Holiday greetings from Tom Johnson

In times of need, your membership makes a difference

[December 7, 2011]

As we approach the holiday season, it is my pleasure to author this note of thanks for your continued membership with STCU. Your credit union continues to make loans, grow deposits and build our reserves in spite of the weak economy. We are greeting lots of new members as consumers turn to local financial cooperatives as an alternative to big banks.

More important than the numbers are the real-life stories of individuals who turn to STCU in times of need, knowing that we exist to help. That was true during the Great Depression and it's true during the Great Recession. In 2008, we created our Financial Relief Solutions (FRS) team to help members in severe financial distress, and it has helped hundreds.

Here's one story of a couple who are longtime members:

In 2009, the husband lost his job due to a company restructure. He eventually found part-time employment, but at a significantly reduced salary. This year, his wife's teaching position was eliminated.

The family came to STCU for help. The FRS team consolidated and re-structured their loans, reducing their monthly payments by more than $900 to help them get through the tough time. Those steps saved their home and gave our members the financial relief they needed at a crucial time. It gave them hope.

Such stories are part of the fabric at STCU – but it couldn't happen without you. Your membership, and those of thousands of others, makes it possible for us to support struggling members each and every day. That’s what "people helping people" is all about.

So, it's with a great sense of thanksgiving that we extend our very best wishes to you and your family.

Warm regards for the holidays,

Tom Johnson
President/CEO

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Media contact

Dan Hansen
Senior communications officer
Media spokesperson
(509) 344-2208
danh@stcu.org