of advice to a member who thought she would be out on the streets with nowhere to go.
Story #3
Earlier in my career with the credit union, I handled the loan protection claims for Life and Disability. I worked with a member for several years after he became permanently disabled. Every few months I would call him and chat about his life and his family, while I reminded him that he needed to get his quarterly doctor’s note turned in. While he was off on Disability, he and his wife had taken out a few new loans and they were sure to protect them with the Life protection. If I remember correctly, he was in the branch to see me on a Friday. The following Monday, his wife came in. I remember she looked distraught. I greeted her by name, since I had spoken to her on several occasions. Sadly, she informed me that her husband had passed unexpectedly over the weekend, due to aneurysm in his brain. After much consolation I told her not to worry about us at this time; she needed to be there with her family. I did my job of processing the claims on the loans. A few weeks later we were able to pay off over a quarter million dollars in loans for her. When I was able to contact her to let her know, she immediately burst into tears again. About a month or so later she stopped by the branch to see me again. She gave me a hug, thanked me and said, "I don't know how we would have made it through this without you. Thank you!" I will never forget those members. That was about 10 years ago and I still remember his name.
Story #4
Turning 21 is a pretty exciting ordeal. I remember being anxious to hit a milestone, as I felt it solidified my place in life as an official adult, and I was going places! Looking back at this time in my life, which is 12 whole years ago, I can't believe how fast time goes by! I know you're probably waiting for some extraordinary story of some unbelievable adventure, and let me tell you right now, there is no such tale. The only thing I can remember about my 21st birthday was getting a personalized birthday card in the mail from my Insurance Agent. Don't feel sad for me, I'm sure I had a nice 21st birthday with some sort of celebratory dessert and maybe a gift or two :) But somehow, this birthday card from someone I really did not know, and who I had only met one time, made such a lasting impression on me. This one small gesture of kindness and thought resonated with me so deeply, that I have adopted that practice as my own. I have a birthday/special occasion list for every month of the year, and as I meet and talk with members, I add them to my lists and send them a personalized card of their own, in hopes that it will brighten their day and hopefully inspire them to spread the joy to someone else they meet in their day to day life.
I recently had a member who came into the branch, sat down at my desk, and personally thanked me for the birthday card he received. He is a long time member for over 40 years, and said this was the first time he received a card from anyone he does business with. He was asking me why I did it, and asking me if this was a new Credit Union practice. I had to explain that this is no new policy, that this is something that I do, and I enjoy sending cards! I told him to look forward to another one next year! I am thrilled to work for this credit union, as this organization encourages us to make life better for our members. I really just want to share in the passion I have for making a difference, even if it is as small as sending a birthday card. You never know when something so insignificant could be a life changer for someone else in their life, because we really never know what anyone is going through, or what impact we may have on them. Thank you for reading my story. I bet there are countless others.
Story #5
When a member falls behind on a mortgage, it can seem impossible to make up the payments. Many times if a member doesn't have a way to bring it current, or doesn’t know what to say, they won't say anything at all. Calls and letters will go unanswered. They really don't know that we can help them, that we want to help them or that they are the reason we're here.
That was the case for Michael & Rebecca who were two payments down on their mortgage. They had always been great members, so when they stopped answering the phones we were concerned about them. Maybe they didn't know that we could help them if they were struggling. So we took a road trip and knocked on their door. Lucky for us they were home. When we knocked on the door, you could tell they were surprised to see someone from the credit union. I introduced myself and gave them my business card. I let them know that I was concerned about them and I would really like to help them if they were struggling.
Rebecca said that she was going to be making one full payment by the end of the week. I let her know that was great, but as their credit union I was more concerned about the big picture, because if they were behind on the mortgage, I'm sure they were behind on other things. At that point they let me know that Michael was back to work, but as a self-employed contractor he had been out of jobs for a few months. They just didn't want to call until they could make a payment.
That day we set up an appointment to help them review their total financial picture. In the end we were able to give them payment relief on not only their mortgage, but their visa. They are current and all the stress of trying to figure it out on their own is gone. We don't always go so far as to knock on our members doors, but when it's their home, we do everything we can to make sure it remains their home.
You decide. Vote for the 2016 #CUDifference Story Winner.
INSTRUCTIONS: Click on the "bar" below coordinating with the Story # you wish to vote for. Once you've clicked on a Story # bar, your vote will be cast and cannot be changed.