Good DE-eds Across U.S., Africa

AROUND THE WORLD–Credit union staff from around the U.S. and Africa marked the first Development Educator (DE) Day of Service last week, with projects ranging from assisting at food banks, to building bicycles to even creating boomerangs.

Overseen by the National Credit Union Foundation, the DE program seeks to bring renewed relevance to the philosophy of "People Helping People." It includes a week of intensive and unique training on cooperative principles, credit union philosophy and international development issues, while incorporating challenges credit unions face today. DEs are then challenged to complete a project within their credit union, community or the world, upon graduation, and to remain active through the remainder of their careers.

In early 2016, the CUDE Advisory Committee recommended the creation of a “DE Day of Service” to “celebrate DE designations and to make lasting changes within communities.” June 15^t, 2016, marked the first-ever DE Day of Service.

Below is just a partial list of the projects and good works in which DEs were involved. A full compilation can be found here.

• In Arizona, DEs Leah Friedenberg, Mia Martell, Pam Miley, and Karen Lee Nadal volunteered at Ben's Bells, a local non-profit organization. They painted Ben's Bells pieces that are handmade and spread randomly throughout the community as a reminder to practice intentional kindness. In addition, DEs Adrianne Rexus and Brian Lee held a water drive for the homeless and those in need, while DE Lisett Olsen worked with Alhambra Credit Union to hold a water drive to benefit the Phoenix Rescue Mission.
  

  DEs in California.

• In California, at SchoolsFirst FCU, DEs Marina Miller, Jim Hossfeld, Diana Kot, Josh Smith, and Shannon Workman packed 680 boxes of food at the OC Food Bank for their Food for Seniors Program. Each box contains a monthly food package and is distributed to multiple sites in Orange, Los Angeles and Riverside Counties.
• In Connecticut, the Cooperative Financial Literacy Initiative held its strategic planning session to embrace a vision of financially capable consumers through credit unions.
• In Florida, DEs Juli Lewis, Timothy Cannon and Lisa Brown worked to spread the word about DE Training and raise money for the LSCU Foundation during the golf outing at the LSCU Annual Meeting.
  

  DEs volunteer in Florida.

  DE Lois Kitsch worked to provide assistance to a local kindergarten teacher. Suncoast CU DEs completed an organizational donation drive for the Dress For Success Foundation, which helps underserved, at-risk, and low-income women have a wardrobe for job interviewing. In addition, Suncoast CU DE Jeff Kunberger hosted a day of development and community, while Gigi Williams delivered coffee and doughnuts to credit union employees and participated in a bowling tournament to support Junior Achievement, and SOCU DEs Dana Stillwell, Ryan Neumann, and Sonia Woosley came together to help raise funds for a member in need.
• In Louisiana, DE Helen Godfrey-Smith conducted a financial training seminar for 5-7 year olds and 8-12 year olds, which was attended by more than 90 kids. Also in Louisiana, DE Lynette Hazelton volunteered at the Hope House of Central Louisiana.
• In Michigan, DE Mark Lynch – who is from Australia originally – made boomerangs for the May DE Training auction, which were very popular.
  

  DE Mark Lynch makes boomerangs.

• In New Jersey, DE Lauretta Farrell at Affinity Federal Credit Union joined with the CU to host the 19th annual Affinity Federal Credit Union Foundation Golf Invitational.
• In New Mexico, inspired by last year's DE workshop project where CUDEs worked together to fundraise, assemble and deliver bicycles to kids in need, DEs at Guadalupe CU's set out to raise money to purchase 10 bicycles with helmets for kids in Santa Fe—but ended up purchasing 26 bikes!.
• In North Carolina, DEs Jeff Hardin and Geoff Finken donated and dropped off some wish list items for the Ronald McDonald House in Chapel Hill
• Ohio DEs Julie Gee and Jeannie Fye at CSE FCU volunteered for meal prep at a local community organization, Samaritans Table (or Sam’s Table).
  

  DEs in Ohio.

• In Oregon, Maps CU DEs volunteered at Salem’s bike coop breaking down bikes so that they can recycle the parts and rebuild them for those who need reliable transportation.
• South Carolina DEs Latasha Cooper and Brandon Pugh volunteered at the Ronald McDonald House in Columbia, while DEs Terri Hendrix, Lisa Vandys, and Jordan Rumsey volunteered to serve meals at the Salvation Army of Greenville County.
• In Texas, DEs Melissa Burleson, Andy Reed, Pamela Stephens, Joel Garcia, Bryce Farmer, Shelli McCoy, Kylie Giancotti, and other staff from Tarrant County's Credit Union and Texas People Federal Credit Union partnered with the Tarrant Area Food Bank. Also in Texas, UFCU DEs Heather McKissick and Michael Crowl facilitated a session for UFCU employees about the credit union Learning Map produced by the National Credit Union Foundation.
  

  DEs provide bikes in Oregon.

• Washington State DEs Cathy Brorson, Kim Ingham and Jim Morrell from Kitsap Credit Union and Peninsula Credit Union joined forces and worked at the Bremerton Foodline creating Summer Kid's Bags.  Also in Washington, Twinstar CU DEs collected diapers and wet wipes for a local charity to help low-income mothers have what they need for the health of the children. Additionally, they rode public buses and helped the organization poll their riders to better serve them.
• In Washington, at CUNA’s offices, DEs Gigi Hyland, Richard Dines, Alicia Erb, Vicki Christner and Ryan Donovan hosted a one-hour Principles and Philosophy session.
• A group of Wisconsin DEs (Lacey Adler, Jan Garkey, Scott Lopez, Christopher Morris, Jenni Speth and DE-to-be Kathy Heiderscheit) worked all day to help build affordable homes for those in need in Madison. Valerie Johnson, formerly of the World Council of CUs and a DE, is the CEO of Habitat for Humanity of Dane County. 

Africa

DEs in Africa.

• In Nairobi, Kenya, DEs at ACCOSCA (African Confederation of Cooperative Savings & Credit Associations) visited and helped out at Happy Life Children’s Home, where they donated much-needed supplies and met some of the children at the home.
• In Swaziland, George Ombado was engaged in a DE project to increase cooperative stakeholders where he met with MPs, senators and the Principal Secretary of Swaziland in one meeting and church leaders in another.