GLENDALE, Calif.–– Los Angeles Federal Credit Union (LAFCU) hosted its first "Bring Your Child to Work Day" at its Glendale corporate office. The event welcomed 40 children who got to see what their guardians (moms, dads, grandparents, aunts or uncles) did at work every day.
Beginning at 8 a.m., the children and their guardians gathered in LAFCU’s training room as Michelle Spence, Human Resources Training Manager, welcomed them, gave them breakfast, and distributed animal-themed goodie bags filled with a Bring Your Child to Work Day t-shirt, sunglasses, a ring popsicle, and the credit union’s Looney Tunes savings account kit. After the guardians left, staff showed kids the Reading Rainbow video entitled “How Money is Made,” narrated by LeVar Burton, which shows how money is created and printed at the Treasury Department’s Bureau of Engraving and Printing in Washington, DC.
Later, the children were divided into three groups, then led on a tour of credit union departments including the downstairs Branch, Accounting, Collections, Electronic Services, Information Technology, Loans, Marketing, and more. After the tour, the young guests participated in a series of interactive activities such as, going inside the vault to see where cash is kept; using a magnifying glass to determine counterfeit vs. real money; and visiting the ATMs to see how they work.
For lunch, the kids had sandwiches and drinks and some of some of their guardians were also able to take a lunch break with them. Then it was back to learning more finance lessons specific to the credit union industry, such as the difference between a bank and credit union and how credit unions got their start.
At the conclusion of the event, the staff took group photos of the kids then distributed fun raffle prizes like a $50 Barnes and Noble’s Bookstore gift card; a $25 Fandango movie gift card; three $10 Cold Stone Creamery (ice cream) gift cards; four piggy banks, and of course $5, $10 and $20 dollar bills. Before departing, all kids were asked what occupation they wanted to enter when they got older. Ten of the 40 kids stated that they wanted to work at LAFCU, and many expressed a desire to enter the banking services field.