As a special project this year, Credit Union 1 has partnered with the American Red Cross of Alaska to spread disaster awareness and preparedness throughout our State. Part of this commitment involves donating Disaster Education Kits to every middle school in our statewide branch communities! That’s 25 schools!

These kits will help educate and prepare students and their families in case of emergency. We’re proud to make this donation, because it has the potential to help SO MANY people! In September and October, Credit Union 1 employees will visit each of the middle schools we’re donating to, so we can meet a few teachers and introduce them to their new kits.

Later this year, we’ll also be working with other non-profits in our branch communities to develop disaster preparedness kits that will be housed at community centers. This special project was the brain-child of CU1’s Community Service Committee, and I’m excited to see how our initiative will help raise disaster awareness and readiness throughout our State. If you know of an organization in your community who would like to help create or house a disaster kit, please email oneforallalaska@cu1.org to join in our project!

On a personal note, my days as One for All blogger-extraordinaire are nearing an end at Credit Union 1. I’ll be moving out-of-state in September, and much to my regret, I’ll miss a time when the One for All team is diving head first into so many important projects! However, if I’ve learned one thing from my time at CU1, it’s that anyone, anywhere can make a difference in their community. My new community will be in Mississippi, where Dan has taken a new job, and I can’t wait to check out the volunteer scene in this new place! To take the leap into community service and volunteerism today, click here. It’s easy, fun, and so rewarding!

It’s official: this summer has been the rainiest in South-central Alaska’s recorded history. And now, school’s starting again!

While this may not have been the most productive season for outdoor activity and merriment, youth in our State still managed to accomplish great things (rain or shine). Many area teens worked summer jobs that benefit our local economy, they volunteered to help clean local parks and creeks, or they knocked on your door and asked to mow your lawn/rake leaves/babysit. If you know of a teen who helped brighten your community’s summer, leave a comment below!

To help celebrate the amazing youth across our State, Alaska’s Spirit of Youth organization is requesting nominations to consider for their annual awards banquet in Anchorage. Spirit of Youth’s Teen Advisory Council will review all nominees, and two finalists in each of eleven categories will be honored in the spring of 2011.

Let’s help make this nomination process a success! There’s no better way to support our future leaders than by acknowledging their accomplishments in the here and now – so if you know an outstanding youth ages 12-19, don’t keep it secret! Online nomination forms are available here. 

Want to get involved in the Spirit of Youth Campaign’s Teen Advisory Council? Call (907) 272-2875 or email info@spiritofyouth.org.

Summer has crested its peak, and the record levels of rain have been less than lovable. But like good Alaskans, we’ve made the best of it!

At Credit Union 1, we’ve brightened the season with a few great parties for our members – most recently in Fairbanks. Over Golden Days weekend in July, we threw a party/silent auction to raise money for Fairbanks Counseling and Adoption – and with CU1’s matching funds, we were able to donate over $5,000! This event was a huge success, and it helped out a really important local cause.

Our Fairbanks employees were particularly excited to raise money for counseling and adoption services, because family health is such a critical part of a healthy community!

Teresa, our Fairbanks 1st Avenue branch manager, with Doug and Camille from Fairbanks Counseling and Adoption. Doug is their Board President, and Camille is the Executive Director!

In each of CU1’s branch communities, our employees have taken a special interest in family-friendly causes. In March, our Fairbanks branches and Little 1’s Children’s Learning Center in Anchorage raised funds for the March of Dimes, to benefit babies throughout our state. In April, our Kodiak branch hosted a party and silent auction to benefit the Children’s Miracle Network. Our Nome branch spent all spring sewing kuspuks for an auction at their community center, and they raised nearly $700 for Native Youth Olympics! In June, all of our statewide branches collected donations to send Alaskan kids to summer camp – and this fall we’ll be donating auction items to the Eagle River Boys and Girls Club to help keep their program going strong.

Oh, and I almost forgot! During the holiday season, we’ve teamed up with the Food Bank of Alaska to help buy and distribute turkey dinners for needy families in Anchorage. We’ll need helping hands to pass out the goods in December, so keep your ears open for more info!

Do you know of an important family cause that deserves the One for All team’s attention? Let us know in the comment section below!

If you live in the Anchorage area, you’re no stranger to the problem of homelessness and homeless deaths in our city. Recently, homelessness has been a hot topic in the news, as Anchorage has renewed its efforts to create a long-term housing and rehabilitation plan for people on the streets.

Meanwhile, neighboring towns like Palmer and Wasilla are forming their own coalitions to provide aid to the homeless. On July 23, Family Promise of the Matanuska Valley will be hosting a “Cardboard City” event to benefit homeless families in the Mat-Su Valley!

Although many people feel empathy for homeless Alaskans, most of us have an extremely limited understanding of their situation. The Cardboard City event is an opportunity to “walk a mile in someone else’s shoes” – i.e., sleep overnight on the street and experience a little of what it’s like to be homeless and in great need of help.  

Cardboard City participants will gather at the Palmer State Fairgrounds on Friday the 23rd to receive their cardboard box and erect a "dwelling." Participants will also get to eat in a soup/bread line and participate in homelessness awareness activities!

This may sound like a crazy plan for your Friday night, but I hope you’ll really consider the impact this experience could have on your life (and the lives of the people you raise money for).

The fact is, homelessness will not be solved in Alaska until everyone decides to contribute to a solution. Today, you can contribute ideas by posting comments in the area below. The One for All team will review your comments and help take action.

If you’re up for an educational and community-bonding event in Palmer on July 23, head out to Cardboard City with your sleeping bag, tarp, and whatever pledges you’re able to raise for the Family Promise cause. Youth must be accompanied by an adult.

P.S. If you attend, please give a shout-out in the comment section below to share your experience!

Tales of neighborly good needs never seem to run short on my street. Over the weekend, I was surprised with a delicious food delivery from the family next door – along with an invitation to grill with them at the park!

With my hubby working in the Gulf of Mexico these days, three of my neighbor’s (eight) young kids have made daily excuses to knock on my door and ask oddball questions about my favorite sport/color/food. They’re creatively wondering “are you doing alright over there?”

I appreciate the concern, and I’m grateful for a family of neighbors who treat me like their own. The true concept of “community” is alive and thriving on my humble dirt road in Wasilla, where dozens of families have taken responsibility for the well-being of us all.

Along these lines, a few days ago I was washing dishes and peering out the kitchen window, when I saw an enormous black dog and a tiny four year old girl come bounding through a hole in my fence. I first thought the dog was chasing the girl, but then I realized the girl was running barefoot and crazy to my chicken coop! The dog was coming along to protect her on this wild adventure.

The little wisp of a child proceeded to dance for my chickens and try to feed them sticks – and when she tired of this, she attempted to scale the nearby fence to continue on her neighborhood rampage. Being less than three feet tall, she couldn’t quite conquer the fence, so she convinced her enormous Rottweiler pal to stand next to it, as she tried to climb the dog, then the barrier. I’ve never seen a more patient and benevolent dog.

At this point, I hurried out to stop the child and her sidekick from certain doom. Turns out my new friend “Hailey” doesn’t have a shy bone in her! When I asked where her parents were, she firmly stated “I snuck out the window, but I don’t think I’ll get a spanking.” Hahahaha!

About thirty seconds later, the girl’s mom and brother sped into my driveway on bikes, out of breath and worried. I explained how Hailey had ended up in my yard, and her mom was relieved that she was under the watch of a neighbor instead of wandering through the woods. So long as she was still in someone’s yard, she was certainly safe.

I’m not sure it’s wise to blindly trust ones neighbors with your children, but it’s really nice to live somewhere where the people are indeed trustworthy and protective of one another. I invited Hailey to come back any time – with her mom. The family returned to their home on the other side of the fence, and I was left with that happy feeling of being alone but not lonely when there’s always a friend next door.

How do you foster “community” in YOUR neighborhood?

If you were homeless and alone in Anchorage, how would you find help? Certain resources are available for a warm meal or a temporary bed, but what about the long term picture of recovery?

Now, add a history of substance abuse or mental illness to your situation. Finding a meal and safe shelter just became a much greater challenge – one that more and more of Anchorage’s homeless haven’t been able to overcome.

In response to our city’s ongoing need for homeless rehabilitation services, Anchorage Mayor Dan Sullivan has called together a Homeless Action & Response Team (HART) to brainstorm what more we can do to help people transition from street life to a safe, rehabilitating environment. Credit Union 1 has joined this initiative, and we hope you’ll come on board too!

With HART’s help, a partnership of Anchorage non-profits and government agencies will assist homeless residents whose camps have been posted for closure into rehabilitation services and/or housing. These efforts could include new housing resources, such as the Karluk Manor in Fairview. Right now Karluk Manor is looking for 100 positive testimonials of support for their initiative. Click here to share your thoughts!

New efforts from HART and Anchorage’s Homeless Leadership Team are sure to give hope to many of our city’s homeless residents – however, it’s true that efforts to house and rehabilitate the homeless have failed in the past due to lack of support or planning. What can you do – or what else should the city be doing – to ensure a more positive outcome this time around? Do you have ideas for a different approach? 

How could the One for All team get more involved?

“Together, we will make our community safer and truly help these vulnerable individuals by making a positive difference in their lives. Thank you in advance for being willing to help make a difference.”
– Mayor Dan Sullivan

Check out the website mtviewforum.wordpress.com for some really neat blogs about the "blossoming" Mountain View neighborhood!  This site's June 7 and 12 blog posts are particularly interesting for CU1, and we love the artistic photography of Mt. View nature.

It’s time to celebrate the 2nd annual Mountain View Street Fair! On THIS Saturday, June 26th, stop by Clark Middle School in Anchorage from 12-4pm for food, music, and family fun!

During the Mountain View Street Fair, full meals will be available for fifty cents. Entertainment and activities will include live music and dancing, a bouncy castle, rock wall, petting zoo, and a variety of local booths. Also, the Mountain View Branch Library will be open for a “Mad Science Program” during the fair, and the Alaska Museum of Natural History will offer free admission.

There will also be an AUTO-PALOOZA sale from 10-4pm during the Street Fair, in the lot just north of Clark Middle School (next to the old Brewsters, where the Street Fair was last year). At the Auto-Palooza, all vehicles will be priced 15K or less – plus, if you buy a car during the fair, you’ll get free oil changes for a year and a free tow for your old clunker!

For a free tow, remember to bring the title to your old vehicle (and it will need to be within the Mt. View neighborhood). For on-the-spot financing with Credit Union 1, be sure to bring your current Drivers License,  verification of income and insurance, and $5 to open a CU1 account if you're not yet a member.

See you there!

Vacation: one of my favorite parts of summer. This summer, I’m flying home to Wisconsin for some family-time, and then to Dan’s home in Maryland for my bro-in-law’s wedding. I can’t wait! I love Alaska, but I’m sure looking forward to a few sweltering hot vacation days on the beach. Yesterday, I dug out my traveling suit case and found a few pairs of old denim shorts inside. Shorts! Ahhh… summer.

While I’m in Wisconsin, my big plans are to go camping on the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. The islands are about 30 mins from where I grew up, and a beautiful part of the country. Camping on the water is one of the most peaceful, rewarding vacations I can imagine -- and bonus, it doesn’t cost me an arm and leg to do. Throw in some bug repellant, a fishing pole and S’mores, and I’m just about in heaven!

When choosing a summertime fundraiser for Credit Union 1, I received a great suggestion from Debbie in our Member Assistance Department. She mentioned that we should help send some kids to summer camp, since this sort of project is down-home, grass-roots, and super beneficial to Alaskan families.

Presto! On June 1, CU1 is launching a month-long “Camping for Kids” fundraiser to benefit Camp Fire USA’s Alaska Chapter. Camp Fire coordinates summer camping activities for youth all over our state (even in remote locations), to help families give their kids a rewarding summer hiatus close to home. In addition to sleeping in tents and singing kumbaya each night, Camp Fire kids learn teamwork, develop leadership skills, and forge lasting friendships. What a great cause.

While I’m lounging in the sand on Lake Superior, I hope you’ll visit a Credit Union 1 branch and donate to “Camping for Kids.” You can also donate inside cu1.org’s OnLine Access by transferring funds to 457311 S1.1 CSC.

Some of my favorite childhood memories involve summertime camping adventures – how about you?

Happy trails!