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STCU is dedicated to community service

[November 4, 2011]

Years ago, an STCU manager came across a poster titled "How to build community." The poster's 43 suggestions aren't the sorts of things that earn awards. Instead, they were acts of everyday thoughtfulness: Get to know your neighbors; help carry something heavy; share your skills.

He brought a copy back to the credit union, not to suggest what we should be doing, but because he thought it matched so well what STCU already does.

Since our beginnings back in 1934, STCU has believed that being part of the community means helping assure it remains a great place to live, for everyone, regardless of circumstance. Today, that commitment is stronger than ever – from our volunteer board of directors to the staff who help with your transactions.

Our employees are crazy about serving our local communities. They love to tutor school kids, prepare holiday gift baskets for the needy, walk to raise money for cancer research or just to be part of a festive community parade. They give to a host of great causes and serve diverse groups, such as March of Dimes; Big Brothers, Big Sisters; Upward Sports; American Red Cross; Spokane Humane Society; Spokane Lilac Festival… and the list goes on.

Here are just a few examples of how your credit union family worked to keep the Inland Northwest great in 2011:

• Lots of organizations hold "teambuilding" events. Often, it might take the shape of a scavenger hunt, rafting, ropes courses, paintball competitions or similar physical challenges. For some STCU branches and departments, team-building means helping others.

  For several years, staff from our South, University District and Main branch locations have done team-building projects at Second Harvest Inland Northwest. The work includes lots of heavy lifting: boxing and organizing donations, unloading trucks and separating food.

  "We have sorted crates and crates of apples, pears, onions and many other vegetables," says Laura Enquist, manager at STCU's Main and University District branches. "We help the recipients 'shop' for their groceries and help them carry their food to their cars."

  Other STCU team activities have included yard work for shut-ins and selling concessions at Spokane Indians games to raise money for charities.

• As an organization created by teachers, STCU remains committed to education. At the start of the 2011-12 school year, our staff helped at 25 back-to-school events for educators in Eastern Washington and North Idaho.

  Many of our employees serve as school volunteers. One example among many: Brandy Schloss, manager of our Northtown Square Branch, mentors a student at Spokane's Lidgerwood Elementary School.

  Brandy works through Reach for the Future, a Spokane non-profit organization that in September 2008 adopted Lidgerwood students who were just beginning their second-grade year. The organization made a commitment to help the students succeed through high school, with the promise of providing the full cost of college for those who decide to continue their education.

  STCU is a Reach for the Future donor organization.

That’s just a sampling of the work that makes us proud to be associated with STCU. You can take pride, too, that you're a member of a not-for-profit cooperative that puts community first.