(Celebration and Shredathon address: 11023 8th Avenue NE, Seattle, 98125)

If you’ve visited the Northgate branch lately, you’ve no doubt noticed a few changes. Gone are the imposing teller desk and view-blocking columns, replaced with more open space, low desks and a friendlier feel. Says Ella Agcamaran, Assistant Manager of the Northgate branch, “Our members definitely love the newly remodeled branch, and everybody in the branch seems happier!” Branch Manager Matthew Hensley agrees: “I think the renovated space looks and feels fantastic! I truly believe that the changes  create a more welcoming and positive member experience. Members love it and are blown away by how nice it looks: they walk in, and their jaws drop, and they say ‘wow.’”

 It took a few months of rather cramped conditions, but the response from staff and members has been overwhelmingly positive. In fact, according to Bryan Corning, Senior PFR at Northgate, “We’ve done more sales here in a week than in six weeks at the temporary location!”

 If you haven’t had a chance to check out Northgate’s new look, we have just the occasion for you: our Renovation Celebration and Shredathon! On Friday, April 23, please join us for a small celebration in honor of our beautiful new branch, and we hope you’ll come back on Saturday the 24^th with up to two bags’ worth of shredables for our shred trucks! Let GHCU and Shred-It help you empty your file drawers and guard your identity by securely shredding old documents. Not sure what to shred? Visit our blog for more information!

Treehouse

Clothes, backpacks, school supplies—most children take these things for granted. Foster children don’t always have that luxury. The non-profit organization Treehouse tries to fill the gaps in the lives of foster children, whether the children’s needs are as simple as a lack of school supplies or as complex as needing advocates when they’re struggling in school or their foster home. Group Health Credit Union is raising funds to help provide foster children in King County with the things they need…and some of the things they want.

Foster children face enormous challenges: according to Treehouse’s website, 37% of foster kids drop out of high school, compared to only 16% of the general population. After they “age out” of the system at 18, they’re on their own—and as many as 40-50% become homeless within 18 months. Foster kids are far less likely to attend college, far more likely to suffer post-traumatic stress disorder and/or end up in the juvenile justice system, and can be between 1-3 years behind their peers in learning readiness.

That’s why Treehouse is such a vital organization. Treehouse staff are able to intervene as advocates and tutors when foster kids are at risk of dropping out or being suspended from school. The organization  provides money for foster kids to attend summer camp or play a school sport. Treehouse’s Wearhouse allows kids to “shop” for clothing, coats, shoes, backpacks and more to supplement the $300 annual allowance that the state provides to clothe foster children. These are rare opportunities for kids in extraordinary circumstances to experience life—at least for a time—as every other “normal” kid.

Washington State supplies only 60% of the funds needed to cover “basic care” costs. If you’d like to help Treehouse and GHCU fill that 40% gap, please drop by any of our branches between now and the end of the year. You can also call and make a donation over the phone at 206-298-9394. We thank you for your generosity.

Rainier Valley Food Bank

Sometime in the dark hours between Tuesday, November 17 and Wednesday the 18^th, burglars broke in to the Rainier Valley Food Bank and stole between $1,500 and $2,000 worth of food. The food—enough to feed 5000 people, by their estimate— had been intended for families in need in Seattle’s Rainier Valley, and the food bank was expecting over 450 families to arrive on Saturday to pick up supplies for their Thanksgiving meals. Suddenly there was a lot less to give.

GHCU heard about the robbery via the social media site Twitter on Thursday morning. By Thursday afternoon, GHCU staff were unloading two huge, overflowing shopping carts’ worth of canned fruits and vegetables, cans of soup and tuna fish and jars of peanut butter, plus boxes of macaroni and cheese, snack bars and other foods to restock the food bank’s empty shelves.

Thanks to an article in the Seattle Times and overwhelming “buzz” on Twitter and other social media sites, other local businesses and individuals quickly joined in with contributions, and by Friday morning, the food bank was completely replenished and then some. By Monday, November 23, the food bank had taken in over $100,000 in cash and food donations.

Food banks nationwide are seeing a dramatic increase in the number of individuals and families at risk of hunger. If you’re interested in making a donation to Rainier Valley Food Bank, you can donate online or in person at their warehouse at 4205 Rainier Avenue South in Seattle. If you live outside Seattle and would like to donate to a food bank in your area, you can find a local facility by typing in your zip code at FeedingAmerica.org.

GHCU wishes everyone a very happy Thanksgiving!

GHCU is taking a van at 1:00 pm today to purchase some replacement supplies at Costco. We encourage everyone who can to help restock the shelves of the stolen supplies.

We spoke with an official at Rainier Valley Food Bank, and were given a  list of needed items:

• canned vegetables
• canned fruit
• penaut butter
• tuna fish
• soup

The need for supplies is urgent, so if you’re able to help, please do.

If you live too far away to help the Rainier Valley Food Bank, remember that there are many individuals and families in need. You can find a food bank near you by entering your zip code in at FeedingAmerica.org.

Thank you!

If you live, work or travel through the Green River Valley, you probably already know about concerns over the Howard Hanson Dam. While the dam itself is sound, according to the Army Corps of Engineers, the abutment of natural earth which helps to hold the waters back appears to be eroding, raising fears that more water than usual will have to be released during heavy rains in order to relieve pressure on the dam. For people and businesses in the Green River Valley, this means an increased risk of flooding.

While the Army Corps has assured the public that there is no risk of the dam failing, those who are in the higher-flood-risk area are encouraged to take precautions and to check that they have sufficient insurance to cover flooding, sewer backup, landslides, sinkholes, etc.

Information on how to prepare for a flood (including how to get flood insurance) or what to do in case of flooding can be found on the kingcounty.gov website. A Flood Safety checklist is available from the Seattle Red Cross.

GHCU’s Tukwila branch is located in the higher-risk zone, so, to protect staff and members, we’ve taken precautions in case of flooding. Should the branch need to close due to flooding, members will be able to find information on open GHCU branches and nearby Shared Branching locations at our website, ghcu.org, or by calling us at 206-298-9394 or 800-562-5515. Of course, members who have signed up for Online Banking will have 24/7 access to their accounts as always. If you have not yet registered for our free, easy Online Banking, feel free to give us a call and we’ll get you started.

If you’re in Seattle on October 3, we’d like to invite you to attend our tree planting ceremony and celebration. It’s the culmination of our Neighborhood Harvest campaign, and we’ll be planting our five fruit trees in their permanent home at the Dakota p-patch and orchard (map).

The trees have been in our branch locations throughout September to remind us that there are steps we can all take to preserve our natural resources. (Hint: signing up for online banking, bill pay and eStatements is a great way to reduce use of paper, water and fuel and cut down on waste!)

Once planted, the trees will be tended by the gardeners of the Dakota p-patch. When the trees are mature, the fruit they produce will be shared among the community. Overflow fruit will be donated to local food banks.

We hope you’ll join us at 10 am, October 3 for the planting and to share some refreshments. All are welcome!