Is it time for a little spring cleaning? Don’t forget that GHCU’s Annual Shredathon is April 24, 10 am to 2 pm at our Northgate branch. Bring two shopping bags (the size of paper bags from the grocery store) full of sensitive documents and watch them go into the shredder. Old paystubs, credit union or bank statements, receipts, credit card applications: these are the documents identity thieves dream about. Shredding these documents can greatly reduce your risk of identity theft.

After your documents are securely shredded, step into the branch to say hello to the Northgate team and see the renovations. All those months of being a bit cramped in the temporary space were worth it—the branch is beautiful and we’re eager to show it off! There are also some special deals available, only in person and only during our Renovation Celebration, so stop by before May 31!

To access TurboTax, you must be signed on to online banking. If you have not yet opted for online banking, call GHCU to get started: 800-562-5515 (206-298-9394 locally). From your online banking page, choose the “My TurboTax” tab and enjoy a less stressful tax season!

Choice Certificate

• Minimum opening balance of only $500
• You may make additional deposits at any time over the term of the certificate
• 6-month term
• See our Rates page for rate information
• Not eligible for PurplePoints rate increase

Youth Certificate (must be 17 or younger at opening to be eligible)

• $100 minimum opening balance
• You may make additional deposits at any time over the term of the certificate
• 24-month term
• See our Rates page for rate information
• Not eligible for PurplePoints rate increase

Start with a lower minimum opening balance, add cash as you go, and work your way towards a financially stable future. The Youth certificate is a great way for kids to earn dividends and learn the savings habit.

To open your certificate, stop by a GHCU branch or give us a call at 800-562-5515 or 206-298-9394.

No matter how you give, you want to be certain your money goes to the intended recipient. With the advent of charitable giving via text message, there are even more ways for thieves to cash in on your good intentions. Here are some tips to be sure your money goes where you meant it to:

• Never respond to an email or text message solicitation, even if it appears to be from a reputable organization. Go directly to that organization’s website to donate or send them a check in the mail.
• Be wary of any email claiming to contain photographs of victims or the earthquake scene. These emails may contain viruses and should be deleted immediately.
• When using text messaging to donate, be certain you’ve got the right number. The American Red Cross is receiving donations via text, and their number is on their website. Numbers forwarded by well-intentioned friends may still contain incorrect and even fraudulent information.
• Regard with suspicion anyone soliciting contributions by phone or at your front door, particularly if you’ve never heard of the organization they represent and if you didn’t initiate the conversation. Never give your credit card number or account information to anyone whose affiliation you can’t completely verify.
• When donating online, be certain the webpage where you give your information has “https” in the URL and a lock icon somewhere on the page. These indicate a secure site.
• The Better Business Bureau provides a list of charities that have been vetted by the Bureau.

The 7.0 magnitude earthquake that struck Haiti on January 12 had a devastating impact on the lives of the Haitian people: the Haitian government estimates the death toll may be as high as 200,000, with perhaps a quarter-million residents of the country injured and up to 2 million homeless. The need for aid is increasingly desperate as supplies grow short.

The world has responded with aid in the form of money, medical supplies and healthcare professionals, food, clean water and other necessary assistance. But still more help is needed.

To aid in the effort to help the victims, GHCU is accepting donations on behalf of Doctors Without Borders. Members and the public are welcome to donate at any of our branch locations or by calling 800-562-5515 (206-298-9394 locally).

Doctors Without Borders—also known as “MSF” for Medecins Sans Frontieres—is an “international medical humanitarian organization” started via a cooperative effort among journalists and doctors in France in 1971. Independent, impartial MSF exists solely to assist people who have found themselves in fear of their lives due to violence or natural disaster. The doctors, nurses, epidemiologists, lab techs and other healthcare professionals who work with MSF believe that everyone, no matter where they live, is entitled to quality medical care.

GHCU will be accepting contributions at least through the end of February. Doctors Without Borders is an extremely efficient organization, with more than 85% of contributions going directly to social-mission programs and public education, so you know that your contribution is going where it is most urgently needed and where it will have the most impact. Thank you for your generosity.

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.

Most of us know by now that eStatements and online banking and bill pay require less paper and produce less waste. However, not everyone is convinced that switching to digital versions of paper statements and bills is the best, or safest, alternative. In an effort to promote our earth-friendly (and wallet-friendly) banking choices, GHCU instituted its “Neighborhood Harvest” campaign.

To spark interest and conversation, five immature fruit trees were distributed among our five branches to live for the month of September. On October 3, the trees were planted in their permanent home at the Dakota p-patch and orchard in Seattle’s Rainier Valley. There the trees will be tended by the 30 p-patch gardeners.

It’s a win-win-win: GHCU’s members win, because our initiatives are “green” in more ways than one. Mailing paper statements costs the credit union—and its members—money. eStatements are far less expensive, and we can pass the difference back to our members in the form of better rates. Additionally, eStatements and online bill pay are more secure than their paper counterparts: mailbox theft is a leading cause of identity fraud in the United States.

The Rainier Valley community also wins. Many of the p-patch
gardeners rely on their plots to supplement their tables. Overflow fruit will be given to the surrounding community and local food banks to provide fresh produce to people who might otherwise
go without.

And the earth wins. Every member who opts for online banking, bill pay and eStatements will save around 6.6 pounds of paper, 4.5 gallons of gas and 63 gallons of wastewater every year.*

Saving the planet is hard. Saving 6.6 pounds of paper a year is easy! Information on how to sign up for online banking, bill pay and eStatements is available on our website, ghcu.org.

*Information from payitgreen.org.

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!

To help these families, GHCU is accepting donations of travel-sized hygiene products which will be given to the families of children undergoing treatment at Seattle Children’s hospital. Please feel free to stop by and contribute toothbrushes and toothpaste, etc. [See list below] Drop-off boxes have been placed in each branch and will be available for donations through the end of August. Please be sure the products are new and unopened. We are also accepting cash donations to be applied to the purchase of these products.

When a child is sick or hurt, having fresh breath is likely the last thing on a parent’s mind. But it’s amazing what a difference these little creature comforts can make on attitude and morale. If having clean teeth makes it a little easier to smile, then GHCU, its members and the community are here to help.

For branch locations, click here.

GHCU is now accepting donations of brand-new, unopened:

• toothbrushes
• toothpaste
• deodorant
• shaving cream
• razors
• non-perishable snacks like granola bars, crackers, cookies, etc.
• books for kids, esp. books in other languages (Spanish)
]]> http://www.ghcublog.org/2009/08/04/helping-hands-for-seattle-childrens/feed/ 0 http://www.ghcublog.org/2009/06/24/all-a-twitter/ http://www.ghcublog.org/2009/06/24/all-a-twitter/#comments Wed, 24 Jun 2009 16:23:17 +0000 Shannon http://www.ghcublog.org/?p=169
Note to self: never underestimate the power of social media. OK, pretty much EVERYONE underestimates the power of social media, largely because it’s new and unknowable at this point. But here’s a personal story of how our Adventures on Twitter resulted in a new project we’re excited to undertake.

First, what’s “Twitter”?
For those unfamiliar, Twitter is a micro-blogging site where Twitterers (or “tweeps” or “tweeple”–please forgive us, we’re still drafting the jargon) send out posts of 140 characters or fewer. Those posts go in to a massive public stream. If a reader likes my tweets (messages), he or she may decide to “follow” me. Every time I post another tweet, my followers receive it on their computer or their phone or whatever device they’ve chosen.

It sounds silly, I know, and a lot of what goes out on Twitter isn’t exactly earth-shattering news. There’s a lot of chatter about PopTarts vs. Toaster Struedel, for example, or entire streams about the lives and loves of celebrities.

There’s also a lot that’s very important, like a revolution.

Why is GHCU on Twitter?
For all its potential for silliness, Twitter is actually an extremely powerful and useful tool. Anyone who’s surfed the Web knows that there’s an enormous amount of information out there–far too much for any individual to sift through, separating chaff from grain, sheep from goats, etc. Fortunately, on Twitter, I am part of a team of people who are professionals in the financial industry, filtering information and passing on the best of what’s available.

Twitter also allows me to be in immediate contact with members who follow me. Along with financial information I pass along, I can tweet about our events, special promotions and great products. I tweeted about the Grand Opening of our new Bellevue branch and the Shred-a-thon we hosted at our Northgate branch. I tweeted about the amazing success we had in raising money for the Race for the Cure. Twitter is a great tool for letting our members and community know what we’re up to.

So about that “new project”?
In keeping with our on-going efforts to be environmentally aware, we’re working on a promotion that will involve having live trees in our branches. The idea is that we will plant the trees in a permanent home where they can provide beauty, shade, a home for wildlife and less-romantic sounding but very important “carbon sequestration.”

I sent out a tweet, asking for advice. A few hours later, I got a phone call from Robert Smith of Lincoln, Nebraska, asking if he could help. As he is a Staff Arborist for the Arbor Day Foundation, well, he could. He got me in touch with the Seattle City Arborist, Noland Rundquist, who had the great idea that we should coordinate with local pea patches. I have since been in contact with the Pea Patch Coordinator for Seattle (yes, there is one: Rich McDonald), who has contacts with a pea patch administrator who just happens to be planning an orchard.

Seriously, how cool is that?

If you’re not following us on Twitter, please consider doing so. Ask questions, pass along information, join the conversation! And if you have a strong position on the PopTarts/Toaster Struedel debate, well, you can weigh in on that too.

And be on the look out for trees, coming this fall to all of our branches!

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